Marquise Goodwin Fantasy: Should You Start or Sit the 49ers WR in Week 9?

Marquise Goodwin

Getty San Francisco 49ers WR Marquise Goodwin

The situation with San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin took an interesting turn in Week 9. While the 27-year-old wide receiver has managed to find the end zone in two of the last three games, there’s some obvious concern about his level of production.

But with the news late Thursday afternoon, things got even tougher to gauge on Goodwin’s outlook. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed, quarterback C.J. Beathard will serve as the backup in the 49ers’ game against the Oakland Raiders. In turn, the starting job will go to Nick Mullens.

This is Mullens’ first NFL start, which is less than ideal from a fantasy football perspective for Goodwin. The 49ers receiver has essentially saved face this season with one big game against the Green Bay Packers and by scoring touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs.

Let’s dive in and see if there’s an argument to be made for starting Goodwin in fantasy with the third-string quarterback.


Should You Start or Sit Marquise Goodwin?

As badly as I want to make a case to start Goodwin, you’re taking a big risk if you do. The Raiders haven’t looked good enough to get a big lead on a team, which would be the best way for Goodwin to rack up catches with the team playing from behind. Along with that, he’s only caught three passes in the past two games and is the definition of a boom-or-bust play.

One thing that bodes well for Goodwin is the fact that he played 92 percent of the team’s offensive snaps last week, per Football Outsiders. If he can remain on the field that often, he’ll at least have a chance to get the ball, but we should fully expect the 49ers to take a run-heavy approach.

The Raiders have allowed 1,211 yards and nine touchdowns to opposing wide receivers, so the opportunity for him to get behind the defense and take one to the house is on the table. If relying on that, though, you should be fully aware of the risk that comes with it. I’d only use Goodwin as a flex play in 14-team leagues or above if there are no better options.

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