San Francisco 49ers: Which Players Have Fantasy Value?
By Baily Deeter
Tight ends
Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis (85) catches a pass against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
There has been speculation about the lightning-fast Davis moving to wide receiver, but he’ll likely stay at tight end.
However, production-wise, it won’t matter. Wherever Davis plays, he’ll put up big numbers. Davis struggled a bit in 2012, as San Francisco’s quarterback change didn’t help Davis in the regular season, but he rebounded in a big way in the playoffs.
Davis caught 11 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco’s final two games, and he did that because of his chemistry with Kaepernick. Davis and Kaepernick will likely pick up where they left off, and that will inflate Davis’ fantasy numbers.
While there are better tight ends, Davis should be one of the first picked. He is extremely fast and strong, and he’s a matchup nightmare for linebackers and safeties. As long as he stays healthy (which is likely given his lack of injuries), he is a safe bet to put up good numbers.
And that’s all fantasy owners need.
Second-round draft pick Vance McDonald isn’t exactly a safe bet to consistently do his part, but he could surprise. McDonald put up decent numbers in college and has done well so far. He weighs 267 pounds, so smaller players will have trouble covering him.
McDonald isn’t worth a draft pick, but he is worth keeping an eye on. Davis, on the other hand, is worth a mid-round draft pick. He has consistently put up solid numbers, and there’s no reason to believe that he won’t do that again this year.
Davis and McDonald could make up a devastating tandem at tight end, one similar to the look formerly employed by the Patriots with Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. Both will be on the field often, so backups like Garrett Celek and Demarcus Dobbs won’t play much.
If you need a tight end in the seventh or eighth round, Davis is a good, safe bet. He has picked up 36 touchdowns in his last 69 games (including the playoffs), and he’s poised to do more damage this season.