The Case for Jerick McKinnon Pt 2 - Week 3, 2020 

By: Ativ Patel || 9/22/2020

With Week 2 of the 2020 fantasy football season in the books and more than a few of injuries across the league, you might be looking at your roster like in need of an RB like:

Or, maybe you just want to have some solid picks on your radar? 

Regardless, there are always hidden gems on the waiver wire if you’re looking with an open mind. With COVID-19 looming and no pre-season games this year, high player turnover is very likely and might as well be prepped up 🤷‍♂️

I've previously written extensively on my case for picking up Jerick and if you missed it, you can check it out here: The Case for Jerick McKinnon Pt I

I've personally started Jerick in the past 2 weeks at my flex spot in a 12-person .5 PPR league and he has produced 10+ pts in each matchup with only 3 carries per game, respectively, while sitting behind 2 backups. I've put a screenshot at the bottom of this post for more context if you have an interest.

Back to the 49ers...As we all know, the 49ers backfield situation has changed substantially. In this post, I'll briefly give an update from my previous post when I suggested people take a look at Jerick. Without further ado, here is my updated take:

Jerick McKinnon - Running Back - San Francisco 49ers

Risk Level: Low (updated from low to mid)

Potential Upside Level: Very high 

League Type: 12+ person || PPR and .5 PPR (Point Per Reception) 

• Rostered in 27% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues as of 9/22/2020
• Updated from 17% ownership in Yahoo as of 9/16/2020
• QB Risk: Nick Mullens will be taking the starting roll in SF and this could go either way. History with Brieda suggest that Mullens is comfortable with quick receivers that play like McKinnon
• Health Risk: Previous ACL injury 
• #1 and #2 backs are currently injured making McKinnon clear #1 back but will likely split snaps with Wilson Jr. with load percentage TBD 
• 49ers offensive strategy will be different with Nick Mullens under center, likely allowing more opportunities for Jerick early in games as it then later opens up the play-action for Mullens. Seen a similar strategy in when Mullens started with Brieda and Mostert in backfield previous seasons
• Kyle Shannahan loves YAC, 49ers desperately need players who produce YAC, and Jerick might be the man for the job. See data and more in-depth explanation in the graph section of my previous post: The Case for Jerick McKinnon Pt I


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Jerick McKinnon Run for a TD with Nice Dive!






Jerick McKinnon Converts 3rd and 31 to Go for 55 yds!







Jimmy G to McKinnon 5 Yd TD Untouched - Week 1







Jerick McKinnon Stat Line in Yahoo Fantasy .5 PPR







Disclosure: I am a 49ers fan so the article might be biased. I picked up McKinnon in week 1 and started him week 1 and week 2. I currently have McKinnon on my fantasy roster in my starting at my flex. I am unsure if this will change based on my waiver wire executions.