Fantasy football: What to make of 49ers entering 2021

Fantasy football: Is 49ers D/ST worth a look in 2021?

Few thought the 2019 49ers defense/special teams would be worth consideration after a noticeably bad performance the previous year, albeit an explainable one, given the Niners’ offensive woes and tendencies of turning the ball over.

Yet San Francisco boasted one of the league’s best pass rushes that season, surrendered the second-fewest yards in the NFL (4,509) and ranked sixth best in total takeaways (27).

More from Niner Noise

• Predicting 49ers NFL Draft picks by looking at final mocks
• DraftKings NFL Draft Promo – Win $150 Guaranteed on Any $5 Bet 
• 2023 NFL Draft: EDGE Byron Young could be impact player for 49ers
• 5 low-key NFL Draft options for 49ers who are flying under the radar
• Updated 49ers salary cap space ahead of 2023 NFL Draft

The hope is the 2021 cast can revert back to its 2019 numbers, and a healthy return of EDGE Nick Bosa should make a push towards that.

But the 49ers pass rush might not come anywhere near the 48 sacks it enjoyed two seasons ago, cutting into some quality fantasy football points, and there are concerns the Niners secondary might lack the needed depth to generate some of the takeaways it had back in 2019.

All the while dealing with an increase in yards allowed, which wasn’t the case in either 2019 or even 2020.

There’s also a reasonable concern first-year defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans will undergo some growing pains his first year in the role, too, which might make owners a bit skeptical about grabbing this particular unit.

Currently, San Francisco’s D/ST ADP heading towards 2021 is at 12.09 and ranked seventh, which isn’t terrible or too overly ranked, yet owners may want to be willing to stockpile a quality No. 2 unit to swap with the 49ers, especially in less-favorable matchups.