We’re only two weeks into the 2022 NFL season, but the 49ers’ John Lynch has already clinched GM of the Year. As soon as Trey Lance was declared San Francisco’s starting quarterback, everyone cried out for the team to trade Jimmy Garoppolo. Instead, Lynch restructured Garoppolo’s contract and kept him on the roster as an insurance policy in case Lance was either inefficient or injured.
Sure enough, Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury early in Sunday’s 27-7 win over the Seahawks. Time to cash in that insurance policy. Welcome back, Jimmy G.
The 49ers were not just a playoff team last season with Garoppolo under center. They were a dropped interception away from playing in their second Super Bowl in three years. Rarely is a team in such good hands when their starting QB is lost for the season.
But what are the fantasy implications?
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It’s a devastating blow for fantasy managers who took a chance that Lance would be a fantasy stud in his first season as the full-time starter. Garoppolo was the QB17 last season. While he will be a popular waiver wire addition this week, he will not carry anyone’s fantasy squad. After entering the game Sunday, Garoppolo passed for 154 yards with one TD pass and a short TD run. Not bad, but Garoppolo’s ceiling isn’t much higher than that.
Perhaps the fantasy player that benefits the most from Garoppolo taking over is running back Jeff Wilson Jr. The prevailing thought before the season was that Lance’s dual-threat ability would steal carries from 49ers running backs. Garoppolo (despite Sunday’s 1-yard TD plunge) will not be stealing carries. Wilson had 18 rushes for 84 yards, plus two catches for 19 yards on Sunday, and he will continue to see the bulk of the action while Elijah Mitchell is out for at least another month. Wilson becomes a more valuable fantasy option. Plus, rookie back Tyrion Davis-Price is worth a speculative handcuff add in deeper formats after seeing 14 carries in Week 2. And if Garoppolo is in the pocket throwing more than Lance might have, that creates more opportunities for receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
