Niner Noise
FanSided

Fantasy football: The ideal mock draft for the 2019 NFL season

By Chris Wilson

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 02: Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants leaps over Adrian Amos #38 of the Chicago Bears for extra yardage during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium on December 02, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 02: Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants leaps over Adrian Amos #38 of the Chicago Bears for extra yardage during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium on December 02, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
13 of 16
Next
Fantasy football 2019 perfect draft
SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 24: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers drops back to pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during their NFL football game at Levi’s Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Round 12: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers

With four picks remaining in our draft, it’s finally time to select our quarterback — and who better than Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers. The draft board contains a number of viable options at the position, but Garoppolo provides us with an important combination of upside and early-season streaming ability.

Simply using Garoppolo as a streamer is a viable option, as the 49ers have a pair of advantageous matchups to begin the 2019 season, although both games are on the road. The 49ers first travel to Tampa Bay to face the NFL’s third-friendliest team to opposing quarterbacks in 2018. In Week 2, San Francisco takes on the Cincinnati Bengals, who allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to QBs last season.

However, Garoppolo isn’t merely a quarterback streaming option this fantasy football season. In 2017, Garoppolo was QB10 in the five games he started for the 49ers, despite his limited knowledge of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s playbook. As we’ve discussed, Garoppolo’s Niners led the NFL in scoring percentage, yards-per-drive and points-per-drive in his five starts with the team in 2017:

Garoppolo was a draft darling entering the 2018 fantasy football season, but his year was cut short due to a Week 3 knee injury. Thanks to the emergence of tight end George Kittle, the 49ers were able to continue to produce through the air despite lacking a 500-yard wide receiver:

https://twitter.com/cgawilson/status/1083812383070580736

Shanahan and 49ers general manager John Lynch made a point to add receiving options to the team over the offseason, beginning with veteran wide receiver Jordan Matthews and pass-catching back Tevin Coleman. In the 2019 NFL Draft, the 49ers used a second-round pick on wide receiver Deebo Samuel, and a third-rounder on fellow WR Jalen Hurd, who impressed with a pair of touchdown receptions in San Francisco’s first preseason game.

If Garoppolo returns to 2017 form, we have our quarterback for the fantasy football season. But if the 49ers’ QB falters on the road, there are plenty of viable streaming options on the waiver wire.