Fantasy football advice, Week 15: Who to start/sit for San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons

With only four teams remaining in each fantasy league across the board, it’s not exactly a news flash to say that fantasy owners have to be at the top of their game. Several factors present themselves for the matchup between the 49ers and Falcons on Sunday, and fantasy owners will absolutely have to examine them closely to get the upper hand on their opponent. Let’s take a look:

Carlos Hyde thoroughly dismantled what had been a vaunted Jets run defense, and he will again be a RB1 option against a Falcons team that is in the bottom-10 in rushing touchdowns allowed. As the centerpiece of even a sputtering offense, Hyde offers a floor that few running backs across the league can boast.

Colin Kaepernick has given fantasy owners the highest of highs and lowest of lows, going from a dual-threat fantasy points machine in one week to getting benched early in another. The Falcons’ pass defense is dead last in the NFL and has given up 26 touchdowns through the air, so the upside for Kaepernick is obvious. But it’s the downside that has fantasy owners sweating, and though there are plenty of arguments to start Kaepernick this week, there are just as many ways things could go horribly wrong. Kaepernick can be considered a boom-or-bust QB1.

Aside from Hyde and Kaepernick, fantasy owners don’t have much reason to invest in anyone in the 49ers’ offense.

So ... Matt Ryan didn’t get the memo that he wasn’t supposed to perform without his top two receivers handy in Week 14. If fantasy owners were fortunate enough to buck conventional wisdom and start him anyway, they will be rewarded with a cake matchup. Ryan remains a high floor QB1, and he will have the benefit of getting Mohamed Sanu back in action. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are also viable RB2s against the NFL’s worst run defense.

Sanu will be tough to trust even without Julio Jones in the lineup, as Taylor Gabriel and Justin Hardy have both proven capable in expanded roles. The possibility for Sanu to monopolize targets exists just as much as it would for Ryan to spread the wealth. But an even likelier option is for the Falcons to utilize their backfield against a defense that is allowing 170 yards on the ground per game.