When it comes to fantasy football legends, few franchises can match the star power of the San Francisco 49ers. From the golden era of Walsh and Montana to today’s high-octane Shanahan offense, the Niners have consistently delivered fantasy gold across generations. Whether it’s the dual-threat dominance of Steve Young, the PPR perfection of Christian McCaffrey, or the timeless greatness of Jerry Rice, this roster is loaded with point-per-game powerhouses.
We’re building the ultimate 49ers fantasy lineup—based not just on stats, but on peak-season fantasy impact. That means fantasy managers who rode Frank Gore’s steady production, Terrell Owens’ explosive WR1 years, or Roger Craig’s 1,000/1,000 magic will feel right at home. Add in red-zone monsters like George Kittle and Vernon Davis, the clutch leg of David Akers, and the hard-hitting 1994 D/ST, and you’ve got a lineup that could dominate any fantasy era.
Let’s meet the all-time 49ers fantasy squad—where legends weren’t just great NFL players, they were league-winners.
In an era where running QBs were rare, Steve Young was fantasy gold. In 1998, despite missing four games, he still threw for 36 total touchdowns and added 454 rushing yards. He was a weekly cheat code—especially in six-point passing TD leagues—and was consistently a top-3 fantasy QB throughout the 90s. If you had Young, you were probably playing for a title.
Steady, durable, and undervalued—Frank Gore’s 2006 campaign was fantasy bliss. He racked up over 2,100 total yards and caught 61 passes, finishing as a top-5 PPR back. He didn’t score a ton of TDs (9), but his week-to-week consistency made him a set-and-forget RB1. Gore’s fantasy legacy is built on reliability and toughness over more than a decade.
Once traded to the 49ers, CMC became the engine of one of the NFL’s best offenses. In 2023, he posted over 2,000 total yards and 21 touchdowns, finishing as the RB1 overall. He was a weekly 20+ point lock and a league-winner. If you had the 1.01 in drafts, this is exactly the kind of production you dreamed of.
The GOAT’s 1995 season is the blueprint for fantasy dominance. He caught 122 passes for 1,848 yards and 15 touchdowns—still one of the greatest WR seasons of all time. He averaged over 24 PPR points per game, and back then, that was unheard of. Rice wasn’t just a fantasy WR1—he was a weekly nuclear weapon.
T.O.'s 2001 season was peak alpha WR. He caught 93 balls for 1,412 yards and a whopping 16 touchdowns. He was the kind of player who could win you your week with a 3-TD explosion, and was a must-start no matter the matchup. Big, brash, and built for fantasy dominance.
Before Travis Kelce fully took the TE throne, George Kittle had his breakout in 2018, racking up 88 catches and 1,377 yards—the most ever by a tight end at the time. He finished as the TE2 and was often drafted late or scooped off waivers. If you had Kittle that year, you likely got elite production from a discount.
Before PPR scoring was even a thing, Roger Craig was built for it. In 1985, he became the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards and catch over 1,000 yards worth of passes in the same season. He finished with 2,066 total yards, 15 touchdowns, and 92 receptions—which today would be an elite WR2 stat line by itself. If fantasy football was as popular in the '80s as it is now, Craig would’ve been a consensus top-3 pick and a weekly league-winner. He was CMC before CMC, and one of the most versatile RBs the game has ever seen.
Vernon Davis was a touchdown machine in 2009, catching 13 scores on his way to a TE1 overall finish. He also posted 965 yards on 78 catches. Davis was the kind of tight end that made a huge positional advantage weekly, especially in an era where TE scoring was typically flat. He won matchups by himself.
Yes, a kicker spotlight—but David Akers deserves it. In 2011, he scored a franchise-record 166 points, leading all fantasy kickers. He kicked 44 field goals and was a locked-in weekly starter. If your league still rewards kickers, Akers in 2011 was as good as it gets.
Anchored by Hall of Famers and elite pass rushers, the ‘94 49ers D/ST was feared both on the field and in fantasy. They racked up 38 takeaways and 44 sacks and were regularly scoring 10+ points in standard formats. In a time before streaming defenses was the norm, this unit was locked into starting lineups all season long.
