Jerick McKinnon, Matt Breida contract decisions affects fantasy impact of 49ers’ RBs

If you though last year’s San Francisco 49ers had a nightmare running back situation from a fantasy football perspective, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. San Francisco is tendering Matt Breida at a second-round level ahead of the 2020 season, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini. It will also restructure Jerick McKinnon’s four-year, $30 million contract this offseason, according to NBC’s Matt Maiocco. The 49ers could legitimately have four running backs on their roster that have significant impact on the offenses’s success throughout the season. Here’s what that could mean for fantasy football in 2020.

Fantasy football analysis: 49ers running backs

There’s no telling who will lead San Francisco’s run-powered offense in 2020. Breida, Raheem Mostert, and Tevin Coleman all notched at least 123 carries last season and eclipsed 500 rushing yards. Additionally, Jeff Wilson showed some promise as a short yardage back who could vulture touchdowns from the others.

None of them was necessarily a true feature back who carried most of the workload each week. Mostert was dominant in the back half of 2019, but adding McKinnon to the mix could make things tricky.

McKinnon hasn’t played a down in the NFL since 2017, as he tore his ACL ahead of his first season with the 49ers in 2018 and suffered a setback the following year that caused him to miss his second straight season. In his prime, he provided elite route running out of the backfield. His skills catching the football could add another dimension to the 49ers’ offense. If healthy, he could challenge any of the other backs on the roster for significant playing time. His progress should be monitored as the season approaches.

For the time being, it’s difficult to assess who might be the RB1, and instead you’re looking at a committee approach.