Fantasy Upside
Remember last year? When the 49ers signed Juszczyk as a free agent out of Baltimore, and San Francisco GM John Lynch said the newcomer should rightfully be called an "OW"—offensive weapon—rather than a fullback. And they paid him as such. And it was somewhat understandable. Juszczyk caught 97 passes during his three-year stint with the Ravens. Beyond that, during Kyle Shanahan's nine years as an NFL offensive coordinator, his fullbacks had racked up 44 carries for 153 yards and five touchdowns, plus 110 receptions, 1,067 yards and 8 touchdowns on 168 targets. While things didn't pan out last season, Shanahan's historic use of players at the position—and the fact that Juszczyk is the best and most versatile weapon he's had at the position—opens the door to potentially heavier usage this year. As NBCSports.com's Peter King put it upon the fullback's signing in 2017, “Teams don’t pay pass-protecting backs $5 million a year. So the bullseye will be on Shanahan to build a major role in the offense, and for Juszczyk to produce.”
Fantasy Downside
Seven carries for 31 yards, 33 catches for 315 yards and just one touchdown—Juszczyk’s numbers in 2017 probably weren't what anybody involved expected.
2018 Bottom Line
Beyond the expectation that San Francisco's offense will make strides in Year Two under Shanahan (and with Jimmy Garoppolo under center), there's no reason to believe that Juszczyk's role will evolve into something that makes him a viable draft day option for fantasy managers.
