What a crazy year it’s been for Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers quarterback started 2022 on the verge of a Super Bowl appearance, his second touchdown pass of the game giving San Francisco a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter of the NFC title game. Of course, the Rams came back and won, and Jimmy G went on to have shoulder surgery. As he was working his way back into playing shape in the preseason, the 49ers put him on the trading block. They traded up to draft Trey Lance in 2021 and decided to hand their second-year QB the starting job. Garoppolo wasn’t traded, and Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. With Jimmy G back in the saddle, the 49ers have emerged as a Super Bowl contender. Alas, in Sunday’s 33-17 win over the Dolphins, Garoppolo broke his foot and is lost for the season.
“Losing two starting quarterbacks in one season sucks,” said 49ers tight end George Kittle after the game. That’s an understatement.
Can the 49ers remain a Super Bowl contender with rookie Brock Purdy, the last player taken in the 2022 NFL draft, under center? In the first real NFL action (he appeared briefly at the end of the 49ers’ Week 7 loss to the Chiefs), Purdy completed 25 of 37 passes for 210 yards, two short touchdown passes and one interception against Miami.
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From a fantasy standpoint, however, the Garoppolo injury isn’t about quarterbacks. Garoppolo was rostered in about 60% of fantasy leagues but mostly as a backup.
The question is: What impact will an unheralded rookie QB have on the 49ers’ other fantasy-relevant players?
Garoppolo only played one series before getting hurt Sunday. The 49ers weren’t afraid to let Purdy throw the ball, but that had more to do with the game script and the fact they were in a tight game against the Dolphins.
More than half of Purdy’s completions – 13 of 25 – went to running backs or tight ends. His two touchdown passes were both 3-yarders, one to halfback Christian McCaffrey and one to fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
Garoppolo’s absence shouldn’t do anything to change McCaffrey’s value. After all, CMC was a fantasy Carolina superstar and hadn’t played with a reliable quarterback since Cam Newton in 2018.
McCaffrey had 146 all-purpose yards Sunday, but it’s worth noting that 33 of his 80 receiving yards came on a reception from Garoppolo on the opening drive. He averaged 6.7 yards per catch on the seven balls he caught from Purdy.
Deebo Samuel had 10 touches Sunday – six receptions for 58 yards and four carries for five yards. That’s actually tied for the most touches he’s had in a game all season. And while the rushing production wasn’t there, Samuel as a ball carrier might be something we see more of down the stretch. He had at least six carries in six of the final seven regular-season games last year. He had 27 rushing attempts in the team’s three playoff games. He hasn’t had more than four carries in a game this season since Week 3.
One of Garoppolo’s strengths was distributing the football to his many playmakers. McCaffrey, Samuel, Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk are the main four, with Juszczyk and Jauan Jennings chipping in as well. But suppose head coach Kyle Shanahan chooses to be more conservative with an inexperienced Purdy at the helm. In that case, Samuel’s big-play ability will be needed more than ever.
Samuel was a fantasy star last season, scoring six receiving touchdowns and eight rushing touchdowns. He’s only scored four times in 2022, two rushing and two receiving. Part of the reason for his lack of production is that everyone else is getting more involved.
If the 49ers start to lean more on Samuel, he could emerge and significantly impact the fantasy postseason.
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