Five Biggest Questions
1. Will Trey Lance be a top-20 QB?
2. Is Raheem Mostert an RB2?
3. Can Trey Sermon be a streaming RB?
4. Will Brandon Aiyuk be a WR2?
5. Is Deebo Samuel an RB4+?
From a Super Bowl appearance to last place in their division, it's been a tale of two seasons for the Niners. Injuries took a huge toll last year, and Jimmy Garoppolo's regression didn't help. Not that he was all that impressive in 2019. But when a high-priced acquisition looks no better than Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard, it's time to look elsewhere. And that's what San Francisco did, snagging Trey Lance with the third overall pick. At this moment, while Jimmy remains in the mix to start Week 1, there's no questioning Lance's inevitable rise. Managers with deep enough benches can afford to stash the rookie if he's not the #1 guy right away. For now, I'm comfortable paying for him at his QB-23 ADP. And if he's named the Week 1 starter, I'd be hard-pressed to keep him out of the top 12.
Last year this team had four RBs capable of starting on several-to-many NFL squads. This season things will be a little clearer. At first glance, Raheem Mostert is a nice find at his RB-28 ADP. Jeff Wilson's (RB-61) injury gives rookie Trey Sermon (RB-39) a shot at the #2 job. Wayne Gallman (RB-83) is a longshot for even semi-relevance. Believe it or not, Mostert is now 29 years old and has fewer than 300 NFL carries. He also isn't a major pass-catcher. Can we trust him as a top-30 RB if he's playing with a far more mobile QB, and if Sermon continues ascending? Once again, deep-bench managers can afford to stash someone like Wilson in case he starts later this year. For now, Sermon is the name to watch in case this turns into a backfield committee, while Mostert is a bit riskier than he appears.
The wideout situation begins with 2020 breakout star Brandon Aiyuk, who benefited from significant teammate injuries--and of course talent. After George Kittle went down midseason, Aiyuk reeled off a 31/362/3 line on 52 targets across four contests. At first glance, his WR-25 ADP seems reasonable, and Deebo Samuel's WR-37 ADP does too, particulary if the recovering Jalen Hurd (WR-111) isn't 100% Week 1. Still, it's hard to see both starters thriving alongside George Kittle. This passing attack doesn't seem designed for three fantasy-relevant receivers.
Speaking of Kittle, he's the TE-3 for a reason. Who am I to question this much reliable weekly volume? He's only 27 years old and could overtake the soon-to-be 32-year-old Travis Kelce in the next couple years.