49ers player stocks soaring after Week 4 of 2019 season

The 49ers couldn’t be 3-0 without some standout performances, and a few minor exceptions aside, the players’ stocks are soaring. Niner Noise highlights some regression and a whole lot of progression in the stock of the team’s key players.

The San Francisco 49ers are guaranteed to be undefeated heading into Week 5. That’s the beauty of an early bye week. Although the Niners would prefer a bye week later in the year, they’ll gladly accept an undefeated start to the 2019 NFL regular season.

It hasn’t been perfect; in fact, it’s been rather ugly. But as Niner Noise’s Peter Panacy details, “Simply put, the 49ers are now winning games they were unable to win a year or two ago. And the league will begin to take note.”

The 49ers defense has been on point, ranking second in the league in Defensive DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) and the offense, despite the turnovers and continued red-zone woes, ranks seventh in Offensive DVOA.

The details of what DVOA is, per Football Outsiders, can be found here.

Both head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh have done great jobs game planning and coaching, but credit must go where credit’s due: to the players.

The 49ers’ players have greatly exceeded expectations. The pass rush is everything fans dreamed of, the secondary doesn’t break down in coverage, the offensive line can actually block people and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, coming off a torn ACL, hasn’t been completely limited. There’s a lot of good going on.

There’s also been some bad. When a team is 3-0, some context and leeway is necessary, but a few players have failed to meet the hype in the midst of the team’s run.

In any case, there’s a lot to digest. The market’s running hot with a few cold spots, and it’s time to dive in.