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In fantasy football drafts this summer, many identified the 49ers rookies, quarterback Trey Lance and running back Trey Sermon as clear draft targets. Both appeared to be talented players heading into excellent situations, in addition to a tremendously favorable playoff schedule.
Unfortunately, this didn't turn out as planned. Sermon was at times the team's fifth running back before placed on inured reserve, while Lance has been behind Jimmy Garoppolo. However, that might be changing in Week 17.
What is this change, and how will it potentially affect fantasy football managers. Is Jimmy Garoppolo playing this week or is he injured? Should I start Trey Lance if Garoppolo is out? Let's take a closer look!
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Is Jimmy Garoppolo Playing This Week Against the Texans?
Jimmy Garoppolo didn't leave Thursday night's loss to the Titans with an injury, but it does he appear he sustained a thumb injury that could keep him out this week. This is a significant injury that isn't going to be easy to play through. We would expect Garoppolo to at least be out this week, and possibly longer, but nothing official has been stated yet about his Week 17 status:
Jimmy Garoppolo Injury Updates for Week 17
On Wednesday we received further updates bout Garoppolo's injury -- that he's feeling better, and has a shot to play this week:
At the same time, he did not practice on Wednesday. He won't need surgery to fix his injury, so there's a chance he'll try to give it a go this week.
Should I Start Trey Lance in Week 17?
Now, what fantasy managers wanted from the beginning may take place: Trey Lance getting a chance to start for the 49ers. When Lance started in Week 5, he earned 26.5 PFF expected fantasy points; an extraordinary amount. He ran the ball 17 times for 89 yards, in addition to two carries inside the five-yard line.
With that type of rushing floor, it would be hard to rank twelve quarterbacks higher than Lance this week. Yes, he only finished as the QB20 in that start, but it came with multiple times being stopped inside the one-yard line. That alone would have made him a QB1, despite just a 51.7% completion percentage.
With an intriguing matchup against the Texans, you could certainly consider starting him this week if Garoppolo is out, and don't have a top-notch option at quarterback for your fantasy teams.
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