Fantasy Stars & Studs, Week 16: Non-Alvin Kamara league-winners
Jeff Wilson Jr – San Francisco 49ers
One of the upsets of Week 16 happened on Saturday as the undermanned San Francisco 49ers shocked the playoff-contending Arizona Cardinals with a 20-12 victory.
It was just a second win of his career for third-string quarterback C.J. Beathard, who was thrust into the starting role because of injuries to Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Mullens.
While his three-touchdown effort was highly commendable, the Niners’ victory was built on the back of a tremendous display by their running game and Wilson, who received the bulk of the carries with Raheem Mostert again out with an injury.
Wilson had 183 yards on 22 rushing attempts and caught a pass for a 21-yard touchdown, giving him 27.4 points in PPR scoring, his best performance since a 32-point return against the New England Patriots in Week 7.
He may have a tougher time in Week 17 against a Seattle Seahawks defense that impresses against the run and his long-term value is contingent on how an extremely important offseason pans out for the 49ers.
A restricted free agent in 2021, Wilson is highly likely to still be with San Francisco next season, but it remains to be seen who he and Mostert will have for competition in the backfield.
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The San Francisco backfield has been particularly difficult to predict this season. That unpredictability makes it tough to make the case for drafting Wilson next season, but he is worth holding on to in keeper and dynasty leagues because of how productive this running game can be when it performs at its best.