Fantasy Upside
Boasting the high-end speed that terrifies opposing defensive coordinators, Marquise Goodwin served as the team's No. 2 receiver last season. According to CBSSports.com Goodwin will continue to compete for the same role this season, but there's reason to believe the Niners would like to dial back on that. In April, head coach Kyle Shanahan questioned Goodwin's lack of consistency, and he struggled in 2018 with injuries and off the field issues, scoring double digits in PPR points just four times in 12 games. This year, the desired role might be one similar to the way the Falcons used Taylor Gabriel during Shanahan's time there as offensive coordinator. Gabriel averaged 16.5 yards per reception in 2016. The 49ers believe there is an element of diminishing returns with Goodwin's speed if he is on the field for too many snaps in a game. Also, scaling back his workload means less wear and tear, and a greater likelihood that he can remain healthy during the entire course of the season.
Fantasy Downside
According to NBCSports.com's Matt Maiocco, the high-round selections of wideouts Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd puts Goodwin's status as a starting receiver in 2019 at risk. Head coach Kyle Shanahan tipped his hand before the draft when he praised Goodwin's ability to play at a high level at times, but also stated that he doesn't always need to be a starting receiver. Indeed, the big-play wideout took a step backward in production last season, and missing five games due to injury certainly didn't help. Given all that, Maiocco still believes that Samuel could push for a starting job alongside Dante Pettis right off the bat, which would obviously limit Goodwin's upside.
2019 Bottom Line
A lot can happen between now and the start of the regular season, but Goodwin's stock is definitely lower than it was heading into last year's fantasy campaign.