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The San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance is highly likely headed into his first season as a starter in 2022, and fans will get a chance to see what the No. 3 overall pick of last year’s draft can prove with a decent sample size. He did not see a ton of opportunities last season behind Jimmy Garoppolo, but teams want to see their first round QBs play quickly. It will be interesting to see what the franchise does with Garoppolo as it gets ready for Week 1 of the NFL season, but this is likely Lance’s team moving forward.
2021 season statistics & fantasy finish
In his first NFL season, Lance played in six games with two starts, so there is not a significant sample size to take a look at to predict what he can be in 2022. He completed 41-of-71 passes (57.7%) for 603 yards with 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Lance also ran for 168 yards on 38 attempts with an additional score.
49ers’ offseason moves
While Deebo Samuel’s contract has been a key offseason storyline, it appears he will head back into his role as the team’s do-it-all offensive weapon, which is huge for Lance’s development. The 49ers landed former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver/return man Ray-Ray McCloud for depth at the position, and the franchise re-signed running back Jeff Wilson for another skill position move this offseason.
2022 best case scenario
The best-case scenario would be for the 49ers to keep the success of their franchise going with a mobile quarterback who can make plays when things break down. If he learned all he could from Garoppolo as a rookie and is prepared for the speed of NFL defense, Lance could become a fantastic value pick for fantasy football players. With his running ability, he enters every game with a high floor and could develop into a reliable QB1 for fantasy managers.
2022 worst case scenario
As is the case with just about any dual-threat quarterback, there is the risk of an injury if Lance leaves himself exposed to a big hit. Outside of that, the worst-case scenario could be that he simply looks like a quarterback without a ton of high-level experience against elite competition. Lance went up against FCS defenses in college, and things move much faster at the NFL level. If he cannot adjust quickly or handle the pressure of being the guy, that’s when confidence could go down.
2022 prediction
He has the tools to become an intriguing fantasy contributor and should likely be viewed as a mid-to-high-end No. 2 quarterback in standard leagues. Lance’s running ability is going to be important to his fantasy football numbers, but inconsistency could result in dud performances, but with a decent fantasy floor.