49ers fantasy football: Niners players to start, sit in Week 1

49ers fantasy football sit ’em: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo might have won the battle to start for San Francisco at the beginning of 2021 over Trey Lance. But that doesn’t automatically make Jimmy G a high-profile fantasy football add, even in deeper leagues.

True, Garoppolo might be able to pick up the kind of yardage he enjoyed back in 2019 when he was fully healthy. And while his reputation for tossing boneheaded interceptions isn’t likely to go away anytime soon, a lackluster Lions defense certainly opens up the possibility for Garoppolo to have a high-performing game in the range of 250-plus passing yards and multiple touchdowns thrown.

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Two things against that, though, and they’re not just related to his interception tendencies.

For starters, Week 1 is likely to be a game in which Kyle Shanahan wants to establish the 49ers as a run-first, run-often team. That’s why Raheem Mostert is a player to both watch and start for fantasy football owners.

On top of that, assuming the Lions also have their share of troubles moving the ball on offense — they will — the second half of the game could easily give way to Shanahan grinding out the clock on the ground.

Remember, fantasy football owners love, love, love shootouts involving their offensive rosters. Week 1 isn’t likely to be that kind of a contest, meaning those who actually own Garoppolo simply need to keep him on the bench.