Fantasy Football: One Deep Sleeper Candidate From Every NFL Team
Matt Breida, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Without a doubt, the hot name this summer for the San Francisco 49ers was Joe Williams -- until it was rookie running back Matt Breida.
But given the presence of Carlos Hyde, Williams and the recently signed Tim Hightower, it may be difficult for Brieda to find a role early in his career. Despite that crowded depth chart, the former Georgia Southern back has been primarily running with the second unit during the preseason, including rotating in with Carlos Hyde during their Week 3 preseason contest.
The incumbent, Hyde is now entering the final year of his rookie contract, and while talented, has yet to play all 16 games in a season or top 1,000 yards in his first three years. We have no indication to this point that Hyde will be a good scheme fit for this new Kyle Shanahan zone running attack, or even if he is if the team would be willing to sink a large chunk of money into him at the end of the year. Given that this is a complete rebuild for the 49ers, that seems highly unlikely.
Given all of these factors, the team aggressively traded up in the fourth round to select Williams and also inked Hightower.
But inconsistency issues caused Williams to come off the bench behind not only Breida in the preseason dress rehearsal, but behind Raheem Mostert, as well. While it would be surprising if Williams somehow didn't make the roster, it certainly seems as if Breida has won the attention of the coaching staff, and given his impressive athleticism, that isn't necessarily surprising.
Breida had a Burst Score in the 100th percentile, according to PlayerProfiler.com, in large part due to his 42-inch vertical jump. While he is only 5'9" and 195 pounds, he ran a 4.39 40 and measured as the highest SPARQ running back in the 2017 class (SPARQ is a formula developed by Nike which measures player athleticism by outputting a single composite score).
In short, Breida has impressed so far, and he is incredibly athletic. That's a fantastic starting point, but it should also be noted that the Shanahan rushing system has been one of the most effective systems in the NFL over the last decade. As an offensive coordinator, he's coaxed 1,000 yard seasons out of late-round or undrafted backs such as Steve Slaton and Alfred Morris, and he turned fourth-round pick Devonta Freeman into a top fantasy back.
Given Hyde's contract situation and injury history, Breida is deserves a roster spot in deep dynasty leagues and should be monitored in every format.
