The Jaguars were awful on Sunday. They didn’t score a touchdown and their quarterback threw a couple of picks in San Francisco territory. Trevor Lawrence is not going to win you a Fantasy Championship this year (though Travis Etienne, who could easily been in this article, might), but he is fair solid lock to throw over 200 yards and at least 1 touchdown.

He is also a lock for 20 yards rushing (high of 59) and is probably due for a rushing touchdown. He has a fairly good schedule for the next few weeks (Carolina, Cincinnati, and Houston), then some tough matchups against Cleveland and Baltimore. This week was a Blip, but his QB ranking of 18 shows the middling performance you can expect.

How painful is it when your fantasy player’s team puts up 49 points and yet he doesn’t see the end zone once? Pollard started out the year looking like the running back the Cowboys wanted to replace Ezekiel Elliot (3 games in a row over 15 points). Since then, in the last six games, he has eclipsed 10 points only once.

Pollard needs to be involved in the receiving game in order to score points. This week, Pollard had 15 rushes for a dismal 55 yards and no receptions or targets when Prescott through for over 400 yards on 35 attempts. Rico Dowdle had almost as many rushing attempts as Pollard, which could be garbage time or a sign of where the Cowboys are headed. Bench Pollard.

Taysom Hill is technically the TE9 but we all know he just needs to be categorized as something. Hill started the year with tough sledding, not breaking 10 points until week 6. Since then, he has hit double digits four games in a row (two games over 20) until his clunker this week at 4.3 points. You could read into it that New Orleans figured out how to leverage Hill in conjunction with Derek Carr.

But with Carr out, Jameis Winston was slinging. It all just matters how many touchdowns Hill throws or runs or catches in a given game. Carr is supposed to back this week, but Taysom Hill is Untrustworthy.

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Arizona Cardinals

Keaontay Ingram saw half of the Cardinals’ running back carries and targets.

Ingram rushed 10 times and caught both of his targets. He played ahead of rookie Emari Demercado and long-time veteran Damien Williams. James Conner will miss at least three more weeks with a knee injury while on injured reserve. The Cardinals’ offense is faltering after a hot start, but Ingram’s role puts him on the RB3 radar.

Atlanta Falcons

Bijan Robinson is second among running backs in targets (32).

Robinson saw eight targets in the Falcons’ high-paced loss to the Commanders. Robinson leads all running backs in routes lined up in the slot and out wide. He has 20 more slot routes than any other running back. Robinson’s biggest issue is a lack of scoring chances. His first and only carry inside the five-yard line came in Week 2. He does not have a rushing touchdown this season.

Baltimore Ravens

Zay Flowers has 277 air yards over the past three weeks.

Flowers saw just 124 air yards over his first three games despite seeing 25 targets compared to 22 in his three most recent outings. The Ravens were scheming plenty of targets for Flowers early in the season, but he wasn’t seeing many downfield looks. Now Flowers is beginning to look like a more complete receiver.

Buffalo Bills

Latavius Murray saw all three of the Bills’ carries inside the five-yard line.

Murray ran a route on 41 percent of Josh Allen’s dropbacks. James Cook ran a route on 47 percent of the dropbacks, but Week 6 was his first time falling below 50 percent. This is the doomsday scenario for Cook. He isn’t running enough routes or seeing enough touchdown opportunities to provide RB2 numbers.

Carolina Panthers

Chuba Hubbard saw 76 percent of the Panthers’ carries.

Hubbard was only targeted once but did run a route on 64 percent of Bryce Young’s dropbacks. For a backup stepping into a starting role, this is as good as it gets. Hubbard will remain an RB2 for as long as Miles Sanders is sidelined.

Chicago Bears

D’Onta Foreman played on 64 percent of the Bears’ snaps.

Foreman earned 15 carries and ran 12 routes. He paced the backfield in both usage metrics. Should Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer miss Week 7, Foreman would be in line for RB2/3 fantasy numbers.

Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Mixon is one of two running backs with five goal line carries but no touchdowns on those attempts.

Mixon has seen five looks within five yards of the end zone. He also leads the league in red zone rushes among running backs with one or fewer touchdowns. Even if Mixon has lost another step this year, his touchdown potential remains elite.

Cleveland Browns

Nick Chubb is tied for a team-high in red zone carries.

Chubb has three red zone attempts. For those keeping count, Chubb last played in Week 2. The Browns’ offense was miserable under Deshaun Watson for all but one game and got infinitely worse once he went down. No one in their committee backfield has much value while seeing no work near the end zone.

Dallas Cowboys

Michael Gallup earned a 33 percent target share.

Gallup also saw 43 percent of the Cowboys’ air yards and a third of the team’s end zone looks. Gallup dropped a would-be touchdown on Monday and only four of his 10 targets were deemed catchable by Pro Football Focus. We chase volume in fantasy football, and Gallup’s volume has been trending in the right direction for weeks.

Denver Broncos

Russell Wilson averaged -.37 EPA per dropback.

The Wilson haters got what they were asking for in Week 6 after a relatively hot start to the year from the veteran quarterback. Wilson was intercepted twice, sacked four times, and averaged 4.3 yards per reception. He doubled his season-long interception total and posted just his second game with only one touchdown pass.

Detroit Lions

Craig Reynolds out-snapped Devine Ozigbo 43-6.

Jahmyr Gibbs could be back this week, but if he isn’t, it looks like we will be treated to a week of Reynolds operating as a workhorse back. Reynolds out-touched Ozigbo 12-4 last week.

Houston Texans

Dameon Pierce played on 35 percent of the Texans’ snaps.

Devin Singletary played on 52 percent of the Texans’ snaps and ran a route on exactly half of C.J. Stroud’s dropbacks. Pierce out-carried him 13-12. Without much goal line work to go around and now in a full-blown committee, Pierce will tumble to the back of the RB3 range for my Week 7 rankings.

Indianapolis Colts

Jonathan Taylor saw 53 percent of the Colts’ carries.

While that’s not exactly where he was at the peak of his fantasy production, it’s a drastic improvement on what we saw from Taylor in his first game back. He earned 18 percent of the team’s carries in Week 5. Taylor also improved his route rate from 14 percent to 37 percent.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Travis Etienne set a season-high in red zone carries (four).

Etienne also saw his first carry inside the opponent’s five-yard line. He scored on the attempt. Etienne scored one touchdown in his first four games and now has four touchdowns over his previous two games.

Looking for more fantasy football content? Rotoworld has you covered. Watch Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry weekdays at noon ET LIVE on Peacock and the Rotoworld Football Show on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays wherever you get your podcasts.

Kansas City Chiefs

Rashee Rice ran a route on 50 percent of Patrick Mahomes’ dropbacks.

Justin Watson dislocated his elbow in Week 6 and is expected to miss a few weeks. Rice set a season-high in routes in Week 6 and continued to look impressive on his limited opportunities. He caught four balls for 72 yards. Rice is averaging 2.75 yards per route run. If it holds, that would go down as the second-best rookie season since 2010.

Las Vegas Raiders

Davante Adams has six catches for 74 yards in his past two games.

Adams has been dealing with a shoulder injury for a few weeks. It’s possible the issue is limiting his production. Adams’ target share has fallen to 16 percent in his previous two games. He’s Davante Adams, so I’m not writing him off after a quiet pair of weeks. It is worth noting though.

Los Angeles Chargers

Quentin Johnston ran a route on 48 percent of the Chargers’ dropbacks.

The Chargers are using Josh Palmer ahead of Johnston and are even leaning into 12-personnel more, putting Donald Parham on the field more often sans Mike Williams. With no interest in using him from his team, Johnston can be dropped in shallow fantasy leagues.

Los Angeles Rams

Cooper Kupp has a 42 percent target share since returning two weeks ago.

He has accounted for over half of the Rams’ air yards and a third of the team’s end zone targets. He will rank as the WR2 when my rest of season rankings are updated later this week.

Miami Dolphins

Raheem Mostert is first in the NFL in rushing touchdowns and 27th in receiving touchdowns.

Mostert has two more rushing touchdowns than any other running back and is tied with a bunch of players with two receiving scores. Until De’Von Achane returns, Monster should be treated as a top-five fantasy back.

Minnesota Vikings

Jordan Addison ran a route on every one of Kirk Cousins’ dropbacks.

Addison was running plenty of routes before Week 6, but he was still third on the depth chart behind Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn. With Jefferson on IR last week, Addison did not miss a route for the Vikings. Addison returned the favor with his fourth touchdown of the season.

New England Patriots

Kendrick Bourne is top-20 in the NFL in targets and air yards.

If Mac Jones was playing halfway decent football, Bourne would be a WR2 based on this volume. Instead, Bourne is the WR32 after six weeks. Even with the New England offense melting down, Bourne is a solid FLEX option.

New Orleans Saints

Taysom Hill set career-highs in targets (eight) and receptions (7).

Hill’s 33 routes, 23 of which came from the slot, were also a career-high by a hilarious margin. Without Juwan Johnson, the Saints opted to use Hill instead of turning to Jimmy Graham or Foster Moreau.

New York Giants

Saquon Barkley touched the ball 28 times.

The last time Barkley touched the ball that many times was in Week 10 of the 2022 season. After missing a month because of a high-ankle sprain, Barkley appears to be back at full strength.

He broke a number of long runs including a 34-yard scamper and added 27 yards over expected.

New York Jets

Breece Hall earned a season-high in snap rate (62 percent).

Hall didn’t do much with his 12 carries, though the Eagles allowed him to score a touchdown at the end of the game to get the ball back. Hall also caught all five of his targets for 54 yards.

Philadelphia Eagles

Week 6 was Jalen Hurts’ first-ever game with three interceptions and multiple sacks.

That includes every game he played in college and in high school. He has one other three-interception game in his life. That came in Week 12 of the 2021 season.

San Francisco 49ers

Jordan Mason out-carried Elijah Mitchell 5-2.

Mitchell has more experience in Kyle Shanahan’s system and is more trusted by the team, but his nagging knee injury could prevent him from taking on more than a part-time role. There is also the chance that Christian McCaffrey manages to suit up in Week 7.

Seattle Seahawks

Jaxon Smith-Njigba set a season-high in aDOT (7.4).

JSN has set a career-high in aDOT in every game of his career because it has risen in every outing since Week 7. His two highest games by route rate have also come over his past two appearances.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Chris Godwin has out-targeted Mike Evans once this year.

That was in Week 4 when Evans left the game early. When Evans is healthy for four quarters, Baker Mayfield views him as the Bucs’ clear WR1, and it’s not a close race. Evans is also seeing more air yards and more end zone looks per game, despite the partial appearance in Week 4.

Tennessee Titans

Tyjae Spears has played on over half of the Titans’ snaps in all but one game this year.

The Titans run some 21-personnel looks, so Derrick Henry can still out-snap Spears even when the rookie sees half of the team’s snaps. He did exactly that in Week 6. But Henry’s season-long snap share of 56 percent is concerning. He is running a route on a third of the team’s dropbacks and the Titans are running the fewest plays per game in the league.

Washington Commanders

Terry McLaurin more than doubled his season-high in target share.

McLaurin was responsible for 55 percent of the Commanders’ targets in Week 6. His season-high before that game was 26 percent.

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There’s undeniable entertainment in watching an all-powerful Superman dish out justice to the bad guys. But it can be even more satisfying to see the job done by a hero without laser vision or invincibility or even much in the way of muscles. This is why underdogs work so well in children’s literature, where, to the target readership, everything from a school bully to a burdensome homework assignment can feel as overwhelming as a supervillain.

Is there any more classic underdog than the Victorian orphan? By all rights, Nan Sparrow — the spunky yet snarky protagonist of Jonathan Auxier’s SWEEP (Amulet, 368 pp., $18.99; ages 8 to 12) — shouldn’t even be alive, let alone leading a chimney sweep uprising. As if growing up female in 19th-century London weren’t hard enough on its own, Nan’s job keeps her perpetually filthy, malnourished, deprived of affection and forced to squeeze into lung-blackening spaces tight enough to give a hamster claustrophobia. (In what is sure to be a blow to Mary Poppins fans, the author’s afterword explains how real-life sweeps had it even worse than those in the book.)

Yet Nan perseveres. Granted, she’s got the help of a magical soot golem. If you’ve ever wondered what Frosty the Snowman would be like if he were made of cinders and had awesome fire powers, that’s Charlie the golem: a gift bequeathed to Nan by the kindly sweep who raised her among England’s rooftops. Nan believes Charlie is meant to be her protector, but the creature is himself a childlike naïf who needs Nan as much as she needs him, especially in a society that refuses to see him as anything but a monster.

Many of the most entertaining and touching scenes involve Nan schooling Charlie on everything from the alphabet to the weather. (“I broke the snow!” Charlie cries when the flakes melt against his hot cinder hands.) When juxtaposed with flashbacks of the old Sweep raising Nan, these bits add a layer of beautifully bittersweet parenthood allegory to a tale that is both uplifting and heartbreaking. When Charlie has an “Of Mice and Men” moment, accidentally crushing a baby bird, readers are torn between sympathy, frustration and fear for the future of this oddly beautiful little family. But as one character wisely says about caring for others, “If you’re not afraid, you’re not doing it right.”

Daniel José Older also uses the 1800s orphan theme in DACTYL HILL SQUAD (Scholastic, 256 pp., $16.99; ages 8 to 12), but he ups the threat level significantly by placing his parentless protagonists square in the middle of the American Civil War. This is an alternate history, however, taking place in a world where dinosaurs escaped extinction. Triceratops pull wagons down cobblestone streets, iguanodons lift lamplighters to gas-powered lanterns, microdactyls deliver messages like toothier carrier pigeons, and, on a much less whimsical note, gun-toting gangs of hooded men spread terror from the saddled backs of raptors and ankylosaurs.

Older fascinatingly blends thunder-lizard thrills with lesser-known but important aspects of American history. He starts the action (and then never really stops it) with a real-life incident: the burning of the Colored Orphan Asylum during the Draft Riots of 1863, when mobs of white New Yorkers, angered by their conscription into the Union Army, turned violently against their black neighbors. Suddenly homeless, the children face perils including the Kidnapping Club, a Jurassified version of a real gang who abducted free black people to sell into slavery. Aided by a pair of African-American Shakespearean actors (whose theater has also been torched), the young friends seek safe haven in the minority community of Dactyl Hill.

Readers will adore Magdalys Roca, who becomes the de facto leader of the orphans, thanks to her unique ability to telepathically communicate with the dinosaurs. Far from a natural hero, Magdalys displays a realistic mix of terror and gumption in the face of the monsters around her, reptilian and human. Where else will her adventures carry her? There’s another installment of this mind-bendingly original series coming, sure to be eagerly awaited.

K. E. Ormsbee’s THE HOUSE IN POPLAR WOOD (Chronicle, 344 pp., $16.99; ages 8 to 12) gives us three underdogs for the price of one. And while none may be full-on orphans, they’ve all got serious family issues. First, we have the Vickery twins, Lee and Felix, whose parents were bamboozled into signing a Faustian contract that has forever separated them. Now Mr. and Mrs. Vickery serve as apprentices to Death and Memory, respectively (yes, the literal personifications of those concepts — and they are capital-C Creepy), and although they live under the same roof, they remain eternally invisible to each other. Same goes for the brothers. Each is assigned to one parent, and they only see each other outside the house. It’s a rough way to grow up.

Until our third underdog comes into their lives — the rule-flouting iconoclast Gretchen Whipple, the black sheep of her own family, which has been embroiled in a generations-long Hatfield-and-McCoy-esque feud with the Vickerys. Gretchen goads the twins into helping her solve a murder mystery in which the prime suspect is Death itself. The boys are skeptical (“What do you mean? Death kills everyone”), but eventually realize that if they can prove Death has broken the rules and taken people before their appointed times, they might be able to nullify the diabolical contract that divides their family.

Atmospheric and gripping, the book offers a boldly original take on the Grim Reaper concept, but never sacrifices entertainment for metaphysics (even while raising some thought-provoking questions). Ormsbee does a masterly job of juggling perspectives, keeping all the children distinct and fascinating in their own ways, while never losing the page-whipping pace of her well-crafted plot.

THE ASSASSINATION OF BRANGWAIN SPURGE (Candlewick, 544 pp., $24.99; ages 10 and up), by M. T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin, presents us with two “heroes” who are as un-Superman as one could get. One — Werfel, the goblin archivist — is more akin to Kal-El’s scientist dad on Krypton, who knew what was going on but got ignored by his people and, well, we know how that turned out. The counterpart to Werfel is the titular Spurge, a scholarly envoy from the elf kingdom sent to deliver a peace offering to their age-old foes in hopes of a truce between the nations. In reality, Spurge has agreed to be a spy for his people — a hapless, naïve, socially awkward spy, but a spy nonetheless. When Werfel — a lovable dork who adheres to the goblin credo that “hospitality was holy” — attempts to introduce the elf to goblin culture, things don’t go as planned.

The story is not only presented from two distinct viewpoints, it uses two distinct methods. In a brilliant storytelling device, Werfel’s side of the tale comes to us in prose, while Spurge’s comes in pictures — the elf’s own mental images, which he secretly transmits to his superiors via magic spell. It’s an ingenious way of showing how fear and xenophobia can affect someone’s impressions of the unfamiliar. A traditional goblin dance, for instance, takes on the aura of a violent ritual in Spurge’s mind’s eye, and a parade of children looks like a wild army. Even Werfel himself, who tells readers he is shorter than his elfish guest, appears as a hulking monster in the illustrations. Yelchin’s art, evocative of kookily surreal medieval woodcuts, is perfectly suited to the task.

The book, which is on this year’s National Book Award long list, is at times both moving and hilarious. Spurge is not just an unlikely hero — it’s hard to know if he’s a hero at all. But that only makes the finale of this political satire all the more surprising. Even more than if Clark Kent had been sent to spy for the elves.

The post Children’ Fantasy Novels That Make Heroes Out of Underdogs appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Wartales review
This grungy medieval low fantasy tactical RPG isn’t just a sandbox, but a quick-sandbox, capable of sucking you right in with emergent stories and moments equally thrilling and silly. The trade off here is it can lack a bit of momentum, but if you stay curious, you’ll end up well rewarded by its layered and considered world and systems.

• Developer: Shiro Games
• Publisher: Shiro Unlimited
• Release: April 12th 2023
• On: Windows
• From: Steam
• Price: £30/€35/$35

‘The Tank’, I’ll admit, is a monumentally uninspired name for the mace-wielding brick privy of a man I’d bestowed the dubious honour of soaking up hits in place of my squishier mercs, but when sandbox tactical RPG Wartales let me assemble a party of 12 mad lasses and tapped chaps, the stash of good nicknames was always going to be the first casualty. So, The Tank he lived, and also died. Questing endlessly in this grimy medieval world won’t cut it. You’ll also need to keep your troupe paid and fed, so when evening fell to find nought but a handful of foraged mushrooms and a single mouldy apple I’d pried from the fingertips of a disemboweled bandit, it was time to get creative.

“Waste not, want not”, said the Earl of Human Sandwich, the inventor of cannibalism (I’m told). With this in mind, I’d invested one of my early ‘Knowledge Points’ into a tech that let me repurpose my dearly departed as delicious drumsticks. Slain friendlies don’t disappear after battle. Instead, you’ll find their tastefully dressed corpses in the loot menu afterwards. Ghoulishly, the ‘loot all’ option doesn’t add their cadavers to your inventory with the rest. You’ll have to manually drag them over, giving you just enough time to consciously make the decision to either bury or eat them. I did not bury him.

Now, here’s something you never want to say about someone you’ve eaten: this was not the last I saw of The Tank. I’d throw him in the pot along with some berries I’d brought at the market, and some fish I’d caught through a minigame fun enough to make me take a note that said “why is the fishing better than Dredge, a game about fishing?!?” My troupe would feast, sleep, and then I’d find The Tank’s corpse back in my inventory again. The boring explanation involves bugs, but I like to think my gang treated his decomposing remains as a sort of communion wafer, nibbling on his flesh with ascetic restraint. I eventually foisted the half-eaten lump on a blacksmith whose face I didn’t like for a single gold piece which I then spent on wine. Welcome to Wartales.

A year and a bit ago, I wrote about the nuts, bolts, and beans of the experience in early access. The broad headline for this 1.0 release is, “Like that, but more of it”, although that doesn’t quite tell the whole story, since even the first area has been refined and deepened. The basic flow of Wartales goes thusly: Go to a nearby village, get some contracts, fight a turn-based battle, level up, kit out your troupe, buy some food, maybe go fishing or foraging or craft some armour or capture a bear with a rope and indoctrinate it into joining your mercenary troupe, maybe progress the overarching quest for the area of the map you’re currently in, go back to the village, get paid, repeat. Basically, every step here seems to have benefitted tremendously from not just the reality, but also the ethos of long-term early access. Namely: How can we make this relatively peripheral system better? And you do that with as many systems as Wartales has, eventually you end up with a really solid title.

A chief gripe of mine previously was the length of the turn-based battles, which started to chafe after a while because of their frequency and because, arguably, they’re not even the main event here. To say that these tactically interesting, tense, and wonderfully animated fights aren’t the game’s main event is more of a compliment than it sounds, since one of Wartales main strengths is how each of its many systems, from party management to economy tweaking, can be gripping in their own right. Anyway, they’ve reduced the number of enemies in a battle, but made the individual enemies tougher, so fights are briefer but more deadly.

One of Wartales main strengths is how each of its many systems, from party management to economy tweaking, can be gripping in their own right

Another new(ish?) feature is the choice to play with either enemy scaling or region-locked difficulty. You know that bit in Dark Souls where you find Havel the Rock at the bottom of the tower in the game’s first proper area and he’s arguably far out of your capabilities, but if you spend time learning a few tricks, you can take him down early? I love that stuff. It’s not just a challenge thing – it gives RPG worlds so much gravitas. Naturally, I played region-locked.

It’s hard to pin down exactly what’s been introduced in what stage of early access, but camp management also seems to have grown tremendously since I last played. A few hours in, my party ventured into an ancient tomb that had me using a limited stock of expensive torches to explore winding passageways and find runes to unlock a puzzle door. It also had me solve a slide puzzle which, I swear to god, could have been the cut knuckle-chewer from the Resi 4 remake, so profoundly irritating was it. After fighting off some crusty shamblers in the dark, I eventually found a sarcophagus full of relics that needed appraising. The game let me build a lectern at camp, appoint one of my troupe to the ‘scholar’ profession, and accrue knowledge points over time. After a while, your shabby campfire will eventually blossom into a respectable spread of useful spots, each granting meaningful bonuses for combat, exploration, and character growth.

This is all very nice, but the real secret sauce here dwells in Wartales place as what I’ve previously called ‘storybox’ games; your Rimworld and Dwarf Fortress, games that offer sets of character traits and interactions, of nouns and verbs, then allow them to interact with each other in surprising but logical ways, effectively turning the game into a little box you poke at to make stories fall out of. It’s also got something in common with that ‘anecdote factory’ term that Far Cry tried to claim, even if 90% of said anecdotes were some variation on “set fire to X, got attacked by a wild Y” (Yak, Yucatan Squirrel, Yellow-eyed Penguin.) Wartales, though, earns the ‘tales’ part of its name well. Some part-scripted, some personal, but most genuinely successful at sucking you further into its quick-sandbox. No real wars, though, but I suppose ‘six-man rat fracas tales’ isn’t as catchy.

It’s with this in mind that my primary criticism of Wartales is probably a little unfair, but please know that I’m making it of a very cool game that I think could be ice-cold if I felt just a little more momentum to progress through its world. Yep, I’m asking for a main questline. Some central, driving mystery at the heart of this evocatively grimy low fantasy world that, maybe, you don’t uncover anything significant about for hours before happening upon some passing nugget of information or a hint toward something that blows its fiction wide open. I think a lot of RPGs can go super heavy on the main quest to the detriment of world building. In contrast, Wartales is all worldbuilding. Multi-layered region questlines offer insight into class struggle and disease, refugee crises and food shortages, but ruins aside, any real-world history feels ephemeral. All the better to forge your own personal (war)tales within? Absolutely. A little lacking in vivacity if your roleplaying brain doesn’t feel like putting in the work today, and you just want to be barded at? Also yes.

Another non-criticism that might be better described as ‘an understandable annoyance’: the amount of walking you do in Wartales is immense. More like Walktales amirite? I’d estimate at least a quarter of the game is spent hoofing across (very pretty) fields and dales, down dust paths, and up mountain trails. It’s not necessarily thrilling, but it does feel too deliberate to consider a flaw to solve rather than an intentional choice to experience. Everything here has a trade off – it’s somewhat of an economic sim in this sense – whether that’s the economy of actual wages and food, or the economy of fatigue and danger. So even that traditionally rote act of travel is redolent with both friction and possibility. This doesn’t mean you’re an unappreciative fool for getting irked with it though, and you might well do so, so something to keep in mind. You also unlock fast travel later, but it takes a bit.

But it is that same friction and possibility that results in some of the game’s best moments. After questing in the second area, I felt underpowered, so I spent some of my accrued knowledge points of some blacksmith recipes, and went poking around a nearby woods for boars, to kill for leather to make armour. I did find boars, but they were ghost boars. Also, ghost wolves, and a terrifying ghost ram boss called a ‘nightmare’. I lost two of my rogues in that fight, stabby Corhan and stabby Hakert, the stabby twins. Things were looking grim until a rogue bolt of lightning one-shotted the ghost ram. Turns out there is a god! And one whomst bloody loves a bit of stabbing.

It’s workmanlike without being uninspired, fascinating without being flashy. It’s like a loveable cockney chimney sweep with a sparkle in its eye

The presentation is probably a bit nicer than it honestly needed to be across the board. The music is lovely, all driving war drums layered with whimsical, slightly discordant European folk instruments. The minigames are all great aside from that bastard slide puzzle. Also, get this: I once picked two locks on a three lock chest but broke my last pick on the final one. I came back to it about three hours later with a fresh set of picks, and the two locks I did last time were still open! This sounds incredibly minor but I feel it exemplifies a sort of coherence and persistence about the world that I feel is crucial to the soul of this sort of game.

And this here is sort of the key to Wartales, I think. It feels consistent. It’s workmanlike without being uninspired, fascinating without being flashy. It’s like a loveable cockney chimney sweep with a sparkle in its eye. It might be too mundane to scratch the itch for high adventure, but if you’re feverish for a grounded low fantasy ramble with the occasional giant rat, Wartales will cure ya. Also, apropos of nothing: I still haven’t played Battle Brothers yet, so I don’t know. Go away.

The post Wartales overview: a dirty medieval fantasy RPG rife with emergent tales appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers have had a different rushing leader every year since coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch arrived in 2017.

And they’ve gotten significant production from a group largely comprised of unknowns, though former first-round pick Carlos Hyde (2017) was a holdover from the previous regime. In the four seasons that followed Hyde, the Niners leading rusher has been a former undrafted free agent (Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr.) and a sixth-round pick last year in Elijah Mitchell.

If you tied your fantasy team’s hopes to a Niners running back based on the previous season’s production, you probably came out disappointed. As we head toward season no. 6 for Shanahan and Lynch, that trend may continue.

That’s because the Niners, for the second year in a row, invested a third-round pick in a running back, this time LSU’s Tyrion Davis-Price. This after the Niners re-signed Wilson and JaMycal Hasty while Mostert departed for the Miami Dolphins in free agency.

• Free agency: Grades » | More »
• Draft: Grades » | Top picks » | More »
• Coaching changes: Tracking moves »
• Schedule 2022 » | Power rankings »

The addition of Davis-Price gives the Niners a crowded running backs room that also includes Mitchell, Wilson, Hasty, Trey Sermon and undrafted rookie Jordan Mason. Not all will make the roster, but recent history shows the majority will contribute at some point in 2022.

“There’s plenty of room for these guys,” Lynch said. “Most seasons we’ve used four, we’ve used five. … We emphasize the run game here and we want versatile backs. I think we have that with our collection of guys, and we’re excited about that group. ”

While there’s no denying injuries have forced the Niners to play musical running backs in recent seasons, it is fair to wonder why they needed to draft another running back with a relatively early pick. That’s not a knock on Davis-Price so much as a testament to the Niners’ ability to uncover late-round and undrafted gems.

Just last year, the team selected Sermon in the third round and gave him every opportunity in camp to become Mostert’s primary backup. Instead, Mitchell emerged as the more reliable option and, after Mostert suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1, Mitchell set a franchise record for most rushing yards by a rookie (963) while adding five rushing touchdowns. He did it in just 11 regular-season games, which speaks to his production but also to an inability to stay on the field.

For Mitchell, this offseason has been all about getting healthy after knee, rib, concussion and shoulder issues, and trying to bulk up to better handle the rigors of the NFL season. Mitchell hopes to play at 215 pounds in 2022, which is about 15 more than he carried last season.

“I definitely want to put some more mass on,” Mitchell said.

The 49ers still view Mitchell as their top option in the run game as they open organized team activities this week. But they also envision Davis-Price emerging as a bigger, more powerful complement. Listed at 6-foot, 211 pounds at the NFL scouting combine, Davis-Price ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds. He played his final season at LSU around 225 pounds and says he plans to be in the 220-222 range in San Francisco.

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That would give the Niners a more physical presence at running back, something they lacked in 2021 when none of their backs weighed more than Sermon at 215 pounds.

“I love delivering the blow,” Davis-Price said. “I don’t like getting tackled. I know it happens but I hate getting tackled. I love bringing the contact to them so that they don’t want to tackle you. In the first, second quarter they might take it a little bit , but eventually they don’t want any more of it. That is always my mindset, to go and attack the defender and wear them out, make them quit.”

That approach could go a long way in helping the Niners in short-yardage situations, where they were perfect in 2021 when close enough for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to execute a sneak but one of the NFL’s least successful teams when handing it off.

To wit:

• The 49ers ranked 29th in the league in third-down run conversion percentage, gaining a first down on just 42.4% of their rushing attempts on third down.

• On handoffs to running backs, their conversion rate of 42.1% was last in the NFL on fourth or third-and-3 or fewer.

• They averaged 2.3 yards per carry on third-and-2 or fewer yards, which ranked 26th in the NFL.

In 2021, Davis-Price had 36 carries for 153 yards and two touchdowns on third or fourth down. From that, he went for 111 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries when the Tigers faced third or fourth down with 3 or fewer yards to go.

While those might feel like deep-in-the-weeds numbers, it’s worth considering the Niners’ last two postseason losses came in part because of the offense’s inability to keep the chains moving in the fourth quarter. Davis-Price should also help lighten the load on star receiver Deebo Samuel, who split time between wideout and running back for the back half of the season after injuries ravaged the running back room.

“The more guys you can add the better, but kind of the physicality that he brings gives you a chance to have a very physical one-two punch,” Shanahan said. “I thought Deebo helped us do that towards the end of last year bringing that in, but you don’t want that to be just your one- two punch. You got to bring in some other backs to do that. I do think we have some guys on roster that have a chance.”

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Coaching

Kyle Shanahan enters his fifth season as the 49ers head coach. He is batting 1-for-4 over his first four trips to the plate, with his only hit coming in 2019 when San Francisco went 13-3 with a trip to the Super Bowl. Over his other three seasons, Shanahan went 14-32 with no winning years. His career record now stands at 29-35, putting his job at risk with another underwhelming season. He has 11 years of experience as an offensive coordinator while being in the NFL for 17 seasons.

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After going without an offensive coordinator for the past couple of seasons, the 49ers promoted Mike McDaniel to lead their offense. He held the run game coordinator job from 2017 to 2020 while working under Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta. McDaniel has been coaching in the NFL since 2011.

The 49ers fell to 21st in points scored (376), a mere 103 fewer than 2019 (479 points – 2nd). In addition, they finished 15th in yards gained.

The defense is now in the hands of DeMeco Ryans. He spent the previous three seasons working as the linebacker coach for San Francisco. Ryans played 10 seasons in the NFL at linebacker before moving to the 49ers coaching staff in 2017.

San Fran ranked second and fifth in yards allowed over the past two seasons, but they allowed 80 more points in 2020 (390 – 17th).

Free Agency

The only players lost to free agency were CB Ahkello Witherspoon, WR Kendrick Bourne, QB C.J. Beathard, DE Kerry Hyder, and RB Tevin Coleman.

In addition, the 49ers didn’t re-sign CB Richard Sherman, who remains a free agent. He missed most of 2020 with a calf injury.

More San Francisco 49ers Coverage from SI

San Francisco added C Alex Mack in the offseason. He was an excellent fit for the Falcons’ offense when he signed in 2016. Mack is one of the top run-blocking centers in the NFL while offering strength in pass protection every year in the league. The Browns drafted him in the first round by the Browns in 2009.

The only other change in free agency came with the signing of DE Samson Ebukam. His playing time faded over the previous two years as he has settled into being a rotational pass rusher. Ebukam picked up 4.5 sacks in both 2019 and 2020.

Draft

QB Trey Lance

His natural comparison would be Lamar Jackson by stats, but Lance can’t match his top-end speed or arm strength. He plays with his eyes up when breaking the pocket while featuring an explosive gear when turning upfield. My comp is closer to Deshaun Watson in overall look.

Lance needs more experience reading defenses, and he will be tested as a passer at the next level. His challenge will come defeating coverage in the deep passing game as his reads will invite runs before a wide receiver breaks free over the long field.

G Aaron Banks 

Banks brings precisely what the 49ers want from their offensive line. He packs a powerful punch off the snap that creates wins and holes in the run game. His hands and strength set the stage for his success, but Banks has limited pass protection range. Bull rushers should be stopped in their tracks, making defenders go outside his frame to make plays instead of through him.

RB Trey Sermon

He profiles as a north/south runner with an occasional flash on the outside. Sermon can break some tackles, but his speed doesn’t separate him from the 2021 running back inventory. His value in the passing game isn’t high enough to command a third-down role in the NFL.

T Jaylon Moore

Moore has the tools to reach a high ceiling. His one shortfall looks to be overall strength, which leads to some imbalance and below-par results vs. power players. He gets on the ball quickly with the vision and movements to shine when blocking in space.

CB Ambry Thomas

Thomas wants to play up close and personal in coverage at the line of scrimmage while keeping an open eye on the ball. His game takes a hit over the long field, where players with size and speed can create different kinds of wins. He grades well with his vision, run support, and play of the ball. Jump balls downfield create issues, and Thomas likes to hold when feeling beat on a play.

CB Deommodore Lenoir

Lenoir is a second cornerback in this year’s 49ers draft class who brings a physical style to the field. His value in coverage works the best in press coverage over shorter distances. In addition, he’ll help in run support while bringing a playmaking style of play. Unfortunately, Lenoir struggles with quickness, and he doesn’t have the wheels to make up for a missed step inviting some penalties.

S Talanoa Hufanga

Hufanga has a skill set that allows him to play close to the line of scrimmage. In essence, he can cover tight ends like a cornerback while playing with enough physicality to support the run despite his size (6’0” and 200 lbs.). Hufanga attacks the line of scrimmage with the vision to be at the right place at the right time. He does have a history of injuries while owning questions with his overall speed.

RB Eli Mitchell

He brings a grinder feel while lacking the explosiveness to shine outside the hash marks. His change of direction quickness is below the needed level to succeed as a starter in the NFL. Mitchell should handle pass protection with the foundation to get some action in the passing game.

Offensive Line

The 49ers dropped to 15th in rushing yards (1,889) with 19 touchdowns and eight runs over 20 yards. They averaged 4.3 yards per carry with 27.3 attempts per game.

San Fran climbed to 10th in the NFL in passing yards (4,320) with 25 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The 49ers had 55 completions over 20 yards. Their offensive line allowed 39 sacks.

LT Trent Williams

In his first year with the 49ers, Williams made 14 starts while turning in a dominating season in run blocking. He allowed less than a handful of sacks with minimal pressure on his other plays. Williams is a former first-round draft pick (2010) who offers a long resume of success in both run and pass blocking. His last season with 16 games played came in 2013.

LG Laken Tomlinson

Tomlinson delivered his best success in the run game last year after ranking about the league average for most of his career. Each season, he allows a few sacks plus pressure on the quarterback on another five percent or so of his snaps. In 2020, Tomlinson regressed in pass protection, leading to a rise in quarterback hits. Overall, he tends to be a neutral player.

C Alex Mack

Mack has a 12-year career of success in run and pass blocking. In 2017 and 2018, he turned in two top seasons in the run game, followed by some regression over the next three years. Part of his fade came for the Falcons lacking a top-tier running back. Mack gave up minimal sacks his five seasons with Atlanta, despite attempting over 600 passes from 2018 to 2020. Defenders beat him for more pressure over the last two years. A change to San Francisco should lead to another elite year.

RG Aaron Banks

The 49ers expect Banks to move into the starting lineup in his rookie season. His future should be at left guard, which may come at some point in 2021. Either way, he should hit the ground running as a run blocker while tripping up at times in pass protection.

RT Mike McGlinchey

McGlinchey played well in run blocking in his first two seasons in the NFL while taking his game to an elite level in 2020. After tending toward the league average in pass protection, he stumbled last year, leading to too much pressure and repeated weakness in sacks allowed. San Fran drafted him ninth overall in 2018.

OL Snapshot

The 49ers have one of the better offensive lines in the league, with a slant to dominate in the run game. The structure of their skill players points to a rebound in success in the passing game.

Offense

San Francisco ran the ball 43.8 percent of the time last year with slightly better than the league average in passing attempts (35.6 per game). The 49ers want to run the ball while playing excellent defense.

Quarterbacks

Jimmy Garoppolo

An ankle injury in Week 2 led to Garoppolo missing 10 starts while also leaving two other games early. His best game (268/3) came against the Rams’ top pass defense. He finished with repeated success in his completion rate (67.1 – 69.1 in 2019) while finishing with 1,096 passing yards and seven touchdowns.

In 2019, Garoppolo ranked the 14th highest scoring quarterback (305.6 fantasy points) in four-point passing touchdown leagues. His best value came in Week 2 (296/3), Week 9 (317/4), Week 11 (424/4), and Week 14 (349/4). He passed for 3,978 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. It took Garoppolo six years in the NFL to finally play in an entire season.

Over his three games in the playoffs, Garoppolo passed for only 427 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Fantasy Outlook: San Francisco invested in their future quarterback with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, putting Garoppolo in the hot seat this season. I expect the 49ers to lean on experience while wins will determine who finishes with the most playing time. Their offense has two developing upside wide receivers plus one of the top tight ends in the league. Garoppolo has the tools and pedigree to lead this team to another Super Bowl, but he won’t be a week-to-week start in fantasy leagues. In early drafts, Garoppolo ranks 33rd at the quarterback position, five spots lower than Trey Lance. Nevertheless, he is a viable flier as a QB2 with matchup value due to the strength of the 49ers’ receiving corps and edge on the offensive line.

Trey Lance

Lance comes to the NFL with one starting season on his resume in college. In his sophomore year in 2019, he passed for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns while not throwing an interception. Lance was a beast on the ground (169/1,100/14), setting up an intriguing NFL career. Last year, North Dakota State canceled the football season, leading to him entering the draft.

His style of play fits well in the 49ers’ offense. They want to control the line of scrimmage with a dominant run game while offering an exciting combination of receivers at wide receiver and tight end.

Fantasy Outlook: San Fran may not give Lance the keys to their offense early in the season, but his ability to run the ball will tempt San Fran to use him at the goal line and short-yardage situations. Any success should create momentum for a more prominent role in the game plan. Lance offers an explosive ceiling once he earns the starting job. For now, he falls into the buy-and-hold category for a fantasy owner cheating the quarterback position and looking for an impact out late in the season.

Other Options: Nate Sudfeld, Josh Rosen

Running Backs

Over the past two years, the 49ers’ running backs scored 57 touchdowns. In 2020, they gained 2,673 combined yards with 28 scores and 93 catches or 33.02 fantasy points in PPR leagues.

Trey Sermon

Between four seasons at Oklahoma and Ohio State, Sermon rushed for 2,946 yards on 455 carries with 26 touchdowns. He finished with a minimal role in the passing game (48/486/3). His season ended in 2020 with a shoulder injury in the national championship game. Over his previous three starts, Sermon had 636 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 70 carries.

Fantasy Outlook: Initially, when doing the scouting research on Sermon, I had him in the fade column due to questions about his durability and value in the passing game. He landed in an ideal situation while also getting positive reports in June with his pass-catching. His ADP (81) points to him being the 49ers’ top running back drafted this summer.

The 49ers have an excellent run-blocking offensive line, pointing to a winning opportunity for the running back who secures the lion’s share of snaps. Worth the gamble, as I expect over 1,000 combined yards with a chance at double-digit touchdowns and 25 catches.

Raheem Mostert

Over his first three years in the NFL, Mostert gained only 36 yards on seven carries while bouncing between five different franchises. He flashed off the bench in 2018, highlighted by his 7.7 yards per rush.

In 2019, Mostert teased in Week 2 (151 combined yards with a touchdown and three catches), but his next bump in chances didn’t come until Week 13 (154 combined yards with a touchdown and two catches). Over his final eight games, including the playoffs, he gained 792 combined yards with 12 touchdowns and nine catches. He scored a touchdown in eight of his last nine contests with an impressive showing in the NFC Championship game (226 combined yards with four touchdowns and two catches).

Last year, Mostert battled knee and ankle injuries, leading to eight missed games. He finished with 677 combined yards with three touchdowns and 16 catches while averaging 5.0 yards per rush. His season started with an impact game (151 combined yards with one touchdown and four catches) with an explosive start to Week 2 (105 combined yards with one score and two catches) over 13 snaps.

Fantasy Outlook: In early June, Mostert missed some time in the OTAs with a minor knee injury. His ADP (88) ranks him 32nd at running back. His explosiveness is tempting, but the 49ers will rotate in other backs. In addition, Mostert doesn’t have the skill set to command a high-volume pass-catching opportunity. At age 29, with injuries increasing, I’m going to avoid him in fantasy leagues no matter his price point.

Wayne Gallman

An injury to Saquon Barkley led to Gallman having the best opportunity of his career in 2020. He gained 796 combined yards with six touchdowns and 21 catches over 15 games. His best two games came in Week 12 (91 combined yards with one touchdown and three catches) and Week 13 (16/135).

Fantasy Outlook: Gallman provides veteran experience, with his best value coming on early downs. Depending on the injuries at running back in San Fran, he may emerge as the top handcuff at different points of the season.

Jeff Wilson

Wilson suffered a torn meniscus in his knee in late May, putting him on the shelf for the first four to six weeks of the season. He came off the bench twice last year, leading to two impact games (17/112/3 with two catches for eight yards and 204 combined yards with one touchdown and one catch). Wilson also played well in Week 17 (20/76/1 with three catches for 12 yards and one touchdown).

He finished the year with 733 combined yards with 10 touchdowns and 13 catches on 28 targets.

Fantasy Outlook: Wilson is a player to keep an eye on in September, especially if one of the 49ers’ top running backs has an injury.

Other Options: Elijah Mitchell, JaMycal Hasty

Wide Receivers

The wide receiver opportunity in San Francisco set a three-year high in catches (182), receiving yards (2,336), and targets (281) in 2020, but their wideouts gained only 54 percent of the 49ers’ passing yards with 49.1 percent of the team’s completions. Injuries at quarterback and wide receiver were part of the issue. San Fran also has one of the top tight ends in the league, paired with a high volume run game that paints a lower ceiling in the overall passing.

Deebo Samuel

In 2019, the star of Samuel rose in Week 10 (8/112) with follow through the next game (8/134). Over his final 11 games, including the playoffs, he caught 45 of his 67 targets for 926 combined yards and four touchdowns. Samuel had surprising value as a runner (15/224/2). His catch rate (70.4) commands more looks despite having eight drops.

Last year, he missed time over three parts of the season. His year started with a foot injury that cost him the first three weeks. From Week 4 to Week 8, Samuel caught 16 of his 22 targets for 185 yards and one touchdown, with one productive showing (6/66/1).

A hamstring issue in Week 7 led to another missed three weeks. After the bye week, Samuel dominated the Rams (11/133 on 13 targets) with an active showing in Week 13 (6/76). Unfortunately, his year ended in Week 14 after one play due to reaggravating his hamstring issue.

Fantasy Outlook: This draft season, there are many moving parts when determining the passing opportunity for the 49ers. If Trey Lance starts a good portion of the season, I would expect San Fran to throw the ball closer to 30 to 32 times a game. However, with Jimmy Garoppolo behind center, their passing attempts could push over 37 a game. Samuel has shown enough where 80-plus catches with over 1,200 combined yards and double-digit scores are in the realm of possibility. His ADP (92) paints him as a backend WR3 based on ranking (37th wide receiver drafted) in early July. I’m putting him in the buy category.

Brandon Aiyuk

Despite missing four games in his rookie season, Aiyuk flashed promising upside, highlighted by a six-game run midseason (6/115, 8/91/1, 7/75/1, 5/95/1, 10/119, and 9/73/1). Over this span, he delivered WR1 stats (45/568/4 on 69 targets) in PPR leagues (20.83 fantasy points per game).

His season started with a hamstring issue and one missed game. The 49ers barely looked his way over the next five weeks (25 targets), leading to 14 catches for 165 yards and one touchdown.

A COVID-19 issue led him to sit out Week 9 and Week 12. Then, Aiyuk suffered an ankle injury in late December, leading to another missed game.

After the snap, Aiyuk creates an edge on slants while also showcasing the wheels to make plays in the deep passing game. His route running projects well while having open field ability. He does need to get stronger to help his release when pressed at the line of scrimmage. I expect his best success to come over the first 20 yards when moving forward. Aiyuk needs to improve on his breaks to the sidelines and work back to the quarterback. His speed (4.5 forty) isn’t elite for the wide receiver position.

Fantasy Outlook: The injury to Deebo Samuel helped his opportunity in 2020. Aiyuk finished with a respectable catch rate (62.5) with some chances in the run game (6/77/2). In early June, he battled a minor groin issue. He comes off the fantasy draft board in early July as the 27th wide receiver with an ADP of 63. I have him a notch below Deebo Samuel in expected production (80 catches with 1,100 combined yards and seven to 10 touchdowns.

Richie James

In his third year in the NFL, James finished with 23 catches for 394 yards and one touchdown on 35 targets over 11 games. Almost half of his stats came in Week 9 (9/184/1). Over his other six other starts, James only had 11 catches for 177 yards on 19 targets.

Jalen Hurd

Hurd missed all of 2019 with a season-long battle with a back issue. Then, a torn ACL in his right knee last August led to another missed season.

Other Options: Trent Sherfield, Mohamed Sanu, Travis Benjamin

Tight Ends

Even with George Kittle missing half of last season, the 49ers still finished with plenty of production (96/1,172/7) from the tight ends. Over the past three years, their floor has been 95 catches and seven touchdowns with over 130 targets.

George Kittle

Over his eight starts in 2020, Kittle caught 48 of his 63 targets for 634 yards and two touchdowns, putting him on pace to match or beat his previous two years (88/1,377/5 and 85/1,053/5). His catch rate (76.2) remains elite.

After quiet Week 1 (4/44), Kittle missed two games with a knee injury. He posted a monster outing in Week 4 (15/183/1) with a high level of success (7/109/1) two games later. Unfortunately, a broken bone in his right foot cost him six more weeks. His season ended with two steady showings (4/92 and 7/68).

Fantasy Outlook: Kittle has beast upside, but game flow can work against his opportunity in some weeks when the 49ers play from the lead and run the ball well. Kittle needs to unlock his scoring ceiling to push closer to Travis Kelce in tight end fantasy scoring. His ADP (31) requires 90-plus catches for 1,100 yards with a minimum of eight scores to pay off. I’m excited about the 49ers’ offense in 2021, meaning Kittle has an even higher ceiling this season.

Other Options: Ross Dwelley, McCole Pruitt, Charlie Woerner

Kicker

Robbie Gould

After two productive seasons in field goals made (39 and 33), the 49ers created only 54 field goal attempts over 28 games for Gould in 2018 and 2019 while seeing a fade in his success rate (77.8 – 93.2 in 2017 and 2018). He did have an increase of about 10 extra points per year over the past two seasons. Gould missed four of his last six kicks from over 50 yards, which came after an impressive run from 2015 to 2018 (13-for-15).

In 2021, San Francisco should have one of the best scoring offenses in the league. However, their ability to run the ball well in the red zone sets a lower ceiling in field goals. Gould should offer matchup value in multiple weeks while being found in the free-agent pool in most leagues when the season starts.

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Defense

San Francisco finished 18th in rushing yards allowed (1,889). They allowed only 4.3 yards per rush, with ball carriers scoring 19 touchdowns with eight runs over 20 yards.

The 49ers fell from first in passing yards allowed (2,702) to 23rd (4,320) in 2020. Quarterbacks gained 7.6 yards per pass attempt with 25 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, and 55 completions over 20 yards. Their defense finished with 39 sacks.

DE Nick Bosa

Bosa picked up 47 tackles in his rookie season with nine sacks, one Int, and two defended passes. He played well in run support while putting plenty of pressure on the quarterback. Unfortunately, a torn ACL in his left knee ended his season in Week 2 in 2020. The 49ers expect him to be ready for the start in Week 1.

He plays with plus strength and quickness, helping him defeat opponents off the snap. Bosa has the hands to disrupt at the point of contact with the base to hammer after the snap. His pass rush moves lack depth while losing some value when forced to chase outside vs. the run.

DE Arik Armstead

After Armstead found his stride in the pass rush (10 sacks) in 2019, he settled into a dull option rushing the quarterback (3.5 sacks) last year, partly due to offenses not having to account for Nick Bosa. His run defense offered strength for the third straight season. Armstead still misses too many tackles while owning the talent to limit the passing window. San Fran drafted him in the first round in 2015.

DT Maurice Hurst

Over three seasons with the Raiders, Hurst made 76 tackles with eight sacks, one interception, and seven defended passes. His run defense has a chance to improve to the league average, and Hurst did show more value in the pass rush in 2019. The 49ers expect him to be a rotational player this year.

DT Javon Kinlaw

In his rookie season, Kinlaw made 12 starts leading to 33 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception, four defended passes and one score. He finished as a liability against the run, with his season-ending with a minor knee issue.

He projects as a disrupter that should control his area of the field. With better technique and more quickness off the line, Kinlaw should reach an elite level.

LB Dre Greenlaw

San Fran gave Greenlaw 25 starts over his first two seasons, which led to 178 tackles, two sacks, and three defended passes. His run defense remains a weakness in his game.

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LB Fred Warner

Over his first three years in the league, Warner has 267 tackles with four sacks, one touchdown, 21 defended passes, and three interceptions. He cleaned up his tackling in 2020, helping grow as a player in run support. Warner raised his game in coverage last season and plays like one of the best in the league.

LB Samson Ebukam

Ebukam has yet to miss a game in his four years in the NFL. Over the past three seasons, he made 119 tackles with 12 sacks, six defended passes, and one interception while delivering two scores in 2018. His run defense slipped in 2020 after showing an edge over his previous three years.

CB Jason Verrett

After battling injuries for four seasons, Verrett made 13 starts for the 49ers in 2020. He held receivers to short yards per catch due to him allowing them to catch the ball in front of him. His value in run support pushed into a favorable area. Verrett finished with 60 tackles, two interceptions, and seven defended passes.

CB Emmanuel Moseley

Moseley played his way to a bench late in 2020, but the 49ers saw enough in his game to pay him $10 million for two seasons in March. Over the last two years, he made 97 combined tackles with two interceptions and 17 defended passes. His all-around play in 2019 led to success in all areas.

S Jimmie Ward

Ward tends to add value in run support while continuing to be a top tackler. He held receivers to short yards per catch in 2020 with minimal damage in scoring, which was an improvement over his career resume.

S Jaquiski Tartt

Tartt settled into a neutral player vs. the run over the last four seasons. His pass coverage skills improved over this span, leading to short yards per catch and a mistake or two each year in touchdowns allowed. Tartt missed nine games in 2020 due to a toe injury.

Fantasy Defense Snapshot

The success of this defense starts with the pass rush, which requires Nick Bosa to be healthy and dominated. Their secondary does have multiple questions, with the answers at the cornerback position coming from numerous players. The first order of business is fixing their run defense. The first two levels of the defense have the talent to support a high level of success. San Francisco ranks a top 10 fantasy defense, but I question their playmaking ability, which must be a week-to-week start in the fantasy market.

More Fantasy Team Outlooks:

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