5 Fantasy Football Splits That Matter for Week 7

The Beat(hard) Is On

Rookie C.J. Beathard replaced Brian Hoyer under center for the San Francisco 49ers early into the second quarter of last Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins. Beathard attempted 36 passes the rest of the way, completing 19 of them for 245 yards and a score.

As pace and no-huddle guru Pat Thorman has noted, San Francisco's offense didn't slow once Hoyer was replaced -- he completed 6 of 7 hurry-up attempts for 112 yards, 1 touchdown, and a 158.3 passer rating.

If this week's matchup against the Dallas Cowboys is indeed one that's expected to have high volume for both teams, the 49ers are full of players that have sneaky value. Pierre Garcon, for example, led the team with nine targets (a 24.3% target share) once Beathard stepped in. He has yet to score, but remains one of only two receivers with at least 50 targets who hasn't found the end zone -- a potential sign of regression -- and has accumulated the seventh-highest Reception NEP at his position.

Additionally, tight end George Kittle finished with seven targets (18.9%) with Beathard at the helm and has been targeted 4 times inside the 10-yard line over the last two weeks. Even Carlos Hyde is quietly ranked 12th overall in targets among running backs this season.

Needless to say, don't fear rostering Beathard or any of San Francisco's surrounding players simply because they haven't amounted to much in fantasy just yet. With Dallas ranking 21st against the pass, Sunday is as as good of a time as any for pace and matchup to trump past performances.