Few quarterbacks are throwing the ball downfield less than Jimmy Garoppolo, but it's resulted in 9.1 yards per attempt, no turnovers, just one sack taken and a 2-0 record to open the season. Jimmy G isn't lighting it up for fantasy managers, but he's averaging the second-most passing yards (251.5) of his career, and more touchdowns are sure to come with that YPA and seemingly every 49ers running back injured (the team has yet to play a home game too). Garoppolo has benefited from clean pockets all season, and he gets a Green Bay defense Sunday night that enters with just one sack and having yielded the second-most passing scores to open the year. He's a top-20 QB for Week 3.
The 49ers backfield is a total mystery while the team deals with a ton of injuries. It becomes an even riskier proposition for fantasy managers with the game being Sunday night, so the safest route is to sit all SF backs. Elijah Mitchell is the current favorite for carries when healthy, but as of now Trey Sermon appears a bit likelier to suit up this week (the former has a shoulder injury, while the latter is recovering from a concussion sustained in his first and only carry of his career last week). And don't be shocked if newcomer Jacques Patrick is suddenly the lead running back this week, as crazier things have happened in a Shanahan backfield. But if you want to risk it, the bet for Sunday night here is on Sermon.
Deebo Samuel leads the NFL in receiving yards, target share and yards per route run. He's also second in fantasy points per route run, as Samuel has been arguably the steal of drafts over the first two weeks. Conversely, Brandon Aiyuk has been one of fantasy's biggest question marks, although last week's increased route usage was encouraging. Aiyuk is best on fantasy benches right now; far too much upside to release in any format, yet too low of a floor to start with any confidence.
George Kittle is off to a slow start by his standards, but big games are sure to come. He remains a must fantasy start, although there's an argument he's no longer a top-three fantasy tight end with T.J. Hockenson shoving him aside (thanks solely to the discrepancy in how their teams use them).
Aaron Rodgers got right during last week's second half and gets a 49ers secondary missing Jason Verrett but hoping Emmanuel Moseley returns Sunday night. The reigning MVP should be fired up in fantasy leagues, as should Davante Adams, who's due for a big performance having not scored yet this season (he had 18 touchdowns over 14 games last year). Aaron Jones scored four times last week but gets a much tougher matchup Sunday night. Still, he's a must start, while Marquez Valdes-Scantling leads the NFL in average depth of target and is a deep sleeper for those in need of a WR flier.
