Fantasy football: 5 must-have 49ers for your 2021 draft
By Peter Panacy
49ers Fantasy Football Option No. 2: Defense/Special Teams
Yes, fantasy football defense/special teams selections can make or break a championship. No fantasy owner would like to admit it. But veteran owners will tell you that one time their defense fell flat in a must-win week.
It’s OK. Happens to the best of us.
Regarding the Niners’ D/ST, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword. Kicker Robbie Gould has had some misses during the preseason, and there’s no clear-cut stud in the return game to give you the occasional touchdown off a punt or kickoff.
But coordinator DeMeco Ryans’ defense? It’s early, but this unit is looking to be a lockdown group, especially in the wake of star pass-rushers Nick Bosa and Dee Ford returning from injury.
Even without those two playing in the preseason, the defense still looked swarming and deep up front, which is a great sign of things to come.
Expect San Francisco to get close to registering the number of sacks it had in 2019 (48), when the 49ers defense was a top-five unit and an easy start in nearly every fantasy week. And for defensive units alone, Fantasy Football Calculator is assigning an easy-to-grab 12.07 ADP, likable for many of the favorable matchups the Niners will have against lackluster offenses like the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.