By: Jake Rajala

The offensive wiz Kyle Shanahan handed the keys of the offense to Trey Lance this season & he will certainly anticipate magic from the former North Dakota State signal-caller. Lance has only thrown for 603 passing yards and 5 touchdowns (to two interceptions) in his career. Nonetheless, the dual-threat QB that is seen as the chosen one by 49ers fans has made a ton of growth this off-season. He flexed his arm talent in the preseason opener by converting four of five passes and even completing a 76-yard touchdown to Danny Gray (as shown below)!

Besides Gray mopping the floor against opponents, the 49ers still arguably display a Top-3 WR-TE tandem in the league with Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Samuel is coming off a season with 1,405 receiving yards, 365 rushing yards, and of course: first-team All-Pro honors. Meanwhile, the Thor-like 49ers TE unveiled 910 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 14 contests a season ago. PFF gave Kittle a very impressive 90.9 grade for his performance.

At the RB spot – I really, really like Elijah Mitchell. I slotted Mitchell as a Top-10 RB entering 2022 after he unleashed 963 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 11 contests a season ago. He will certainly mow down opponents behind the Trent Williams-led OL. Williams picked up his first first-team All-Pro nod in 2021.

The two x-factors in the 49ers offense are unequivocally Brandon Aiyuk and Kyle Juszczyk. The 49ers WR2 didn’t exactly transcend into a 1,000+ yard WR last season, but he should really evolve into a Pro Bowl wideout with a big-arm, young QB in Lance. The 49ers FB from Stanford is the jack-of-all-trade for Shanny & he made his sixth straight Pro Bowl last season. Yes, you read that correctly.

Assuming the 49ers don’t have a walking dead-like squad, which occurred in 2020, I foresee the scrappy NFC West squad being a Top-3 rushing offense and a Top-15 passing attack. It would be difficult to deny that the 49ers boast the right combination of youth and experience on offense. I expect Lance to have growing pains, but he should be able to have more high-end performances than Jimmy G – to say the least. It’s unclear if Lance will be overly efficient or clutch, but I believe the QB that holds high expectations for himself will steer his offense to be quite successful moving forward.

The post What to expect from the San Francisco 49ers offense in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Brock Wells

Trey Lance is going to be the Week One 2022 starter at quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. This is something that has been expected for some time, even by many last season when the 49ers first drafted him out of North Dakota State University with the third pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. The two-time FCS champion led the Bison to an undefeated season in 2019, a season in which he threw for zero interceptions.

That said, Lance also played in just one game in the following 2020 season. For a team to select a player third overall who played in just one game in their final college season can be seen as rather bizarre. But some still point to his 2019 season, in which he compiled 42 total touchdowns (28 passing, 14 rushing) and 3,886 total yards (2,786 passing, 1,100 rushing) as evidence that he was worth such a high pick despite the lack of play in ’20.

It’s rare that a quarterback who played their college ball in the FCS gets the kind of attention Lance does, especially one that played just one game in their final season. An awful lot of praise has been given to a player who hasn’t played a lot of football. Nevertheless, when he has played, he’s generally been nothing short of excellent. He’s got the arm and the size to make himself an asset as a dual-threat quarterback in the modern NFL.

Lance is capable of the kind of rushing attack similar to that which has been seen through the likes of Cam Newton. At 6’4”, 224 pounds, Lance can be difficult to bring down, especially if he’s able to get into the open field. In terms of accuracy, too, he stacks up to Newton. Having started in just two games last season, there’s little to take away from his accuracy thus far in the NFL. But the NCAA stats of Lance and Newton paint a picture.

Career completion percentage (NCAA):

• Lance: 65.4%
• Newton: 65.4%

Best season:

• Lance: 2,786 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, 0 interceptions / 1,100 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns (2019)
• Newton: 2,854 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, 7 interceptions / 1,473 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns / 42 receiving yards, 1 touchdown (2010)

Because Lance has started so few games recently (two in 2021, one in 2020), it’s difficult to gauge just where his potential in the NFL is currently at. Of course, he’ll be leading a 49ers team in 2022 that carries high expectations with it. If he’s overrated at this point, it’s on account of the premature reactions many have towards him. It simply isn’t responsible at this point to lavish him with the praise he hasn’t been given the opportunity to earn. In the games Lance started in ’21, he had the tendency to take a lot of unnecessary contact. He’ll want to turn that around as well.

The post Is Trey Lance overrated right now? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Cayden Bernal

When the 49ers drafted Trey Lance with the third pick in the 2021 draft, it was no secret he wasn’t going to be the day one starter in San Fransisco. The year has gone by, and Lance is now being set up to start for the Niners in this upcoming season. In dynasty startup drafts, Lance should be seen as the 11th QB off the board, but why?

The Good

Trey Lance has one of the highest ceilings in fantasy football, which alone, can make him worthy of a low second-round or a high third-round pick in your startup drafts. Dual-threat QBs have been taking over fantasy football and Lance is certainly a dual-threat QB. When you pair his size with the speed that he has, you get a high-end dual-threat QB.

When drafting your QB1, you want to get as much upside as possible. Trey’s unlimited arm strength puts no limit on his upside. Lance will bring high scoring plays to your fantasy team week-in and week-out. Once you get past the top 10 quarterbacks, Lance easily has the most upside out of everyone who’s left.

Trey has been set up with superstars all around him. Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk are going to be one of the best three-headed dragons in this upcoming season. Aiyuk has been the wide receiver that Lance has worked with the most, since his arrival. Not to mention that Lance has one of the best offensive-minded coaches in Kyle Shanahan.

Lance has looked good in the minimal time he’s gotten to prove himself on the field physically. In just one-half of the game against Seattle, Lance scored 20.38 points. giving him QB13 status with just one-half of football. In his second NFL start, Trey looked like he has the potential to be your fantasy team’s weekly QB of choice.

The Bad

Trey Lance has had a repetitive issue of making some passes harder to catch than expected. It feels with every throw he gives out; you just expect it to be a little wobbly. During Pre-season, the Niners receivers had been struggling to catch the lightning-fast passes from Lance as well. It should be noted that more consistency would make the jobs of his receivers easier.

In Lance’s first NFL start he struggled to score fantasy points, with his week ending at 15.58. It wasn’t necessarily a bad debut for real life but if you started him, you probably regretted it that week. He showed that his game is still raw, which isn’t a bad thing, just shows he was mostly thought of as potential when he was picked.

The offensive line for the Forty-Niners certainly doesn’t make you feel confident that Lance will play 17 games a year, every season. However, a bad offensive line does open the door for more improvisation scrambles, that will bring in tons of fantasy points.

The 49ers top receiver has asked for a trade. If Deebo were to be moved from the Niners, it would have quite a negative impact on the first year of full-time Trey. The assets gained in a Deebo trade could bring a better longer-term result of Lance’s career.

Realistic Expectations

An owner could reasonably expect lance to finish in around the QB12-14 range. He undeniably has the upside to finish as a top-10 quarterback, but it remains to be a question if he will achieve that upside in his first year. Moving forwards past this year I’d fully expect him to start consecutively finishing in that top-10 range.

What to do

Buy. Buy. Buy. There is a good reason why John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan mortgaged that much value to go out and get him. Lance is a stud in one of the best situations the league has to offer. Now is the time to reach for him in drafts, or to “overpay” in a trade to get him. His value may skyrocket to a late first-early second-round pick next year and you won’t want to miss out.

The post Trey Lance’s Superflex dynasty outlook right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The San Francisco 49ers made it to the NFC Championship last season and they will look to return to the post-season with their new leader in Trey Lance. With that said, I’m going to simply outline the potential highs, likely lows, and overall record with the 49ers next season.

Week 1: at the Bears

This NFC battle features two, second-year dual-threat quarterbacks. Although, Lance has a significantly more well-rounded roster than Fields. I love that the 49ers kept Deebo Samuel and I expect SF to win 28-17.

Week 2: vs the Seahawks

The 49ers should honestly throttle the rebuilding Seahawks team by a score of 28-14.

Week 3: at Broncos

I foresee the Broncos having more success through the air than SF in this key showdown. I expect the 49ers to lean on George Kittle with his match-ups and make it a highly competitive game. All in all, I believe Denver wins 28-24.

Week 4: vs the Rams

I love the Rams chances at returning to the Super Bowl next season. They also have more firepower (Allen Robinson) than last season in my opinion. I believe LA wins 35-28.

Week 5: at the Panthers

The 49ers will bounce back in Week 5 against a Panthers team that may cut ties with Matt Rhule by the mid-point of the season. I believe SF wins 28-14.

Week 6: at the Falcons

I actually feel that SF is upset by the Falcons with the very underrated Marcus Mariota and stud TE Kyle Pitts. I believe the Falcons win 24-21.

Week 7: vs the Chiefs

The 49ers should give Patrick Mahomes issues with their pass rush, but I’m more convinced that Patty Mahomes comes in clutch to win this game. I believe KC wins 28-14.

Week 8: at the Rams

Unfortuantely, I don’t anticipate the 49ers stealing lunch money from LA in 2022. I expect LA to win 34-24 in this contest.

Week 10: vs the Chargers

I believe the Chargers and the Eagles are the two most underrated NFL squads. I really believe the Chargers edge out SF in this game by a score of 28-21.

Week 11: at the Cardinals

The 49ers should beat the Cardinals in my opinion. I believe both teams will dig deep and SF wins a gutsy match-up by a score of 24-21.

Week 12: at the Saints

I foresee the Saints winning a blood-bath, NFC showdown by a score of 24-14. The Saints are one step ahead of SF from my view.

Week 13: vs the Dolphins

I sadly expect Shanny to witness his former Padawan in Mike McDaniel to beat him. I predict the Phins to win 28-21.

Week 14: vs the Buccaneers

The Buccaneers will not take the gas off the pedal in Week 13. I imagine Tampa wins 35-21.

Week 15: at the Seahawks

This NFC West clash will result in a victory, as a likely three-four win team in SEA loses by a score of 28-17.

Week 16: vs the Commanders

The 49ers should win this pivotal match-up, as I trust in Shanny and the clutch 49ers team more than Carson Wentz. I believe the 49ers win 31-24.

Week 17: at the Raiders

I don’t love the 49ers chances against the Raiders and I believe Derek Carr has a big day against the 49ers secondary. I believe LV wins 31-21.

Week 18: vs the Cardinals

After the 49ers swept LA in 2021, I feel the 49ers mop the floor against AZ in 2022. I believe SF wins 27-24.

Final record: 7-10

The post Projecting the San Francisco 49ers record in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Jimmy Garoppolo-led San Francisco 49ers clawed their way to a playoff berth last season. Kyle Shanahan will hand the keys to a different, younger QB in Trey Lance and aspire to return to the Super Bowl in Lance’s second NFL season. With that said, I’m going to simply outline the three biggest obstacles for the 49ers in 2022.

• The growth of the “middle of the pack NFC teams”

The 49ers edged out the decimated New Orleans Saints for a playoff berth last season, but I really expect NO to be a wild-card team next season at least. Jameis Winston was 5-2 without his insane WR trio (Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, and Chris Olave) and the Saints also added the Honey Badger to their defense.

Outside of Who Dat Nation, the NFC East could have three potential playoff teams next season. The Washington Commanders will a QB upgrade in Carson Wentz from Taylor Heinicke, while the Philadelphia Eagles offense will aim to make a lot of noise with A.J. Brown. The 49ers battle the Saints and Commanders this season, so it will be vital that Shanny finds a way to squash the fellow NFC squads.

• The health of star players

It will be a challenge for Lance to help the 49ers return to the playoffs in the gritty NFC in his first season. If the 49ers suffer from the injury bug, it will be a mountain for the complex 49ers team to earn a golden ticket to the NFC playoffs in 2022-2023.

George Kittle, Dee Ford, Deebo Samuel, and Nick Bosa have both missed a lot of games in their 49ers tenure. In particular, Kittle’s injury history is a noticeable concern (13 missed games over the past three seasons).

• The production from young offensive players

The 49ers desperately need Brandon Aiyuk and Trey Sermon to be superb contributors in 2022. Aiyuk was a modest sophomore WR, but he wasn’t able to have a coming-out party last season. Although, he can be a star WR2 with 1,000+ receiving yds with his new big-arm QB moving forward. I’m sure that the 49ers faithful would love to see the 2021 third-round pick Sermon (167 rushing yds in 2021) ascend into a quality RB behind Elijah Mitchell, as well. The 49ers could win competitive match-ups off the backs of x-factor profiles like Aiyuk and Sermon.

The post 49ers biggest obstacles in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

It appears that Justin Fields will have a smile on his face after the Chicago Bears 2022 schedule was released yesterday. The team in Chi-town have the 24th easiest schedule in the NFL. The gritty Bears will face a less talented Green Bay Packers offense, but Fields and Matt Eberflus will also face a schedule that is near the opposite challenge of the LA Rams schedule (most difficult schedule) in 2022.

With that enunciated, I’m going to untwine three takeaways from the Bears 2022 schedule.

• The battle of the sophomore dual-threat QBs

The Bears will kick off the season against the San Francisco 49ers and Trey Lance. I believe the Bears show-down against SF is arguably their best opportunity to play spoilers, as they play an unproven QB in the first week of the season. If the Bears can have splash plays dialed up with Darnell Mooney or Velus Jones Jr, they could force Lance to really battle through the air and he could be out of his comfort zone. Fields also have a chance to prove he’s more talented than the 49ers QB1 that was selected ahead of him in the 2021 NFL Draft.

• Most talented opponent: Buffalo Bills

Justin Fields will face a monster challenge in Week 16 at home against the Buffalo Bills. If Fields can manage to beat the Bills, it may convince his followers that he is their future QB beyond 2022. He definitely needs to play better than the starting performance from previous sophomore Tua Tagovailoa against BUF: 21/39, 205 passing yds, 0 TDs, 1 INT.

• The Bears archnemesis: Green Bay Packers

It will obviously be a serious test for Fields to beat the Green Bay Packers in 2022. Although, the Bears could really turn the tide with their confidence against GB by splitting games with them in 2022. I believe the battle between the 2021 NFC Defensive Player of November Robert Quinn and the healthy David Bakhtiari will be very enjoyable. Quinn had 3 sacks combined against the Packers last season and they will need him to be unstoppable against A-Rod, especially without Khalil Mack. Quinn will dream about clinching a win with a sack against Rodgers and then doing the belt.

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By Calvin K (Twitter: @Calvin_SGF)

Jimmy Garoppolo had a decidedly mediocre season for the 49ers in 2021, throwing for 3,810 yards and 20 touchdowns along with 12 interceptions. At times, Garoppolo appeared to play at a stable level, but often, his decision-making was put on blast for his head-scratching mistakes. Overall, Garoppolo is clearly not a terrible QB, but he’s also far from great, and because of this, it appears all but certain that the 49ers will look to move Garoppolo in trade and transition to Trey Lance as their 2022 starter. In this article, I’ll evaluate the best and worst-case scenarios for Garoppolo before reaching the final verdict.

Best-Case Scenario

Garoppolo gets plenty of hate for his erratic play, but the fact remains that he has reached two NFC championship games, with one resulting in a Super Bowl appearance in 2019. Many argue, validly, that San Francisco’s stellar defense and supporting casts played a big role in those runs. However, the basic premise that Garoppolo is a winner is still true, and while that may not mean much for fantasy, it could mean more to teams in pursuit of a QB, putting him in a position to likely be a starter in 2022.

If Garoppolo was moved to a spot such as Pittsburgh or Washington to start, he could have moderate fantasy success surrounded by solid weapons, as both teams have a quality RB (Najee Harris, Antonio Gibson), as well as quality pass-catchers who can handle big target loads (Diontae Johnson/Chase Claypool, Terry McLaurin). Both teams would likely see Jimmy G as an upgrade over their current situations, especially the Steelers, who will almost certainly not ride into 2022 with Mason Rudolph as their starter. If Garoppolo lands with either of these teams, a 4,000-yard, high-20-touchdown season would not be out of the realm of possibility (he had 3,978 and 27 when playing 16 games in 2019), and if he achieves those benchmarks, he would be a reliable QB2 for dynasty leagues, although his longevity in doing so could come into question.

Worst-Case Scenario

Jimmy G haters can rejoice because the worst-case scenario for Garoppolo does not shine a fun outlook on him for dynasty. There’s always the possibility that he gets moved to a team that subsequently drafts a quarterback, putting him in a potential QB competition and making his starting status uncertain. If he gets beat out by a young QB such as Matt Corral, Kenny Pickett, or Malik Willis, that could mark the end of his fantasy value. Additionally, given his limited rushing and deep passing upside, he provides little top-tier fantasy upside anyway, so he could be deemed irrelevant for dynasty – outside of Superflex leagues – even if he finds a starting role.

Garoppolo also only has one year left on his big contract, so his deal could run out, putting him in potential QB purgatory if his performance doesn’t meet expectations. Given the quarterback thirst from NFL teams, it’s likely that Garoppolo has not seen his last action as a starter, but he has very little contractual security at this point, so his starting status is certainly in question at the moment.

Verdict

Overall, the verdict on Jimmy Garoppolo is that he’s not likely to provide QB1 dynasty value. He could become a solid QB2 in the right spot, but that type of player provides little value for single-QB dynasty players given the ease of replacing a quarterback in fantasy football.

For Superflex leagues, Garoppolo in Washington or Pittsburgh could provide semi-consistent week-to-week value given the weapons around him. However, if he continues to make erratic mistakes, his long-term security could once again be called into question. Garoppolo is not a player you should look to acquire in single-QB dynasty leagues. In Superflex, perhaps he’s a good trade target at a cheap enough price, but there’s still plenty of downsides to be wary of, which doesn’t cast his future in a particularly good light.

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By: Jake Rajala and Charlie Vakassian

The wild NFC West was the most interesting and talented NFL division last season. The Los Angeles Rams claimed NFC West prominence, but they were bullied and defeated by the San Francisco 49ers in both matchups in 2021. Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals were the biggest surprise team in the NFL, as they won 11 games and dazzled opposing defenses with Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins. It’s unclear which NFC West squad will ascend in 2022 and win the ultra-competitive NFC division next season. With that said, we will pick our favorites to win the NFC West? Let’s take a look.

San Francisco 49ers (Jake): 

There’s a lot of reason to pick the recent Super Bowl Champions, also known as the Los Angeles Rams, to the NFC West favorite in 2022. I still have my utmost confidence that Kyle Shanahan will take the league by storm with Trey Lance next season. So, I’m picking the 49ers to win the wild west in 2022. Lance has a gifted skill set and I believe Shanny will utilize his ability well in an offense featuring Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. 

If the 49ers can get a boost from their QB performance and they can add a quality CB, I believe they can take a massive swing in wins next season. They lost to the division-rival Seattle Seahawks by a combined 10 points in 2021. Jimmy Garoppolo also arguably threw the game away against the Tennessee Titans, as they lost 20-17. He missed a wide-open target for an easy touchdown on one play. 

The 49ers might have had 7 losses last season, but I believe they were the best 7-loss team in the past few seasons. Shanahan’s team beat the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals, the Rams twice, and they also barely lost to the Green Bay Packers by a score of 30-28. 

Lance will not only look to improve his production in 2022 but his supporting cast will look to take positive steps. Brandon Aiyuk had a sophomore slump, but he’s shown his prominence in year one. If Aiyuk excels again, Samuel and Aiyuk will be a terrific pass-catching duo. The 49ers also have the 23-year-old Elijah Mitchell, who ousted 963 rushing yards in 11 games last season. 

The 49ers don’t only have the potential and bright play-calling to be a regular-season juggernaut in the NFC, but they have more confidence than the LA Rams in future head-to-head matchups. SF has edged out the Rams in six of the past 7 games. Sean McVay is basically Shanahan’s little brother. If the Cardinals take a step back without Kyler Murray and the 49ers face the Rams for a pivotal division game, I have faith in the 49ers to wreak havoc on the Rams and come out with the division title.

Arizona Cardinals (Charles):

In a remarkably strong NFC West, it is conceivable for just about any of the 4 teams to come away with the division title in a given year. While each team is undoubtedly strong, there are some question marks that leave a few of the teams short of a division title in 2022.

The Seahawks and Russel Wilson seem poised for a divorce, as Wilson scrubbed his social media of all Seahawks-related items, and has been rumored to want a fresh start. Murray has done a similar gesture, but I believe they will work things out as the offseason continues. I expect he’s filled with too much negative emotion due to the season eclipsing.

The Rams, while coming off of a Super Bowl title, have several of their prominent contributors facing free agency (OBJ, Von Miller, Austin Corbett, Darious Williams, Brian Allen) and are $-21M against the cap, with almost no draft picks to augment their core. The 49ers are in flux, with an inconsistent Jimmy Garoppolo on the trade block, and their first round pick in Trey Lance had limited experience in his first NFL season. This leaves the Arizona Cardinals as the team best suited to capture the NFC West division crown in 2022.

The Cardinals have faced their fair share of offseason questions already, as Kyler Murray was criticized within the organization for his lack of leadership. However, the two sides have taken steps to mend the bonds that were broken. Murray is the best two-way QB in the division, with his elite rushing ability, and his passing chops only rivaled by Matthew Stafford. He has one of the best big-play wide receivers in the NFL in DeAndre Hopkins, and a strong running game anchored by James Conner. The Cardinals defense was 9th against the Pass, anchored by CB Byron Murphy and stud safety Budda Baker. The run defense was admittedly more suspect but was due to prize acquisition JJ Watt suffering from a bad shoulder injury. 

Arizona will need to bring back James Conner, who ran for over 700 yards and found the end zone 15 times. Zach Ertz and Christian Kirk will also be hitting free agency on the offensive side of the ball. Chandler Jones is the primary player to resign on defense, as he is a premier pass rusher. Arizona can free up $25M by cutting or restructuring the contracts of DJ Humphries and Jordan Phillips. Armed with the 23rd pick in the NFL Draft, the Cardinals can get an edge rusher to pair with Edwards, or a corner to go with Murphy. George Karlaftis or Trent McDuffie would be amazing fits to boost the defense, as I expect free agency to be devoted to helping Kyler Murray. 

The Cardinals were not the best team in the NFC West in 2021, but have the weapons, the talent, and the skill to take the division crown. Kyler Murray will have an MVP season, and the Cardinals defense will step up to another level, anchored by a strong secondary and an improved third year by Isaiah Simmons. 

The post Who will win the NFC West in 2022? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The San Francisco 49ers outperformed expectations in 2021 as they snuck into the playoffs from the heroics of Jimmy Garopollo and Ambry Thomas. The genius Kyle Shanahan led his team to upset wins against the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers in the postseason.

Unfortunately, the universe and Cooper Kupp handed the 49ers a loss in the NFC championship. The 49ers will look to seek revenge in 2022 with Jimmy G Trey Lance and the rest of the blood-thirsty 49ers roster (cough, cough, Nick Bosa).

The 49ers will surely look to bolster their talent this offseason in free agency. The question is: which faces will be on Shanny’s radar this offseason? Well, here are a few available faces that would make a ton of sense.

• Patrick Peterson

The former All-Pro Arizona Cardinal Patrick Peterson could head back to the NFC West and join the CB needy 49ers. The Jason Verrett experiment was over when the 49ers signed him. Verrett played in one game in 2019 and one game in 2021.

Peterson could really help the 49ers combat Cooper Kupp, DeAndre Hopkins, and DK Metcalf. The young CB Ambry Thomas has the potential to be a quality starting CB in the NFL, but the 49ers need a proven, quality contributor at the vital CB position in the near future. PP can be the physical CB they need on the playoff stage.

• Gerald Everett

The 49ers once tried to add Jordan Reed as the number two TE and they somewhat resurrected him, as he recorded four touchdowns in 10 games with them. The 49ers should look at adding a talented TE2 with George Kittle once again.

Gerald Everett would be an interesting fit in the Bay area. The former Ram and current Seahawk had a career-high 478 receiving yards and career-high 4 touchdowns last season. The second-year QB Lance would benefit from Everett in the short passing game and the impressive 49ers play-action game could even improve from the NFC West TE.

George Kittle has also missed 11 games in the past two seasons combined. It may be wise to have a talented backup TE that can step up to the plate when Kittle likely faces more minor setbacks.

• Marcus Mariota

Shanahan will rightfully hand the keys of the Ferrari to Lance, but he’s still not a proven starting QB in the NFL. There’s a slight risk that Lance isn’t the best option to start for the 49ers at a point in the near future. Justin Fields and Zach Wilson faced their fair share of obstacles in 2021 and they weren’t able to hold the starting gig last season. Tua Tagovailoa was often replaced for Ryan Fitzpatrick in his rookie season, as well.

It may be wise for the 49ers to add a veteran QB with starting experience this offseason. Marcus Mariota would be an ideal target for Shanny, as he holds a similar skillset as Lance and they both could run very similar playbooks under the 49ers bright play-caller. Mariota is also 27 years old and it’s possible that he turns around his career in the 49ers scheme and holds down the 49ers starting gig for a long span in 2022 and beyond.

Shanahan was in love with Andy Dalton in the last offseason and he wasn’t happy when he signed with the Bears. The Red Rifle could also potentially be the QB the 49ers target to replace Jimmy G and join Lance. Mariota undoubtedly has more athletic ability than Dalton and Mariota is seven years younger, so I expect Shanahan to be more attracted to the former Heisman winner and Hawaii native in 2022. Although, it’s unclear if Mariota will prefer a destination that gives him a better opportunity to start like the Pittsburgh Steelers or Washington Commanders.

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By: Calvin K (Twitter: @calvin_sgf)

The late-round quarterback approach has become progressively more popular in fantasy leagues in recent years, and nowadays, it’s widely accepted as the best way to play in redraft single-QB leagues. Because of this, there is always massive speculation surrounding who could be the next “late-round breakout.”

Oftentimes, quarterbacks with rushing ability are the ones exceeding expectations due to the heavy emphasis that fantasy scoring places on rushing yards and touchdowns. All four of the quarterbacks in this article have at least some rushing ability, a fact that gives them massive fantasy upside. All four also come with risk, but at their current draft prices, they’re well worth a draft pick. Here are four late-round QBs to target next year in redraft.

1. Trey Lance (San Francisco 49ers)

Lance is perhaps the most obvious breakout candidate at the position for next year, so his draft position should rise from its current QB12 spot on FantasyPros. However, it’s likely not to move too far past back-end-QB1 range, making him likely available in the mid-to-late rounds of fantasy drafts.

Lance’s dual-threat play style and massive raw talent eerily resembles many recent breakout QBs, and guys like Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and others have been great late-round picks in recent years, led primarily by their rushing abilities. Lance is also great on the ground, and he has a solid arm as well, so he has the potential to be a star in the NFL. Lance’s supporting cast is also good, with a solid young RB in Elijah Mitchell as well as jack-of-all-trades WR Deebo Samuel and athletic TE George Kittle running routes for San Francisco. The main concern for him is the fact that he’s been mostly untested in NFL action so far. However, if his draft position stays near where it is, that’s risk that fantasy managers certainly should be willing to accept given his upside.

2. Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Lawrence was relatively disappointing in his rookie year, throwing 17 interceptions with a sub-60% completion percentage. However, it’s safe to assume that Urban Meyer’s incompetence as HC was a major limiting factor in Lawrence’s development. The Jaguars have hired Doug Pederson as their new head coach, and it’s fair to question Pederson’s coaching abilities, but what’s undeniable is Pederson’s experience and credibility, and it’s not often that a Super-Bowl-winning head coach is available for hire. However Pederson does, one thing is certain: he’s an obvious upgrade over Meyer.

Lawrence was the obvious #1 pick in the 2021 draft, and like Lance, he does have rushing upside (although not to the same degree). However, Lawrence is definitely more polished as a passer, and he’s a more consistent all-around prospect than Lance. That’s not saying that Lance will certainly be worse than Trevor, and in fact, I’d say it’s extremely likely that he’s better in fantasy due to the major rushing bonuses he should accumulate. Lawrence, however, should provide a safe passing floor, and with weapons such as Marvin Jones, D.J. Chark, and Laviska Shenault, he has potential to put up solid numbers next year. He also ran for 334 yards last year, a very solid boost to his fantasy value. Overall, my take on Lawrence is that he was the #1 pick for a reason, and now that the Meyer dumpster fire is behind the Jaguars, he should see marked improvement in year two.

3. Malik Willis (ROOKIE, Liberty University)

Yes, Willis is an extremely raw prospect from a small school. This article is NOT meant to say that he’s any sort of guarantee to break out, especially in year one. However, it can’t be denied that he has incredible rushing ability, and that alone should put him in late-round consideration if he gets a starting opportunity. There will definitely be a massive learning curve as Willis transitions to the NFL, but his big arm and speed/elusiveness are reasons to be excited.

Willis has over 2,000 career college rushing yards with 29 touchdowns, an impressive total regardless of where he played. Overall, he’s probably an early-second/late-first round draft prospect, but a quarterback-needy team could easily be tempted to take him earlier. That might not be a bad thing for Willis as long as the team has reasonable weapons, and his supporting cast will certainly be another thing to monitor after the draft. However, regardless of where he lands, Willis has the potential to become a fantasy star, and with his massive rushing ability, he doesn’t necessarily have to be an elite and polished passer to do so.

4. Daniel Jones (New York Giants)

Jones never really got going this year, but despite the risk he carries, there are still reasons to be excited about him in 2022. Jones has always had a good arm, and the addition of Brian Daboll as HC could be immensely helpful for Jones’s development. Daboll was instrumental in unlocking Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs in Buffalo, and if he could do something similar for Jones and Kenny Golladay, that would do wonders for Jones’s fantasy value.

Obviously one coach turning things around is not a guarantee, but Daboll is clearly an upgrade over Joe Judge, who got increasingly mocked for his offensive strategies near the end of his tenure. Golladay, who makes $18 million a year, should be far more involved in the offense in 2022, and Jones, as his quarterback, will be the beneficiary.

Jones has (exactly!) 1,000 career rushing yards in three seasons, so he definitely has some upside on the ground. If he can improve as a passer in year four, that would be a major boost to his fantasy value, elevating him from being a random streaming option into (potentially) a late-round star.

The post Fantasy: Four Sleeper QBs To Target In 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.