Colin Kaepernick Wins 49ers Backup QB Job: Fantasy Implications

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has beaten out Josh Johnson and Scott Tolzien as Alex Smith's backup, per Cam Inman on Twitter. Kaepernick was the 36th overall pick in 2011 out of Nevada and went 3-of-5 in his rookie season behind Smith. Johnson was signed away from Tampa Bay in the offseason to compete with Kaepernick, but will likely now be fighting Tolzien for the third-string job. Kaepernick was 4-of-8 for 19 yards in the 49ers preseason week two loss to the Texans.

Fantasy Implications: Alex Smith had a "breakout season" but is still far from being a fantasy option after throwing for only 17 touchdowns in 16 games, so it's possible that a poor performance this season could open the door for Kaepernick. The 49ers have signed a lot of weapons in the offseason, including Randy Moss and Mario Manningham, so a quarterback with a good performance could definitely step up as a viable fantasy option. Kaepernick has excellent size but we'll need to see on-field performance before we can make any real judgments about any of the quarterbacks.