Niner Noise
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2016 Fantasy Football: Early Stock Watch for San Francisco 49ers Players

By Peter Panacy

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Sep 21, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) and quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) take the field for warmups prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 21, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) and quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) take the field for warmups prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

Ricky Picks: Quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert

Kaepernick’s 2015 Statistics

Gabbert’s 2015 Statistics

There are those who may argue head coach Chip Kelly will be the guy to turn quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s career in San Francisco around. And they might be right.

But the 49ers could still roll out with once-backup QB Blaine Gabbert to handle the No. 1 duties in 2015.

This likely won’t affect your draft status — or maybe it will if a decision isn’t made until Week 1 — although the possibility of a rookie taken in the upcoming NFL draft could change everything.

At any rate, Kelly’s offense creates a boom-or-bust scenario for both 49ers signal-callers.

On one hand, we could see the resurgence Kaepernick fans have been looking for since he was benched in Week 9 of the 2015 season. But let’s turn to NFL Films senior analyst Greg Cosell (h/t Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee) for some added insight on how Kap may or may not fit into Kelly’s system:

"[In] the NFL, your quarterback still has to be able to make different kinds of throws and make quick decisions and throw it accurately. Those are not Colin Kaepernick’s strengths. I could easily see Gabbert being more effective in Chip’s offense than Kaepernick. Now one of the problems that Chip has had in the NFL is he likes to get five (pass catchers) out, which increases the pressure on your quarterback. And that’s not Gabbert’s strength. And you need a really good o-line, which he did not have in Philly and which he certainly does not have in San Francisco as we speak right now."

So both Gabbert and Kaepernick have weaknesses that could make them less-than efficient in Kelly’s offense.

And with the concerns along San Francisco’s offensive line continuing into 2016, signs don’t point to a redress right away.

Depending on which quarterback gets the nod this season, you may want to hold off adding one or the other until the very late rounds of your draft — possibly as a bye-week option. Yet if either quarterback starts producing early, you’ll be glad you made the pick.

This is a clear case of high risk versus high reward.

Next: Picks to Avoid: 49ers D/ST, RB Jarryd Hayne & WR Bruce Ellington