Promising San Francisco 49ers running back Jerick McKinnon suffered a torn ACL in the final stages of the 49ers practice today and has been lost for the season according to Ian Rapoport.
The 49ers signed McKinnon this off-season to a 4 year, $30 million contract and head coach Kyle Shanahan had high hopes for the back after watching film of him and scheming what he could do with him in the 49ers offense.
Luckily for 49ers fans they have solid depth in sophomore Matt Breida and also in recent signee Alfred Morris who was one of the best rushers in the NFL in his two years in Kyle Shanahan’s system while the two were with the Washington Redskins.
This however is a big blow to fantasy owners who have already participated in drafts and may have rostered McKinnon as their RB1 or RB2. The 49ers will probably look to add a running back in the coming days after all the roster cutdowns are announced but as of now expect Alfred Morris and Matt Breida to carry the load for the 49ers.
Fantasy Context:
Alfred Morris – Alfred Morris is a must add for those of you who may have already drafted and is someone to target as an RB3 in upcoming drafts. As mentioned above Alf was one of the league’s leading rushers in the two years he played under Kyle Shanahan and is the starter for the 49ers going forward. Morris has weekly RB2 upside and should have plenty of opportunities to find the end zone with Jimmy G as his quarterback. We moved Morris all the way up into our top-30 in our running back rankings.
Matt Breida – Matt Breida is trending up following the McKinnon injury news and is now a Rb3/flex option and is someone some owners will actually target before Morris in PPR formats. While we have him ranked high as a borderline RB3 if the 49ers were to make an addition to their backfield it would likely affect Breida more than it would Morris, especially if the add is a receiving back. Breida will be an intriguing play all season in all formats if the Niners fail to add anyone else to their running back room and could remain a solid play depending on the talent of that potential add. Target Breida as a solid flex option with RB2 upside in PPR leagues. It goes without saying that for those of us who have already drafted that Breida, much like Morris, is a must-add.
Pierre Garcon/Marquise Goodwin – This news ever so slightly boosts the fantasy value of both these receivers as well as the value of tight end George Kittle as the Morris and Breida combo will get less targets than the McKinnon-Breida combo would have netted.
