Fortyniners

Def/Spec Team

The San Francisco defense has been absolutely shredded since pitching a Week 1 shutout, allowing 37.0 points and 196.4 rushing yards per game during a current five-game losing skid. Week 6 was especially rough for the 49ers’ defense, as they coughed up 313 rushing yards to the Buffalo Bills in a 45-16 blowout loss, allowing 7.1 yards per carry along the way. The 49ers D/ST is not worth fantasy consideration in Week 7 and will not be startable anytime in the near future, as a brutal schedule awaits after a Week 8 bye.

Coach Chip Kelly tabbed DE Quinton Dial as a potential replacement and the team claimed DT Chris Jones off waivers to help fill the void left by Armstead. The San Francisco defense is now further depleted and will continue to be crushed by opposing offenses. The 49ers D/ST is nowhere remotely close to the fantasy radar in Week 10 at Arizona, where RB David Johnson is set to erupt.

The switch immediately provides a boost to the San Francisco defense that has allowed 35.7 points per game since pitching a Week 1 shutout. While the 49ers will still have trouble with RB David Johnson, Stanton’s tendency to turn the ball over (18 career INT to 12 career TD) makes the 49ers D/ST an interesting streaming target for fantasy owners in Week 5.

The 49ers saw two drastically different results in the opening weeks of the season, but their defense has been successful in taking the ball away from opponents. “We want our guys to play fearless,” DC Jim O’Neil said. “We don’t want our guys to play scared.” San Francisco will need to win the turnover battle in Week 3 to have a shot at a victory in Seattle, where the 49ers D/ST will not be a recommended fantasy option.

The 49ers are tied for 19th among NFL defenses with seven interceptions this season, but all seven have come from safeties and linebackers. While San Francisco’s horrific run defense has shown signs of life in recent weeks, their secondary has been exposed, allowing 299.7 passing yards per game in the last three weeks. Even in a matchup against Chicago backup QB Matt Barkley, the 49ers D/ST is a gamble as a streaming option in fantasy leagues this week.

The abysmal performance from the San Francisco defense has topped the previous record of 2,363 from the 1978 49ers. San Francisco has held just three of 14 opponents under 100 rushing yards, and their 176.3 rushing yards allowed per game is more than 20 yards per game worse than the 31st-ranked run defense in the NFL. Los Angeles’ Todd Gurley and Seattle’s Thomas Rawls will take aim at the 49ers defense to close out the regular season. The 49ers D/ST will remain off the fantasy radar, even against Rams QB Jared Goff in Week 16.

San Francisco would warmly welcome the return of their star ILB to All-Pro status after missing the 2014 season with a knee injury. The 49ers defense has been steadily falling apart over the offseason, so a boost from Bowman would go a long way in helping this unit stay afloat. The 49ers D/ST will be at home in Week 1 but won’t be a recommended fantasy option as Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings roll into town.

The San Francisco defense lost its share of defensive contributors over the offseason, so having Brock back in the fold will be important as the 49ers face the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. New head coach Jim Tomsula will have plenty of work ahead of him on the defensive side of the ball this season, which will begin with attempting to stop Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota offense. The San Francisco D/ST unit is a fantasy option to avoid in Week 1.

The 49ers did face two stellar offenses in Pittsburgh and Arizona, but the performance of this defense has plummeted after a great Week 1 showing against Minnesota. Things won’t get any easier this week, as Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers pay a visit to San Francisco. The 49ers D/ST will remain a waiver wire fixture and is among the absolute bottom fantasy options in Week 4.

This is a fairly obvious statement with Roethlisberger coming off a 4,952 yard 2014 season and a 351 yard effort in Week 1. However, the focus on the passing game could allow running back DeAngelo Williams to duplicate his successful Week 1 performance. The San Francisco defense allowed just 248 total yards to Minnesota in their season opener, but now travel to Pittsburgh to face a far more prolific offense. Despite the impressive Week 1 performance, the 49ers D/ST is not a startable group in fantasy leagues this week.