Week 3 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Jimmy Garoppolo got back on track after struggling in Week 1, throwing for 296 yards, three touchdowns and a pick against the Bengals last week. Garoppolo found rookie receiver Deebo Samuel five times on seven targets for 86 yards and a touchdown, and rekindled some of the old magic with Marquise Goodwin, who caught a 38-yard touchdown early in the first quarter. The 49ers are now 2-0 and Garoppolo is starting to look more comfortable coming off a knee injury that wiped out most of his 2018 season.
This week, Garoppolo has a great matchup against a struggling Pittsburgh defense. The Steelers have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to the quarterback position through two games. Much of that could be chalked up to facing Tom Brady and Russell Wilson, as the addition of Minkah Fitzpatrick should help a secondary that lost Sean Davis to injury, but it still indicates a nice opportunity for Garoppolo to put up decent fantasy numbers. He’s too risky as a QB1 option, but we have him ranked inside the top-20, making him a viable streamer, QB2 or injury replacement option for needy owners.
Week 2 at Cincinnati Bengals
Jimmy Garoppolo got a victory last week against the Buccaneers, but he didn’t look particularly good in the process. He threw for a mere 166 yards and a touchdown and tossed a pick-six early in the second quarter. The 49ers defense bailed him out with two pick-sixes of their own. The 49ers will hope he’s still dusting off some rust, and that he improves next week against the Bengals.
Cincinnati did a fairly good job against Seattle last week, considering they allowed the third-most passing yards per game to opposing teams last season. They held Russell Wilson to 196 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Garoppolo has some upside in what should be a fairly good matchup, but he’s risky as more than a QB2 option in most leagues. If he doesn’t do well against the Bengals, that will be two conceivably good matchups in a row where he failed to produce. If that happens, he’ll probably be better off on waivers.
Week 1 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jimmy Garoppolo’s first season as a full-time starter ended after just three games last year due to a knee injury. In his three starts, he averaged 239.3 yards, 1.7 touchdowns and 1.0 interceptions. Those aren’t elite fantasy numbers, though he has some upside working under Kyle Shanahan. Garoppolo also should benefit from some additional weapons now that George Kittle is a full-fledged beast and the addition of rookie Deebo Samuel in the slot.
Garoppolo is still too risky to start in 1QB leagues, despite a matchup with the Buccaneers, who gave up the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks last year. He has upside in leagues with two quarterbacks or with a superflex option in a game that should feature a lot of passing, but in most leagues, he should remain on waivers or on the bench.
Fantasy Upside
Jimmy Garoppolo arrived in San Francisco in 2017 with great fanfare, taking over as the starting quarterback when the 49ers were 1-10 and leading the team to a 5-0 record down the stretch. Then 2018 was a lost season with a torn ACL. Now the 49ers are looking to get back to where they were at the end of 2017. GM John Lynch acknowledged that the 49ers need to improve, saying, "We haven't won enough games in those two years." Having Garoppolo healthy for 16 games would go a long way toward changing that. To that end, Garoppolo, who was hurt in Week 3 at Kansas City last season, is on track. As NBCSports.com reported, the arduous rehab has been difficult, but Garoppolo, who will wear a brace on his left knee this season, was able to take part in 7-on-7 drills during organized team activities which began in May and he is expected to be cleared for full work by the time training camp opens. He’s also fully expected to be under center for the 49ers' Week 1 game against the Buccaneers.
Fantasy Downside
Aside from the fact he's returning from an ACL, the band of high-level play we've seen from Garoppolo is narrow. It's fair to wonder if he can sustain that level of play.
2019 Bottom Line
The 49ers failed to acquire a No. 1 wide receiver after being mentioned as a possible destination for both Odell Beckham and Antonio Brown, but there's still sufficient talent on hand and coming on board via this year's draft to make Garoppolo a viable QB2 option -- and one that's not without some upside in a Kyle Shanahan offense.
Week 3 at Kansas City Chiefs
Jimmy Garoppolo led the 49ers to their first victory of the season last week over the Lions, but he didn’t turn in a great fantasy performance—206 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns was disappointing against a vulnerable Lions defense. Garoppolo should continue to improve in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, though, making him a solid rest-of-season option in most leagues.
This week, Garoppolo faces a Chiefs defense that has given up a staggering 876 yards and six passing touchdowns to opposing offenses through two games. That’s not a typo. While those numbers were accomplished by future Hall-of-Famers in Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers, it’s easy to see Garoppolo having success against a vulnerable defense. He’s a borderline QB1 this week and an excellent streaming option.
Week 2 vs. Detroit Lions
Jimmy Garoppolo delivered an uneven Week 1 performance against a tough Vikings defense, throwing for 261 yards and a touchdown, but also tossing three interceptions. Garoppolo did make some excellent throws, however, including a deep touchdown pass to rookie Dante Pettis, which could become an interesting long-term tandem to keep an eye on.
This week should be much easier for Garoppolo—he's at home and faces a Lions defense that made Jets rookie Sam Darnold look like a veteran in his debut. Garoppolo is developing a nice rapport with his young corps of pass-catchers. In what should be a great matchup, we have Garoppolo ranked as a top option this week.
Week 1 at Minnesota Vikings
Jimmy Garoppolo only started five games for the 49ers last year after a midseason trade with the Patriots, but the bay area is buzzing after he won every game. Garoppolo was fairly pedestrian as a fantasy passer however, throwing for over 300 yards just twice and finishing the season with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Some natural growth is expected this season, but he still has a ways to go before becoming a legitimate fantasy starter. This week, he should be avoided if possible against a tough Vikings defense that gave up the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks last year.
Fantasy Upside
The 49ers have their franchise quarterback locked up for years to come as Garoppolo agreed to a five-year, $137.5 million deal with the team in February. He was slated to be an unrestricted free agent in March, but his performance late last season motivated the Niners to get in front of things.
In six games and five starts, Garoppolo outplayed expectations, completing 67.4 percent of his passes for 1,560 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and only five interceptions. In his career as a starter, Garoppolo has led his team to more points per game (28.3) than any other quarterback over the last 25 seasons (minimum seven starts). More importantly, the 49ers were 1-10 when Garoppolo became their starter, but they went 5-0 in the games he started. Indeed, the former second-round pick has never lost an NFL start. Adding to the positives, the addition of Jerick McKinnon as the team's feature back and return of Pierre Garcon add to a cadre of playmakers in supporting roles.
Fantasy Downside
Garoppolo only has seven career starts. Impressive though he's been, it's a limited sample size.
2018 Bottom Line
Coming off his first offseason working with Kyle Shanahan and boasting an impressive new contract, Garoppolo will be riding high on fantasy radars this summer. Some might argue too high. Nonetheless, the interest is certainly well-founded. We'll be watching how he handles the attention and the role as the season draws nearer, but expect to pay a top-10 premium nonetheless.
Week 17 at Los Angeles Rams
Jimmy Garoppolo threw 242 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception last week against Jacksonville's top-rated pass defense, also adding a short rushing touchdown. The 49ers want to finish the season strong and the Rams will be sitting key starters this week. Garoppolo should be a decent QB1 start this week.
Week 16 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jimmy Garoppolo had 381 passing yards and a touchdown last week and has now thrown for at least 293 yards in each of his first three starts. But that wasn't against Jacksonville's defense. The Jags have allowed 240 or more yards this season in just three games this season. They also have given up multiple TD passes just three times. Jimmy G. shouldn't be in your lineup.
