The San Francisco 49ers are coming off of a brutal loss and after Colin Kaepernick has struggled to start the season, head coach Jim Tomsula said there has been no talk of making a quarterback change into Week 4. Reggie Bush could be out for another game with an injury, while players like Carlos Hyde, Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin are solid fantasy football start options for the Niners.
The 49ers made numerous changes in the offseason and many felt the team would regress, but what happened on Sunday was an embarrassment for the team. The Cardinals appeared to be toying with the Niners with the way they played on defense and the team ended up winning 47-7 and now the Niners have to find a way to bounce back. Things won't get easier for the Niners this week, as the team has the Green Bay Packers on the schedule.
The one positive about that matchup is that it will be in San Francisco, as Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have been nearly unbeatable at home over the last year. Kaepernick needs to have a rebound game, as he threw four interceptions and zero touchdowns last week while putting up just 67 yards and completing just nine of his 19 passes. Kaepernick had 335 yards in Week 2 against the Steelers and in the Week 1 win over the Vikings he had 165 yards.
The main backup for Kaepernick is Blaine Gabbert and he is not a great option to turn to even with Kaepernick struggling. Tomsula said that he did not think about benching Kaepernick during the game on Sunday despite the struggles and he said he "believes" in the quarterback going forward. Tomsula said to the San Jose Mercury News that Kaepernick is "our starting quarterback."
A solid running game could help Kaepernick get things going and right now the team has Reggie Bush out and he could miss Week 4 after not playing the past two games. Carlos Hyde has been solid as a starter and he could use some support, but it there is a chance that Bush could be out again. According to ESPN.com, Bush "hopes" to play against the Packers in Week 4 after dealing with a calf injury, but his status for the weekend has not yet been updated.
Hyde comes in after putting up 51 yards against a tough Cardinals defense and he has 262 yards on the season. Hyde is averaging nearly five yards per carry and has two touchdowns and he has been one of the lone bright spots for the Niners. Hyde was dealing with a thigh issue coming into last week, but it was not serious enough to keep him out of the lineup.
Torrey Smith has been a major fantasy disappointment, as he has just seven catches in three games this season and did not have a catch last week. Anquan Boldin has not done much better with just 12 catches for 112 yards and right now the Niners WRs are not legit fantasy options. Vernon Davis had a knee injury last week and there is a good chance he will play in Week 4. This season Davis has eight catches for 109 yards.