6 49ers in the Pro Football Focus Top 150 fantasy football rankings
The 49ers will be a fascinating team to follow for avid fantasy football players this season.
Trey Lance alone offers a ton of intrigue given his skill set, rushing upside and head coach Kyle Shanahan drawing up one of the NFL’s most creative offenses.
What branches from that Lance tree is where the 49ers become extremely interesting though. If Lance thrives, they could have a ton of fantasy-relevant players. If he struggles, productivity for the entire offense could take a dive.
Despite the question marks, the 49ers still had six players land in the top 150 of the Pro Football Focus fantasy rankings. These are individuals only, so San Francisco’s defense isn’t listed. Although they could be a good group to have every week since their pass rush is liable to rack up sacks and generate turnovers.
Here are the six 49ers offensive players in the top 150, and where they rank:
WR Deebo Samuel
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 22
Position: WR9
Samuel’s rushing upside is still there, but it’s hard to imagine him replicating his stat line on the ground in 2022. Still, he had 1,405 receiving yards with six touchdowns last season.
TE George Kittle
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 45
Position: TE5
Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Kyle Pitts and Darren Waller are all ahead of Kittle for now. Injuries are definitely a concern with Kittle, as is his production with Lance under center. Don’t be surprised if a new, more dynamic QB results in some big plays for the TE.
RB Elijah Mitchell
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Overall: 62
Position: RB22
Mitchell played in just 11 games as a rookie and still managed to post 963 rushing yards and five touchdowns. A slew of different injuries and the chances of splitting carries with another player push him down the fantasy board. If no other RB emerges in camp though it could be a big year for Mitchell as long as he stays healthy.
WR Brandon Aiyuk
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Overall: 96
Position: WR45
Lance and Aiyuk are putting in a lot of time together this offseason. It’s entirely feasible the third-year WR winds up breaking out for an entire season the way he did in the back half of last year. If there’s any player on this list worth reaching for, it’s Aiyuk.
QB Trey Lance
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: 101
Position: QB11
Two-QB or superflex leagues would change this ranking some, but it’s notable that Lance is inside the top 12. That would make him a regular starter for a team in a standard, 12-team league. Rushing upside is where Lance’s value lies, and puts him ahead of QBs like Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins and Justin Fields.
RB Tyrion Davis-Price
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Overall: 135
Position: RB48
It might be worth a late-round flier to roster Davis-Price. He could either be a touchdown vulture for Mitchell, or split carries and see a real workload, and he could be first off the bench if Mitchell isn’t available. The production may not be there right away, but Davis-Price could quickly become fantasy-relevant.
