49ers Defense
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49ers Defense
Defensive Coordinator: Vic Fangio
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Fantasy Football Outlook: After another strong regular season, San Francisco’s secondary collapsed during the playoffs. On top of that their best player in the secondary in safety Dashon Goldson left the team in free agency to sign with the Buccaneers.
At least they countered by drafting Eric Reid in the first round of the draft to replace Goldson but it’s hard to expect a rookie to play at an All Pro level like the veteran he’s replacing. At the same time, GM Trent Baalke sat on his hands and did nothing to add much to the corner population other than signing veteran Nnamdi Asomugha.
For as many draft picks as this team had that disappointed me because it appeared this was a deep class of corners and they clearly have a need.
That said, they did a nice job picking up Cornellius Carradine in the second round, a player that should replace Justin Smith as early as next season. Expect the 49ers to be a top five defense in all fantasy drafts this summer, but if the backfield continue to struggle like they did in the post season, you will be frustrated in their up and down performances.
| Sacks | Int’s | Fumbles | Avg PA | |
| 2013 Projected Stats | 42 | 14 | 16 | 18.5 |
2013 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: ADP's | Rankings | Mocks | Cheat Sheets + Auctions
To help you get ready for draft day you will notice articles for ADP advice, cheat sheets, mock drafts and projected stats for the 49ers team defense here. During the season, you can also find regular weekly ranking articles at this section as well.
Summer of 2012: Fantasy Projections
San Francisco has arguably two of the top five inside linebackers playing today, in Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman. Both are three down linebackers, which is rare in this day in age where sub packages are played so often.
Aldon Smith is a crazy pass rushing maniac, and Fangio loves to move him around like a Joker tight end is used on offense. Smith will have double digit sacks again, even if he only plays in sub packages and predictable pass situations.
The only reason I will likely have the Texans listed over San Francisco is because of schedule. The 49ers have a tough schedule this year and it starts off with a bang against the Packers in Green Bay and then the Lions. They even have to face the Saints again and this time it’s in New Orleans.
Still, they will have some fun against their own division who have average quarterbacks and offensive lines, on all three teams. If you’re looking for a defense early on, the Texans should be tops on the list but the 49ers are just after them.
Summer of 2011: Fantasy Projections
That’s it, count me out when it comes to viewing the 49ers defense as even a backup option for a fantasy league this season. I’m not sure what the heck is going on in their front office but they seem to think doing nothing but losing key veterans like NT Aubrayo Franklin for reasonable price is a way to improve.The only thing the 49ers seemed to do well was shut the run down and they’ve done nothing but lose key veterans to get that done.
In our re-ranking updates for August I will have the 49ers as one of the top seven worst defenses to select. I still love Patrick Willis for IDP fantasy leagues, but his talent is going to wast on a bad team. It hurts me to admit that as a 49er fan, as we’ve fallen a long way from our time as one of the elite franchises in football a decade or two ago.
| Sacks | Int’s | Fumbles | Avg PA | |
| 2011 Projected Stats | 34 | 14 | 13 | 22.1 |
June 2011
With the projected loss of nose tackle Abreu Franklin I’m not a believer that the 49ers defense can return as a top twelve presence for fantasy football leagues. Yes, they will be worth using in spots because they play in the weakest division in football, but they need to upgrade in the secondary as that area has been a major issue for years.
Patrick Willis is still a stud but he can do it all on his own and without a respectable secondary this team will lose you on easy coverage sacks. The 49ers will probably find their way back into the top ten defenses in a couple years but for now, stay away on draft day.
2010 Preview
Middle linebackers are defined by their ability to lead their team to greatness and win Super Bowls. Patrick Willis is a very good linebacker but won’t be truly great until he turns his team into a winning organization once again. Look for the 49ers defense to take another step this season as they should win the NFC West.
2010 Fantasy Football Outlook
2009 Fantasy Year In Review: Just a spoon full of offense helped the 49ers team defense play as one of the best units in the NFL last year. Sure, this group still needed to improve against the pass but no one could deny their ability to stop the run and get to the quarterback as they were one of the best sack teams.
With middle linebacker / IDP stud Patrick Willis leading the charge this unit could play the type of football we come to expect from a team led by head coach Mike Singletary.
Audio: San Francisco 49ers Team Defense | 2010 NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings
2010 NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings: If the 49ers offense was good for a spoon full of help last year, they should provide a Gatorade jugs worth this year. With a potentially dominant offensive line and playmakers all around the field this team should play with a lead going into the 4th quarter of many games.
Keeping their defensive players fresh and with a lead late in games should only bring out the beast of physical play that a Singletary team is expected to perform at. While this group still needs to improve in the secondary, they will dominate against teams that can’t expose them down the field.
The addition of Ted Ginn Jr. for the kick and punt game give this defense / special teams’ unit more value. Ginn may not be the receiver the Dolphins hoped he would be, but he can still be a great return man. Just ask the New York Jets as he scored two kick return touchdowns on them in one game last year.
Assets
- Playmakers / Strong LB Core
- Solid Against The Run
- Physical
- Good Schedule
- Good Kick and Put Returner
Liabilities
- Susceptible To Big Plays Against Good Quarterbacks
