Players coming off injuries tend to go undervalued. In some instances there is risk due to the nature of the injury, while in others it’s a buying opportunity.
For Pierre Garcon, he’s a buy. The 49ers are a trendy pick to take a big leap. Garcon will be 32 when the season begins and is coming off a neck injury, so some may shy away. If you can get him as a WR3 in PPR formats, he’s worth taking.
In seven full games last season, Garcon averaged 9.3 targets per game and he did that without Jimmy Garoppolo. Garcon caught passes from Brian Hoyer and C.J. Beathard. In Week 8, Garcon injured his neck and missed the remainder of the season.
Garcon was on pace for 87 catches and more than 1,000 yards last season before the injury. He caught 40 of 67 targets for 500 yards. Garoppolo helped improve the passing game in a big way as the 49ers averaged 297 passing yards in his five games as a starter.
Garcon has experience in Kyle Shanahan’s offense when he played under him in 2012 and 2013. He had his best season in 2013 when he had 182 targets and caught 113 passes for 1,346 yards and five touchdowns. Don’t expect those lofty numbers, but Garcon has a high floor.
Volume is one of the key factors in determining Fantasy value and Garcon is projected for plenty of targets. While it’s unlikely he will get a lot of touchdowns, the catches and yards will be there.
The 49ers don’t have a clear No. 1 wide receiver and Garcon is the most experienced of the group and will be the top target in an offense he worked with in the past. Garoppolo will only help Garcon’s value.
Roster construction is important in how you approach Garcon. If you took some risk early on, Garcon is a safe option. If you went with a lot of safe players early on, shooting for more upside than Garcon might be better.
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