Carolina Panthers vs San Francisco 49ers
The story of this game was the combined dominance of the 49ers rushing attack and pass rush. The 49ers racked up seven sacks and three interceptions on defense, to go with 232 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. The Panthers achieved only 230 total yards on offense and struggled to sustain drives while constantly losing yards to both sacks and penalties. The 49ers took control of this game early in the first half and never looked back, winning 51-13. The 49ers also won the time of possession battle, holding the ball for 33:01 compared to 26:59 for the Panthers.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
- Kyle Allen: 19/37, 158 yards, 3 INTs
Kyle Allen came into this game without an interception on the season, but then he had not faced the 49ers defense yet. Allen was sacked seven times and was constantly under pressure, which results in three interceptions and several more throws that could have also resulted in turnovers. His first interception appeared to be a misplaced throw to Curtis Samuel that missed the receivers and instead found the defensive back, his second came on a terrible throw right to Richard Sherman, and his third occurred when Nick Bosa anticipated a pass to the running back and jumped the route in the backfield. Allen was bothered by the pressure and struggled with his accuracy at times after being very accurate in his earlier starts. Allen’s strong play before this game allowed the Panthers the luxury of not rushing Cam Newton back, but he should return from injury soon and will likely regain his starting job. It’s tough to gauge Newton’s fantasy value without knowing how healthy, and how willing to run, he is. He’s worth adding if you’re looking for quarterback help, but it would be hard to start him with confidence before seeing him return to the field.
Running Backs
- Christian McCaffery: 14 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD | 5 targets, 4 receptions, 38 yards
- Jordan Scarlett: 4 carries, 9 yards
- Reggie Bonnafon: 1 carry, 4 yards | 3 targets, 1 reception, 3 yards
Christian McCaffery removed any doubts about whether or not he was matchup-proof in this game, rushing for over 100 yards and a touchdown against one of the best defenses in the NFL and despite the offense around him struggling. McCaffery was essentially the only positive on the Carolina offense, and he did not miss an offensive snap until the last play of the third quarter. He had two runs of at least 40 yards, including his touchdown run where he took a handoff to the left and just outran the defense to the end zone. He finished that drive off by converting a very tough 2-point conversion try, taking a pitch to the left and diving between two defenders to just barely get across the goal line. McCaffery is awesome and remains both a must-start in season-long leagues and someone who always deserves consideration in DFS formats.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Curtis Samuel: 11 targets, 4 receptions, 46 yards
- D.J. Moore: 9 targets, 5 receptions, 38 yards
- Jarius Wright: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 12 yards
- Greg Olsen: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 13 yards
None of the Carolina receivers were able to get going against the 49ers, especially with the struggles of Kyle Allen today. Curtis Samuel and D.J. Moore saw the majority of the targets, but aside from a few short catches for each guy they were unable to turn their targets into production. Both players will have better days against less challenging defenses, so do not read too much into their stat line today other than to reassure yourself that they are the main options on this offense after Christian McCaffery. Jarius Wright briefly left this game with an injury, but he returned and appeared to be no worse for wear. Greg Olsen was only targeted twice and has seen an inconsistent target share after appearing to be a heavily involved part of the offense early in the season. If Olsen is your tight end you probably do not have a better option, and he has shown great chemistry with Cam Newton in the past so he could see his stock improve once Newton returns.
San Francisco 49ers
Quarterback
- Jimmy Garoppolo: 18/22, 175 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Jimmy Garoppolo looked fine today in a game where the 49ers once again leaned on their defense and running game to carry them to victory. He connected with new target Emmanuel Sanders for an opening drive touchdown on a short out-route and picked up another touchdown on a screen pass to Tevin Coleman. Garoppolo took what the defense gave him, aside from a terrible throw that he tried to force to George Kittle that resulted in one of the easier interceptions Luke Kuechly has caught. The 49ers seem content to let Garoppolo function as a game manager, which makes him nothing more than a potential streamer for fantasy best used in games you expect the 49ers to need to throw the ball to score points.
Running Backs
- Tevin Coleman: 11 carries, 105 yards, 3 TDs | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 13 yards, 1 TD
- Matt Breida: 11 carries, 35 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 15 yards
- Raheem Mostert: 9 carries, 60 yards, 1 TD
- Jeff Wilson: 2 carries, 6 yards
The 49ers rushing offense might be the most fun to watch in the NFL. Almost every play involved some form of pre-snap motion or misdirection, and the running lanes they’re creating are wide enough for almost any running back to succeed in this system. Tevin Coleman was the main beneficiary today, rushing for over 100 yards and three touchdowns while adding another touchdown through the air. For the most part, all Coleman had to do was run fast, something he’s very good at. His first rushing touchdown was a run straight up the middle that he was practically untouched on, his second was a 48-yard run to the right where he was completely untouched, and his third was a 1-yard punch in on the goal line. Coleman is a great fit for this system, and he should be a starting running back for fantasy as long as he’s seeing at least half of the backfield work. Matt Breida looked good early but left the game with an ankle injury and did not return. He was listed as questionable to return and the 49ers were winning comfortably, so it’s possible he was only held out as a precaution but be sure to monitor his situation going forward. If Breida misses time Raheem Mostert would be the next man up. Mostert had a long touchdown run on a carry to the right where he went untouched for 41 yards, demonstrating that anyone who gets carries in this offense will have value.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Emmanuel Sanders: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 25 yards, 1 TD
- Deebo Samuel: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 19 yards | 2 carries, 29 yards, 1 TD
- Dante Pettis: 3 targets, 1 reception, 5 yards
- George Kittle: 7 targets, 6 receptions, 86 yards
Emmanuel Sanders made his 49ers debut and wasted no time getting involved, catching a short touchdown pass on his first drive. It’s too early to know for certain, but he appears to have slotted in as the number two target behind George Kittle. Kittle got wide open twice for big gains and was effective despite the 49ers not needing to pass the ball very much. Deebo Samuel was quiet as a receiver but had a nice rushing touchdown up the middle. His volume might not be great, but it’s clear that the 49ers want him involved in the game plan and have several packages designed with him in mind. Dante Pettis was barely involved, and it looks like his recent uptick in snap percentage has been washed away by the acquisition of Sanders. Sanders should be viewed as a flex option, Samuel is an interesting option if you need a bye-week fill-in, and Pettis is probably safe to drop in redraft leagues.
- Dan Adams