San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington Redskins
Before we dive into the position players for this game, I think it’s worth noting that this game was super gross. In part because the Washington Redskins participated in it, but mostly because it was raining the entire game, rendering FedEx Field a wet, muddy, slippery mess of a field, as you can see:
It had an undeniable effect on the game, so I think that’s important to keep in mind before we jump in.
San Francisco 49ers
Quarterback
- Jimmy Garoppolo: 12/21, 151 yards, 1 INT | 4 carries, 20 yards
If there was anything positive to take away from this game for the Redskins, is was their defensive line. Their front seven was able to pressure Jimmy G a lot, he was constantly trying to escape pressure and even got sacked twice. Fortunately, when he was able to throw the ball, the Redskins’ secondary looked pretty bad, and he was able to take advantage of some holes. Still, both teams employed a very run-heavy approach in this game, which made sense given the weather, and as a result, Garoppolo didn’t look great.
Running backs
- Tevin Coleman: 20 carries, 62 yards | 2 targets, 2 catches, -1 yard
- Matt Breida: 8 carries, 35 yards | 1 target, 1 catch, 1 yard
- Jeff Wilson Jr.: 5 carries, 20 yards
It was all Tevin Coleman for the running workload and he looked fine. He averaged 3.1 yards per carry, which is nothing particularly special, but also not terrible. Again, like I said, the Redskins’ front seven looked pretty decent in this, and they were able to keep the 49ers’ running backs from breaking off anything huge. Breida looked good when he had the ball, he had good burst and was able to move quickly, as evidenced by his 4.4 yards per carry, but as of now, this backfield is Coleman’s first and Breida’s second. It is worth noting, however, that Breida did leave the game in the second half to go through the concussion protocol. He also got poked in the eye during the play, but he was cleared to return later in the game and didn’t. I’d say he’s fine going forward, but in case you’re wondering why Coleman out-touched Breida by the margin he did in this game, that’s why. I’d still expect Coleman to generally get more touches than Breida each week, but it’s going to be much closer than 20 to 8.
Wide receivers/Tight ends
- George Kittle: 5 targets, 3 catches, 38 yards
- Kendrick Bourne: 4 targets, 3 catches, 69 yards
- Ross Dwelley: 3 targets, 1 catch, 2 yards
- Dante Pettis: 2 targets, 0 catches, 0 yards
- Richie James Jr.: 1 target, 1 catch, 40 yards
- Levine Toilolo: 1 target, 1 catch, 2 yards
- Marquise Goodwin: 1 target, 0 catches, 0 yards
There isn’t a whole lot to say about the 49ers passing game for fantasy purposes. It’s George Kittle and that’s about it, good luck figuring out the rest. Deebo Samuel usually ends up with a decent handful of targets but he was out this game with a groin injury. Meanwhile, Marquise Goodwin, who some in the preseason thought might benefit from the 49ers passing game did nothing. They signed Jordan Matthews a little while back, but he was inactive and is still apparently learning the playbook, so who knows what’ll happen with him. As I said, it’s Kittle and the rest is a total crapshoot. Especially in a game like this one where throwing and catching the ball were both exceptionally difficult.
Washington Redskins
Quarterback
- Case Keenum: 9/12, 77 yards
Keenum got the start again this week and did absolutely nothing. Now, again, the weather was terrible and the Redskins elected to barely throw at all, but Keenum didn’t look great. I don’t blame that on him though, because his offensive line looked atrocious. He was sacked three times for a total loss of 27 yards, but that could’ve been worse. He was constantly under pressure, and if he did throw it, the 49ers excellent secondary had everyone covered. It was just bad news all around.
Running Backs
- Adrian Peterson: 20 carries, 81 yards
- Wendell Smallwood: 5 carries, 23 yards | 1 target, 1 catch, 18 yards
- Steven Sims Jr.: 1 carry, 0 yards
Adrian Peterson got the ball a lot in this game and looked solid, averaging about 4.1 yards per carry. He’s now logged 43 carries in two weeks, which to me says that he’s getting a lot of work now that Jay Gruden is gone. Last week he logged 118 yards (though it was against the Dolphins) and this week he logged 81 yards against a 49ers run defense that, coming into the week, had allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs. Considering that, Peterson looked really solid. If he keeps getting the volume, he should be a high-end RB3/low-end RB2 depending on the week and matchup. Unfortunately, his upside is somewhat limited by his terrible offensive line. And a quick shoutout to Wendell Smallwood, who looked pretty decent as AP’s backup.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
- Trey Quinn: 3 targets, 2 catches, 30 yards
- Steven Sims Jr.: 3 targets, 3 catches, 5 yards
- Terry McLaurin: 2 targets, 1 catch, 11 yards
- Jeremy Sprinkle: 2 targets, 2 catches, 13 yards
- Paul Richardson: 1 target, 0 catches, 0 yards
Going up against the 49ers formidable secondary isn’t easy at all, and especially doing so in terrible conditions. Given that the Redskins didn’t throw all that much, there wasn’t much in the way of fantasy production to be had here, nor will there be most weeks. Similar to the 49ers passing game, the Redskins one is pretty simple from a fantasy perspective. It’s Terry McLaurin and no one else. McLaurin should generally be a decent WR2 given his (typical) volume week-to-week and his skills as a receiver, but other than him, there’s no one in this passing game that you want. And it’s also worth noting that AP wasn’t involved at all, and that’s going to continue to limit his ceiling in PPR leagues.
-Ben Palmer