Fantasy Football: Week 15 Targets on the 49ers Roster and Beyond

Players on the 49ers, and around the rest of the league, who are fantasy worthy in Week 15 of the 2016 NFL season. The “Startable, Ownable and Eyeable.”

Dec 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; A San Francisco 49ers fan holds a sign reading “still faithful” during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at Levi’s Stadium. The New York Jets defeated the San Francisco 49ers 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

What a blah week. Points were certainly at a premium, and the usual cadre of studs, e.g. David Johnson, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, etc., came up really short… and when owners need them most.

I hate that. You have a team that is crushing it all year, and then when crunch time arrives, it crinkles like a Hyundai Accent.

Don’t get me wrong. Someone has to win. And that, by definition means, somebody else has to lose. I understand that, and when you get beat, you get beat.

But when the players that you’ve ridden all year long simultaneously expire yards before the finish line, it sucks.

There’s really no other way to say it. Unless of course you’d like to say it reminds you of the Seahawks Color Rush uniforms, because that would also do the trick. But I digress.

Returning to the point at hand, one of my fellow owners in my primary league had the following results last week:

Dude… The guy was 8-5 on the season. Talk about making you want to wear a bag on your head.

Admittedly, his team did suffer multiple, brutal injuries throughout the season, leaving him literally limping into the playoffs (well, as literal as anything can be in fantasy, that is).

Nonetheless, if you showed anyone that lineup before the beginning of last week’s action, and said the Over/Under on points scored is 35, I think most folks would have taken the over. Without hesitation.

Guess that’s what you get for starting a Sr. and a Jr. in the same week. Can we please drop the suffix madness, by the way? PLEASE.

Fantasy can be a cruel muse, no doubt.

Want another example? Good, because I just happen to have one.

I actually play in two leagues (I know… shocking), and in that league, we run a two-week playoff, i.e. you play the same player twice and the winner on aggregate points advances. You know, to avoid the exact sort of one-week meltdown that I was whining about above.

Here’s what happened to one of our unlucky owners in Round 1; we’ll use the nondescript names “TEAM A” and “TEAM B” to protect the less fortunate:

So TEAM A is up by eight points after the first week. Nothing landmark. Then comes the boom.

One point! In a league with no partial points!! Arghhh!!!

Granted, TEAM A’s 86 is nowhere near the implosion suffered by our first friend. But to have players like Wilson, Freeman, and Evans combine for nine points… well, that just double sucks. No other way to put it.

Unless, you wanted to make reference to the blindingly garish abominations that Seattle took to the field wearing this past Thursday. But, of course, I’ve already mentioned that, haven’t I?

Oh well, as much as I can empathize these hapless owners, at least I’m not one of them. Perhaps the only good thing about losing fantasy early is you don’t have to suffer this sort of indignity in the playoffs.

Yeah, I am just trying to make myself feel better. So what of it?!

Speaking of indignity, that might be the 49ers new mantra. This storied franchise has gone from “Winning with Class” to “Sucking Much A**” in less than two full seasons.

It’s hard to slaughter a goose as golden as the 49ers, but the Yorks are doing their darndest.

And in the ashes of the dumpster fire that is the 2016 season, it’s equally hard to justify starting virtually any 49ers player in fantasy, especially with your season on the line.

That said, this week’s tilt versus the dirty birds of Atlanta, could be an absolute track meet. Meaning, if you have the stones, starting a few 49ers could ultimately lead you to the fantasy finals… as hard as it is to believe.

Here are this week’s Startable, Ownable and Eyeable.

Dec 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) carries the ball against the New York Jets during the overtime period at Levi’s Stadium. The New York Jets defeated the San Francisco 49ers 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Startable

RB Carlos Hyde

Hyde might be the only viable option on the 49ers for any self-respecting fantasy owner in Week 15. Despite playing on a flaccid offense, he has continued to produce.

Last week, versus a NY Jets defense that ranked No. 4 against the run, Hyde had a video game-esque 193 yards on 17 carries (or an average of 11.4 yards per tote). That’s pure, unadulterated silliness.

Of course, as a fan, you must be asking yourself, what the heck does Hyde have to do for the 49ers to actually win a game. In fact, I’m sure he’s asking himself that very same question.

But the results on the scoreboard pale in comparison to those on the stat sheet in Fantasyland, and this week Hyde has a much more fanciful matchup on paper; the Atlanta Falcons have the No. 14 ranked run defense.

It’s time to ride No. 24 to victory. Move’em on, head’em up… Raw-Hyde!

Other RBs that you can ride to victory this week include:

RBs LeSean McCoy and David Johnson

There’s really no need to even bother rationalizing why an owner would start either of these menches. Not only are they premier players, but their matchups couldn’t be more tantalizing: Cleveland and New Orleans.

My grandma would know to start these two, and she passed away over a fifteen years ago. Suit’em up. No diggity.

Dec 11, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions outside linebacker Josh Bynes (57) knocks the ball away from Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard (24) during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Lions win 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

RB Jordan Howard

Don’t tell the 49ers this (after getting torched by back-up QB Matt Barkley two weeks ago), but Jordan Howard is pretty much the entire Chicago Bears offense.

And despite the fact that virtually every defensive coordinator around the league knows it, Howard has still been quite productive this year, averaging 11.4 fantasy points per contest. And, he’s been relatively consistent doing it, with just two sub-par performances this season.

Howard isn’t flashy. But when the dust settles, there’s usually right around ten points on the board.

Dec 4, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount (29) runs against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

RB LeGarrette Blount

New England head coach Bill Belichick is many things, but stupid doesn’t seem to be one of them.

When “the hoodie” sees an obvious weakness in an opponent, he’s liable to exploit it. In fact, more than liable. It’s guaranteed.

Enter the Denver Broncos, ranked No. 1 against the pass and No. 29 against the run.

Now, enter LeGarrette Blount, New England’s primary running back and all-around bad dude.

In a Marshawn Lynch-less NFL, Blount is about the closest thing you’ll find to beast-like out there these days.

Look for Bill to feed the beast this week, as opposed to tossing Tom Brady and his depleted receiving corps to the wolves.

Dec 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) tries to run while New York Jets outside linebacker Darron Lee (50) grabs onto his pants during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Startable Cont.

QB Colin Kaepernick

There’s only so much faith one can have in a quarterback who has managed a combined 13.8 fantasy points over the past two weeks… and versus the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, no less!

That said, several reasons remain why starting QB Colin Kaepernick against the Atlanta Falcons is a viable, albeit risky, consideration:

Two weeks ago, coming off of the Miami game, owners would have started Kap without blinking. Now that his special version of fool’s gold has been unearthed once again this season, it’s less cut and dried.

That said, Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger combined for a total of six points last week. Six. With an average of around 30 yards on the ground, Kap can at least get you half of that total with his legs alone. Oh boy.

Other, likely better, options at QB include:

QBs Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan

Let’s just get the obvious out of the way, shall we. You’re starting these guys, and they’re going to deliver. In fact, there’s a chance that they combine for over 1,000 yards.

What?! I said there’s a chance, it doesn’t have to be a good one. Besides, with Ryan taking on the 49ers defense, Rodgers might only need a few hundred yards to make it all happen.

Dec 11, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) drops back to pass during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers defeated the Chargers 28-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

QB Philip Rivers

Always hard to trust down the stretch, Rivers finds himself once again at the helm of a Chargers team that’s headed nowhere.

That said, the bolts are without their primary offensive threat, Melvin Gordon, this week, making Rivers a candidate to throw… and throw he will. Copiously.

The only question with Rivers is to whom will he throw it? With 17 picks on the season, and six over the past three games, he liable to target the opposition almost as frequently as his own guys.

But, facing the Raiders, in weather that’s bound to make the rest of the league jealous, it should be bombs away for Rivers and Co.

Dec 8, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes against the Kansas City Chiefs during a NFL football game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

QB Derek Carr

And why not take the other half of that equation as well?

Carr had a predictably poor showing in Kansas City last Thursday. On the road, playing on a short week, in an exceedingly hostile environment, he most certainly did not deliver (117 yards and no touchdowns).

The fact remains, though, that Carr is having a storybook season, averaging 18.3 fantasy points per game and squarely in the MVP discussion, per most pundits.

Facing a Chargers defense, that while respectable this season, is yielding over 262 yards through the air per game, expect Carr to have a boomerang performance this week.

Oct 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Oct 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek (88) runs the ball defended by Dallas Cowboys safety Barry Church (42) during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Ownable

TE Garrett Celek

With fellow TE Vance McDonald shelved for the remainder of the season, Celek will be called upon to fill in.

Although certainly no world beater, Celek has a steady hand on the tiller, and is usually good for at least 50 yards a game when acting as the primary pass catcher over the middle.

Don’t get me wrong. He’s nothing to get too excited about, and certainly miles away from a lock.

As with most at his position, he’ll need to be productive in the painted area in order to make starting him worthwhile. In addition, he’ll likely be competing for targets with second-year tight end Blake Bell.

But if there’s one thing we know, it’s that head coach Chip Kelly loves tight ends more than an adolescent male at a girls’ volleyball tournament. Celek should see his fair share of targets this week.

Other TEs for those in desperation this week include:

Nov 13, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) runs with the ball against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

TE Kyle Rudolph

Rudolph, although not spectacular, has been solid this season.

Heading into Week 15, he has the sixth highest point total among tight ends with 89 fantasy points on the season.

And, at just slightly over 80-percent ownership, there’s a chance he might even be available in your league.

Touchdown dependent to be sure, Rudolph makes for a risky, but sensible start. In particular against an Indianapolis team that has been woeful against the pass (No. 26 overall).

Nov 29, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Charles Clay (85) catches a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

TE Charles Clay

Clay has been exceedingly pedestrian this season. He’s averaging right around two to three looks per game, and most of them have not resulted in much.

It’s a dire position group, as a whole. No doubt.

But, Clay draws a very nice matchup against the down and out Browns this weekend.

I’m not expecting big things from Clay, by any stretch. However, if you’re stuck and need a streamer, he’ll be available on the wire; he’s owned in less than 10-percent of ESPN leagues

Dec 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers kicker Phil Dawson (4) reacts after missing a field goal against the New York Jets during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Eyeable

Readers of this column know that I’ve completely acquiesced when it comes to identifying Eyeable talent on the 49ers roster.