Fantasy football: 5 must-have 49ers for your 2021 draft
By Peter Panacy
With the 2021 fantasy football season just days away, and many an owner wrapping up their draft prep, here are five 49ers you’ll want to roster.
There are plenty of reasons to believe the San Francisco 49ers will be a source of high-quality fantasy football production in 2021.
First and foremost, the Niners can’t be ravaged by the sheer number of injuries they suffered a year ago, which is ultimately the bane of fantasy owners everywhere.
Luckily, San Francisco has plenty of handcuffs for star-caliber players you’ll want to target in your fantasy football drafts. But you’re probably not focusing on them too much right now. No, instead you’re looking to maximize your draft investment.
And as a 49ers fan, you’ll want some red and gold players on your roster, right?
These could include quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, yes. But given only a handful of signal-callers are worth early round picks (and neither Jimmy G nor Lance should qualify at this point), let’s focus on some other must-grab Niners players you’ll want to target when your number is called.
49ers Fantasy Football Option No. 5: Tight End George Kittle
“What?” you say?
Tight end George Kittle should be ranked higher on this list, as he’s currently the top-slated offensive producer on San Francisco’s roster.
Plus, the fantasy tight end market is awfully top-heavy, even more now with Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. out with a meniscus tear, essentially leaving Kittle as one of only three or four options at the position worth grabbing in the first three rounds, the others being the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and Las Vegas Raiders’ Darren Waller.
Kittle’s current average draft position (ADP) is 3.04 (Round 3, pick No. 4) in a 12-team, points-per-reception format, according to Fantasy Football Calculator, which takes into account Kittle’s injury history but also recognizes he’ll experience some better consistency at quarterback, even though that could be split between Garoppolo and Lance.
In Round 3, Kittle would be a safe grab for sure. And, if for whatever reason, your fantasy colleagues somehow pass up Kittle into Round 4, don’t sleep any longer.
Even though leagues aren’t won in the first few rounds. You’ll need to hit on your mid- and late-round picks, too.