Week 4 was a rough one if you rostered any 49ers. Nary a Niner had a touchdown and Phil Dawson produced 3 points. This team is a fantasy wasteland until the offense pulls it together. That'll be a tough task this week as San Francisco travels east to face a familiar foe, the New York Giants. Here are the FanDuel plays of note:
Colin Kaepernick: $7100 (Down $400)
I big pile of nope. The talent is there, but he is slumping. A prime time game on the road isn't an ideal scenario for a sudden resurgence. If you are targeting inexpensive QBs may I suggest two $6900 signal callers: Alex Smith vs. the Bears or even Blake Bortles at Tampa Bay.
Carlos Hyde: $7000 (Down $400)
He's dropped $800 over the last two weeks and he is still too expensive. Todd Gurley at $6700 is a better pick, but still risky given usage and expected game flow.
Anquan Boldin: $6200 (No Change)
He's priced as a WR3, but he is easy to avoid with this offense showing no signs of life in what would be an otherwise favorable matchup. For $100 more you can roll with Allen Robinson who is simply devouring targets right now.
Torrey Smith: $6300 (Up $100)
He did get a few deep targets last week, but let's not get carried away. There are better options in this price range. Pierre Garcon ($6200) should be a factor even if Desean Jackson returns. If you like the boom or bust options, Allen Hurns for $6100 is an attractive buy.
Vernon Davis: $4900 (Down $200)
You can go with Davis' bum knee against a solid defense or, you can take a look at Owen Daniels at the same price going against a very friendly Oakland defense. Should Davis rest Sunday night, Vance McDonald is just $4600 if you enjoy giving other people your money.
Dawson: $4700 (No Change)
He may be good for 1-2 field goals, but again there are cheaper kickers tied to better offenses like Andy Reid's favorite player Cairo Santos or Josh Lambo in San Diego.
Giants To Target
Eli Manning $7700
Anyone going against the 49er defense is worth a look. I like Eli this week, but only if I'm stacking him with Beckham or Randle. Manning is priced as a top 10 QB so there are bargains to be found if you don't want to pony up the cash. Just note that he has thrown for over 200 yards and at least 2 touchdowns the last 3 weeks and the 49ers aren't exactly a cause for concern.
Odell Beckham Jr. ($9000)
He has sandwiched two good weeks between two duds, but a primetime game at home is a great recipe for fantasy goodness. The main risk is that Eli often spreads the ball around, but the targets should be there even if they go up big. Out of the top tier WRs I prefer to spend the extra $200 for Julio Jones who has a home game against Washington. Or, Randall Cobb is great bounce back play at $8200.
Rueben Randle ($5900)
Rueben is the ultimate boom/bust play in this contest. He'll find his way onto a few of my teams at this price, but he could disappoint if game flow dictates a run heavy approach. Other sub $6k receivers worth a gander: John Brown is coming off his best week of the season, Kendall Wright has shown excellent chemistry with Marcus Mariota and Kamar Aiken will likely be WR1 for Baltimore against a suspect Browns defense.
New York Giants Defense ($4300)
It pains me to invest so heavily in a hated enemy. The Giants defense has been much better than expected early in the season. They just faced a mobile QB with limited pocket presence last week and now they get another one in Kaepernick. If you need a cheaper squad, the Titans are at home coming off a bye against the Bills. Not an ideal matchup, but the price is right ($4100).
Here is my ticket for this week's Niners Nation FanDuel league. Let me know what you think!