The San Francisco 49ers lost 42-17 to the Denver Broncos on Sunday night, falling to 4-3 on the year. The offense struggled for most of the night, with one of the two touchdowns coming in garbage time while Blaine Gabbert was in.
49ers fantasy recap: Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore struggle in Week 7
It was a difficult night for the 49ers offense, as they managed just 17 points against the Broncos. We break down the fantasy implications.
Justin Edmonds
Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore let owners down in Week 7. Let’s take a look at the fantasy performances from this game.
Colin Kaepernick: He completed 24 of 39 passes for 263 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Kaepernick didn’t do much with his legs either, finishing with 18 yards rushing. The Broncos sacked him six times and constantly put pressure in his face, leaving Kaepernick with little to work with throughout the night. After a monster Week 6, Kaepernick finished Sunday with his fourth game of the year with a single touchdown. The 49ers are off in Week 8. Kaepernick gets the St. Louis Rams, the team he just went off for three touchdowns on, when he returns.
Frank Gore: Gore rushed for 20 yards on nine carries. The 49ers trailed early and abandoned the run in their attempt to catch up with the Broncos. Gore is struggling lately, rushing for 58 yards in the last two games. He hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown since Week 2. He’s still a solid flex play when he returns in Week 9, but owners would feel more confident by seeing better results.
Michael Crabtree: Crabtree caught four passes for 27 yards on seven targets. He’s been more of a boom-or-bust player in 2014, with just eight catches over the past three games. The 49ers receiving corps doesn’t appear to be providing any consistency, as Kaepernick is spreading the ball around often. Crabtree remains on the WR3 radar when he comes back from the bye.
Stevie Johnson: The top fantasy scorer on the 49ers in Week 7, Johnson caught five passes for 79 yards and one touchdown. He now has back-to-back games with five receptions, and he’s scored in three of his last four outings. While Johnson caught two or fewer passes in four games through the first seven weeks, he’s becoming a bigger weapon for Kaepernick, especially in the red zone. His value is on the rise.
Vernon Davis: Davis caught two passes for 21 yards on five targets. He’s missed two games so far in 2014, and he hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 1. Davis is always a threat in the red zone, but he is not scoring touchdowns at the same rate as we saw last season. He’s still a TE1 candidate each week, but the lack of touchdowns makes him more of a TE2 at the moment.
