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San Francisco 49ers: Setting fantasy expectations for key players

By Nicholas McGee

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass during the first half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass during the first half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 31: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass during the first half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 31: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass during the first half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

The San Francisco 49ers should be more of a factor in the fantasy world in 2018, here we set some fantasy football expectations for key players.

The San Francisco 49ers have not been a team to rely on for fantasy purposes for some time. However, with Kyle Shanahan scheming an offense for Jimmy Garoppolo and a talented group of young skill-position players that could soon be about to change.

San Francisco quickly began putting up points at will when Garoppolo became the starter in 2017 and, the expectation is the Niners will continue to blossom in 2018.

But what should you anticipate from the key members of the 49ers in the coming season. Here we provide a guide as to whether you should have high, low or average expectations surrounding the Niners players most likely to be in the fantasy conversation in the 2018 campaign.

Jimmy Garoppolo – HIGH

Garoppolo’s performances as he ran the table through five games as a starter for the 49ers in 2017 should make him a popular fantasy selection, and there isn’t much reason to limit expectations.

He racked up yardage right off the bat, coming within seven yards of a 300-yard game in his debut as a starter, which he followed up with two games of over 300 yards, providing bonus points for those who play daily fantasy.

With a full offseason in which to immerse himself in Kyle Shanahan’s system, Garoppolo should have little difficulty stacking up more games of that ilk, particularly after an offseason in which the 49ers added Jerick McKinnon, adept at catching the ball out of the backfield, and rookie receiver Dante Pettis to the offense.

Throwing seven touchdowns to five interceptions in his career as a Niner, Garoppolo has shown a tendency to force throws, but the addition of center Weston Richburg should help subdue some of the interior pressure that led to those risky decisions.

Also key to improving that TD-INT ratio will be the 49ers’ play in the red zone. They scored touchdowns on just 47 percent of redzone possessions in 2017, according to Team Rankings.

However, with Garoppolo at the helm of an offense with even more weapons added to it and a revamped line, working in a scheme that has had consistent success in the NFL, he should be able to solve that issue and become a fantasy stud.