To Start, Or Not? Colin Kaepernick Is The Ultimate Coin Flip

It really hasn't been that long since most of the football world was talking about the future greatness of Colin Kaepernick. In his first two years as the starting QB for the 49ers, he took the team deep into the playoffs. He helped out many fantasy owners in that time as well. Unfortunately, Kaepernick hasn't taken the step forward that many expected to. Instead he has turned into an inconsistent option for frustrated fantasy owners.

Last week's performance against the Ravens looked like an improvement from his typical play this season. He threw for 340 yards, his highest total this year, threw two TDs, and avoided throwing picks. When Kaepernick is at the top of his game, he can still be very good. Out of his six games played this year, three were useful fantasy performances. The other three starts were ugly.

Despite his inconsistency, Kaepernick is worth rostering in most fantasy formats. The 49ers are last in the league in points scored per game and overall the offense is sub-par. This can occasionally work out as he collects garbage time points, but that's obviously not anything you can rely on weekly.

Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin are both decent options at receiver, but they are not anything that will elevate Kaep's value. By the way, what happened to Vernon Davis again? Kaepernick is on pace for fewer passing yards and touchdowns than last season, which would continue a downward trend. His 39 rushes for 228 yards this season looks promising, but he hasn't yet broken out a highlight-reel TD run.

There are worse options at QB, but few will be as inconsistent as Kaepernick. Unfortunately the 49ers have a brutal slate coming up, with games against the Seahawks and the Rams in the next few weeks. After that it doesn't get much better until the final few weeks. Kaepernick is rosterable, but it's essential to play the matchups with him.