Installing a new system is challenging enough, without a shortened camp due to the lockout.  It will be interesting to see how much the offense, and more importantly the quarterback play, improves over the course of the season.

Quarterback: Alex Smith ($0) – Another new head coach.  Another new offensive coordinator.  Same old underwhelming fantasy proposition.  

Quarterback: Colin Kaepernick ($0) – There has been some rumblings that Kaepernick could claim the starting job.  That’s not going to happen anytime soon.  He could be the Niners’ quarterback of the future, but the future won’t start this year barring injury.

Running Back: Frank Gore ($44) – The last time Gore played through a full season was 2006.  This has caused fantasy owners to balk at paying top 5 money for him.  Until his hip surgery that was required last year, all of his injuries in previous seasons were minor and didn’t cost him more than a couple games in each season.  The hip is healed, and even though most defenses the 49ers face will try to force them to beat them through the air, Gore has been productive in that environment.  Gore can absolutely still perform at a top 5 level when healthy, so he could be a bargain late in the first round if he can stay relatively healthy.

Running Back: Anthony Dixon ($1) – Harbaugh has already committed to Gore being the full time back.  I don’t see much value here although I wouldn’t argue with a Gore owner hedging his/her bets in the late rounds

Wide Receiver: Michael Crabtree ($3) – Crabtree can have an impactful fantasy season if he can fully recover from his foot injury, get along with Alex Smith, and stop dropping catchable balls.  If that sounds like it’s a lot to ask for, that’s because it is.  The potential is there, but the production hasn’t shown up.  Late round flier.

Wide Receiver: Braylon Edwards ($3) – Edwards and Crabtree are similar options in that both are supremely talented.  Both missed most of camp.  And both have had issues catching the ball.  Edwards been doing it a bit longer, and has yet to make disparaging remarks toward Alex Smith(to the best of my knowledge).  I like Edwards more than Crabtree for this season, but not enough to trust him to be a weekly starter.

Tight End: Vernon Davis ($12) – After being the 6th overall draft pick in the 2006 draft, Davis disappointed his fantasy owners his first three seasons in the league.  The past two years, however, he’s been able to show the talent and the production that made him such a high pick.  There’s no reason to believe that he can’t have a similar year, but the position being deeper than it has been drops his price some.

Kicker: David Akers ($0) – Akers is a veteran who had a bounce back year last year in Philadelphia after a disappointing 2009.  It’s easy to imagine his opportunities decreasing with San Francisco.  Solid kicker, but the team and environment(windy Candlestick) drop him from a must-own kicker to an ownable one.

D/ST: ($0) – Looking at the schedule the only time I can even think possibly playing the 49ers defense is week 1 when they get the Seahawks at home.  Maybe the Bengals on the road in week 4.  Maybe.  Look elsewhere.

Written by Ilyn Yeh exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com

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Tags: the Fantasy Fix, 2011 Fantasy Football, Auction Values, 2011 Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Tips, Draft Kit, Arizona Cardinals, Kevin Kolb, Larry Fitzgerald, Beanie Wells, Ryan Williams

(November 13, 2010 – Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America)