49ers' Biggest Sleepers, Busts, Stars to Target in 2022 Fantasy Football Drafts

The dawn of August means NFL training camps are in full swing and it's time for the annual tradition of gearing up for fantasy football drafts.

The 2022 offseason saw plenty of movement around the league, but the San Francisco 49ers offense will only see one major change: Trey Lance is taking over at quarterback after learning under Jimmy Garoppolo in his rookie season.

From a fantasy perspective, it makes the Niners an interesting team moving forward. There were fantasy stars in the offense last year under Jimmy G, but Lance's mobility and big arm raise the ceiling even higher.

Let's take a look at what to expect from the offense through the lens of stars, busts and sleepers to target on draft day.

Deebo Samuel, WR

If there's one 49er you want on your roster, it's Deebo Samuel. He had a breakout year last season finishing as the third-highest scoring wide receiver in PPR formats, per FantasyPros.

The only concern with the 26-year-old is his hesitancy to continue his hybrid running back role. His production was buoyed by eight rushing touchdowns and 365 rushing yards in addition to being the No. 1 target in the passing game.

This offseason, Samuel made a trade request and reportedly didn't want to be featured in a hybrid role. However, the team ultimately got him to sign a three-year, $73.5 million contract extension, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Whether that means the 49ers convinced Samuel to continue carrying the ball or not, it's obvious they are planning to continue running the offense through him to make that kind of investment.

George Kittle, TE

George Kittle finished in the top three of tight ends in PPR scoring last season despite only playing in 13 games.

In 2020, he finished in the top three on a points-per-game basis because he missed eight games due to injury. In 2019, he was again a top-three tight end in PPR.

Starting to see a trend?

What really makes Kittle's consistency among the best tight ends remarkable is that he's done it without being a huge touchdown scorer. His six TD grabs last season were a career high.

At a position where most players have to score to even be worth starting, the Iowa product is able to score enough points as a pure pass-catcher to be a must-start every week.

So despite the fact that Kittle is approaching 30, there's still some upside to him. He's one of few tight ends in the league who is going to be heavily involved every week.

Elijah Mitchell, RB

There are things to like about Elijah Mitchell.

From Week 7 to 17, the 24-year-old averaged 15.6 PPR points per game, making him the RB12 on a points-per-game basis over the back half of the season. He's now entering his second year in a run-first offense with no proven backs behind him on the depth chart.

But select a Kyle Shanahan back early in your draft at your own risk. The 49ers have had a different leading rusher each season he has been at the helm going back to 2017. This time last year, Mitchell could have been listed as low as sixth on the running back depth chart.

It's telling the Niners still used a third-round pick on rookie Tyrion Davis-Price and still have 2021 third-round pick Trey Sermon. Whatever running back is starting for Shanahan is going to have fantasy value.

There's just no guarantee it's going to be Mitchell throughout the season.

Trey Lance, QB

Trey Lance has league-winning potential at his current average draft position. Right now, he is going at the end of the ninth round as the 14th quarterback off the board in fantasy drafts, per Fantasy Football Calculator.

The 22-year-old's rushing upside alone is going to make him a starting QB option. He only saw 178 snaps last season but still had 38 rushing attempts. At North Dakota State, he had 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground in his only full year as a starter.

One of the draws to Lance as a prospect is his rushing ability in addition to a big arm that can stretch the field. Those are the two things Jimmy Garoppolo didn't bring to the table.

If Lance is ready to usurp Jimmy G as the starter, he's going to put up big fantasy football numbers.

Brandon Aiyuk, WR

Brandon Aiyuk was a fantasy bust for those who invested a draft pick in him last season. From Weeks 1-7, he only scored double-digit points once and 6.5 or under in six other games.

He did reward those who kept him on their roster, though.

Once the 24-year-old got more involved in the offense, he became a solid spot-starter for fantasy managers. He had five double-digit performances the rest of the way.

Anytime there's a new quarterback involved, the targets could always be redistributed. According to Fantasy Football Calculator's ADP data, Aiyuk is going in the ninth round. If he develops a chemistry with Lance, that could wind up being a bargain.