49ers fantasy football: 4 sleepers you can draft late in 2022
By Fred Smith
49ers fantasy football sleeper No. 3: San Francisco’s defense
“Neglect” would be a strong term to describe the relationship between fantasy players and selecting defenses during fantasy drafts. But it isn’t treated as a top priority.
A wise sleeper choice, potentially available in the later rounds, would be to select the Niners defense. With an improved secondary, a stellar defensive line, and the best linebacker in the league, Fred Warner, San Francisco’s defense, will be able to put up fantasy points on any given Sunday.
You can count on that defense stifling offenses, Pro Bowl EDGE Nick Bosa, and that defensive line creating havoc-produced turnovers.
I consider this defense a sleeper, as it has fallen a bit under the radar regarding public perception. Nevertheless, despite injuries seemingly becoming annual in the Bay Area in recent years, this defense has still yet to lose a step. The 49ers defense has been relatively consistent over the past three years, and last season was another season spent in the top-10 of the NFL team defenses’ hierarchy.
Read More: 49ers defense/special teams undervalued in fantasy football?
The Niners’ defensive consistency over the years hasn’t done much to aid the public perception, though, and there are defenses the public may choose before they choose San Francisco’s, whether it’s a healthy decision or not.
This reaction could and should open the door for the 49ers defense to be available late in the fantasy draft.
If so, selecting this group would be a viable, logical decision and option to have as a primary or secondary defense for your 2022 fantasy unit.