Do 49ers quarterbacks have any value in fantasy football?

On Aug. 26, the San Francisco 49ers traded Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2024 fourth-round pick. The 2021 third overall pick was formerly regarded as a fantasy football sleeper in his own right, regularly finding himself as the backup quarterback on fantasy rosters everywhere. Lance opened the year with a dismal performance against the Chicago Bears, and would suffer a season-ending broken ankle.

Lance's fall from grace is ironic in the sense that he promised in 2021, took the mantle from Jimmy Garoppolo in 2022, and then saw Garoppolo take the reigns back before more injuries saw Brock Purdy assume the starting role. This summer, Lance failed to impress in such a way that he was traded altogether after finding himself as the team's third QB.

With the 23-year old now in Dallas, the 49ers have doubled down on Purdy as their starter, which can only mean good things for the rest of the offense in fantasy football. Purdy is not a threat as a runner, which means more targets and more opportunities for players like George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk, especially in fantasy formats that use PPR scoring.

Despite the lack of rushing upside, Purdy is still absolutely worth drafting in fantasy football, especially as a late flier for a backup QB. The 2022 NFL Draft's Mr. Irrelevant is currently owned in just 22 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues, but was fantasy's QB9 across his six starts in 2022. It's also worth noting that, if you have or want Kittle on your team, seven of Purdy's 13 touchdown passes went to the star tight end, which greatly buoyed the latter's late-season surge.

It is reasonable to assume that, with another year working with Kyle Shanahan and preparing as the starter, the sophomore quarterback can be even better in 2023. With 13 touchdown tosses in six starts, Purdy was producing scores at a rate that would have put him at 37 over a full 17-game season. His four interceptions during the same timeframe translate to 11 over a full season, which is negligible.

It is worth noting that another former third overall pick, Sam Darnold, looks greatly improved with the 49ers. As a starter, the 26-year old has really only had one decent season (2019), but had a three-game stretch in 2021 where he scored five rushing touchdowns. That performance was not sustainable as the bottom fell out in Carolina, but Darnold also played well in his six starts with the Panthers last year.

The Capistrano Beach, CA native is yet to pass for more than 19 touchdowns in a season, but he has rushed for at least one score in all five of his years in the NFL. The talent is there, but the production has not been. Coach Shanahan will likely get the best out of Darnold, but right now, the 49ers are Purdy's team.

Given the level of talent in the offense, though, either of these guys could be streamers, or even starters, on a weekly basis. Purdy threw multiple TDs in all of his starts last year, and Darnold has proven serviceable with an NFL-caliber supporting cast. The two young signal-callers have more value in fantasy football than what they are given credit for.