Is Sam Darnold, Trey Lance, or Brock Purdy the 49ers Starting Quarterback? Fantasy Football Outlook

Between Sam Darnold, Trey Lance, and Brock Purdy, who will start for the 49ers in 2023 at quarterback? Should you draft a 49ers quarterback this season in fantasy?

Ever since drafting Trey Lance third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers have had a rotating door at the quarterback position due to injuries.

In 2021, Jimmy Garoppolo started 15 games with Trey Lance starting twice due to injury. In 2022, Lance opened the season as the starter and started just two games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. This thrust Garoppolo, who was surprisingly still on the roster, back into starting territory. He only lasted 10 games before suffering a season-ending injury of his own, thrusting rookie Brock Purdy into the role where he led the team to the NFC Championship and then suffered a UCL injury of his own.

San Francisco still has both Lance and Purdy under contract and also signed former first-round pick Sam Darnold to a 1-year deal. Anybody could start for San Francisco at the game’s most important position this season, but who is the most logical option?

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The Case for Sam Darnold

Darnold was signed to a 1-year, $4.5 million contract this offseason. His contract shows that he was not brought to San Francisco to be the starting quarterback, but with the injuries the team has faced at the position over the past two seasons it was smart to bring in more depth.

Some fans argue that there is a case for Darnold to move ahead of Trey Lance on the depth chart, given that he has more experience in the league. With Lance being a former top-3 selection and having very limited opportunity to prove himself in the NFL, this is likely not the case. Darnold is likely just a depth piece in this quarterback room but could be elevated to the backup in the event that Lance is moved.

The Case for Trey Lance

Trey Lance has the rawest talent of any quarterback in the 49ers' room, as evidenced by his high draft capital. He opened 2022 as the starter but played just one full game in horrible weather conditions, making it tough to judge his play.

Following Purdy’s impressive run down the stretch last season, there is a clear quarterback battle brewing in San Francisco. While Lance has ultimately never gotten a fair shot at winning the job, he will be given his chance in Week 1 if Brock Purdy is still recovering from his UCL injury.

If Purdy is healthy, it’s anybody’s guess as to what San Francisco does. While Lance was drafted third overall, they may want to ride the hot hand and keep rolling with Purdy as QB1. If they go this route, expect them to try to cash out on Lance and trade him to a team with no clear quarterback plan such as Tampa Bay. That being said, the third overall pick is such high draft capital that it would not be surprising to see the team give Lance an actual fair shot at quarterbacking the team.

The Case for Brock Purdy

All signs are pointing to Brock Purdy as the designated top quarterback in San Francisco. Ian Rapoport reported that 49ers GM John Lynch said that “Brock’s probably the leader in the clubhouse for that.”

The only thing that could stand in Purdy’s way is the health of his UCL, in which case Lance would likely be the Week 1 starter and would have a chance to earn the starting job. 

Purdy’s recovery seems to be going well and if he does indeed return by training camp, he should open the season as the starting quarterback.

Which 49ers' Quarterback Should I Draft?

In fantasy, both Lance and Purdy currently come at a discount due to the uncertainty surrounding the position. If possible, grabbing both is a great move as they are both late-round picks and one of the two is bound to put up strong numbers this season.

Purdy is the better option due to the likelihood of him being the starter, but Lance has higher fantasy upside due to his ability to rush. If you are able to grab both in the late rounds, you should be set at the quarterback position.

In dynasty leagues, both are good buy targets right now as well. Purdy will likely be the starter but he can be bought at a discount due to uncertainty. Lance will eventually get a shot to start somewhere, even if not in San Francisco, due to his high draft capital and raw talent and he can be bought cheap as well.

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