San Francisco 49ers: Which Players Have Fantasy Value?

Wide receivers

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin (81) catches a pass in front of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Carlos Rogers (22) during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Crabtree won’t play until November, but that doesn’t mean you should completely shy away from 49ers receivers.

Boldin was picked up in an offseason trade with the Baltimore Ravens, and he’s poised to make an impact as Kaepernick’s top target. Boldin caught 22 passes for 380 yards and four touchdowns in four playoff games, and he shredded the 49ers’ defense in Super Bowl XLVII.

He only caught four touchdowns and only picked up 921 yards last season, but he was sharing targets with Dennis Pitta, Torrey Smith and Ray Rice. With Boldin taking charge in San Francisco, he and Kaepernick should click right away.

And that should lead to an increase of production from Boldin.

While he can’t be relied on to carry a fantasy team, Boldin can put up solid numbers as a second or third receiver. He’s provides good value in the middle rounds of a fantasy draft, as he should be targeted around the eighth or ninth round.

As for San Francisco’s other receivers, none of them should be drafted. Owners should keep an eye on Crabtree when he is cleared to play, but he’ll miss at least half of the season and isn’t worth a draft pick.

If Crabtree was hurt last year, the injury would have killed the 49ers. This year, they currently have some solid pass-catchers to help compensate for Crabtree’s injury. A.J. Jenkins, Ricardo Lockette and Quinton Patton are talented, and all of them are worth keeping an eye on. However, none of the three have proven themselves, and none of them should be drafted.

Mario Manningham came up clutch for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI and made some nice catches for the 49ers last season, and he could contribute when he returns from his knee injury. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller rated Manningham as the NFL’s 32nd-best receiver, although Manningham didn’t put up great numbers last year.

As for guys like Marlon Moore, Brandon Carswell and Chad Hall, stay away from them. None are likely to do anything big, and none are worth a draft pick.

While the speedy Jenkins will be interesting to watch, Boldin is the only 49er worth checking out in the draft. He is experienced and is coming off of a big postseason, and he could end up being a steal in the middle rounds.