The Week 8 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams features two teams with limited fantasy options on the roster that produce a pop once in a while. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Fantasy football projections, Week 8: 49ers-Rams featuring Colin Kaepernick, Anquan Boldin and Todd Gurley
We break down the Week 8 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams.
San Francisco 49ers
Just when it looked like quarterback Colin Kaepernick was turning the corner, he ran into the Seattle Seahawks. Kaepernick completed just 13 of 24 passes for 124 yards against the Seahawks in a game that saw San Francisco put up just three points on the scoreboard. The St. Louis Rams possess a defense that is nearly as good as that of Seattle’s, so Kaepernick is going to have to find a way to make things happen one way or another. If the 49ers’ season isn’t over already, a loss to the Rams this week would surely put any playoff hopes to rest.
If Kaep can’t get himself together, nobody else in San Francisco’s offense will. That includes veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Boldin caught just three passes for 39 yards against the Seahawks, marking the fourth time he’s been held under the 40-yard mark this season. Struggling to eclipse 40 yards is not a good sign. Fantasy owners are starting to drop Boldin. It’s not because he’s too old or not good enough individually anymore, it’s because the team is plain anemic on the offensive side of the football. There’s just no other way to put it.
St. Louis Rams
The Rams’ offense would likely be sputtering just like the 49ers are at the moment if not for sensational rookie running back Todd Gurley. He rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns last week and he looks poised to be one of the best fantasy running backs of the year. The team’s offense struggled early in the game against the Browns, and yet Gurley still managed to rip off a 48 yard run in the second half and sprung himself to both of his touchdowns later in the game. He should absolutely destroy the 49ers, a team giving up 113 yards per game at the moment.
The only other player in St. Louis’ offense that is even mildly worth any consideration iss wide receiver Tavon Austin. He totaled 54 yards last week thanks to one carry and four catches. That’s hardly any reason to throw a party, but Austin does have electric speed and quickness that few players in the league can match. For whatever reason however, he’s been unable to make all of his abilities transfer to the pro level the way they should. That said, whenever Gurley slows down, somebody else is going to have to step up and it will probably be Austin.
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SB Nation presents: NFL Week 8 start/sit fantasy advice
