The San Francisco 49ers, specifically quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, are about to get some big-time hype heading into the 2018 NFL and fantasy football season. Garoppolo rattled off five straight wins down the stretch of last season – including victories over playoff teams like the Titans, Jaguars and Rams. Is Jimmy Garoppolo next fantasy football stud at QB?
Garoppolo is being seen as a top 10 QB fantasy football – wise heading into 2018 – as he’s not quite at the Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers-level, but he is being picked just after Matt Ryan and Drew Brees in many fantasy mocks. Here are the average fantasy QB rankings.
1. Deshaun Watson
2. Aaron Rodgers
3. Carson Wentz
4. Cam Newton
5. Kirk Cousins
6. Tom Brady
7. Russell Wilson
8. Matt Ryan
9. Drew Brees
10. Jimmy Garoppolo
11. Jared Goff
12. Matthew Stafford
13. Ben Roethlisberger
14. Philip Rivers
15. Derek Carr
16. Marcus Mariota
Garoppolo’s ceiling here is probably third or fourth best fantasy football QB in the NFL this season. While he does get out of the pocket a little more than his mentor in New England, Tom Brady (who doesn’t?), Garoppolo is far from a Watson-like rushing presence. He had 15 carries for just 11 yards last season with the 49ers. (Kneel-downs factor in here, but you get the point).
And as good as he was in December last year, his fantasy numbers weren’t off the charts. In his five starts, he averaged 308.4 yards per game passing. His TD to interception ratio was 6:5, however.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan is regarded as an offensive whiz as he oversaw Matt Ryan’s MVP season two years ago. But it’s important to remember that Ryan was throwing the ball to the likes of Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu.
Garoppolo will be throwing the ball to Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin.
Fantasy football advice: Don’t draft Garoppolo too early. In a 12-team format, look to take him in the eighth or ninth round.
