The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs may be trending in opposite directions, but they both have solid fantasy options on the roster and could establish plenty more this season. They will face off in their second preseason game on Friday and both teams will likely give their younger talent the majority of the important snaps as they let the position battles along the roster play out.
Fantasy football preview: 49ers vs. Chiefs
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will face off on Friday night. We break down the fantasy implications.
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More: For more on the 49ers, go to Niners Nation For more on the Chiefs, go to Arrowhead Pride
For the 49ers, they have the usual fantasy options such as quarterback Colin Kaepernick, running back Frank Gore and tight end Vernon Davis, but there's plenty of intrigue there as well. Will Kaepernick stay poised into his first full season as the starter, and is he a smart option as your primary quarterback? Does Gore have enough left in him to warrant a first-round pick in your draft?
Most importantly: can Davis step up in the wake of Michael Crabtree's injury and become the primary playmaker on the receiving end of the football? He's had an up-and-down career, and most believe he wasn't used properly last season. Will necessity change that, with Anquan Boldin as the only other reliable option in the passing game?
Then you have all of the other receivers, like A.J. Jenkins and Austin Collie, plus running back LaMichael James. These are all players who could be on the cusp of having big seasons in San Francisco's offense and should be monitored from a fantasy perspective.
For the Chiefs, their biggest fantasy weapon, Jamaal Charles, will not be playing. Head coach Andy Reid is adamant that Charles would be playing through his injury if it wasn't the preseason. He should be good to go for fantasy owners and remains a popular first-round pick.
Dwayne Bowe is another sure-thing at this point, even with new quarterback Alex Smith in town. The lesser-known guys that are fighting for position are what you should watch for on Friday. Guys like Knile Davis, who is hoping to become the feature back in the coming seasons, and Donnie Avery, who is hoping to become the No. 2 receiver opposite Bowe, are who you should be watching out for.
