Predictions Summary Projections by Position Projection Team Boxes

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Prediction: SF 24, OAK 10 (Line: SF by 9)

UPDATE: Latavius Murray will return this week but HC Tony Sparano says he will not be used heavily down the stretch and that the backfield rotation will remain intact in order to ensure yet another high draft pick in the spring. I am adding Murray into the projections but how much he is used can only be speculated and the matchup is not that great.

The 7-5 49ers are 4-2 in road games and coming off an embarrassing loss. The 1-11 Raiders are 1-5 at home and coming off a humiliating “grab your ankles” sort of beatdown.

Tough times in San Francisco with the loss to the Seahawks on national television and at home no less. Plenty of questions are revolving around Colin Kaepernick and HC Jim Harbaugh thanks to an offense that has lost almost all mojo and now struggles to score more than one touchdown per game – if that. This week should be a win against the hapless Raiders but once this game is over the 49ers have plenty on their hands with Seattle again, the Chargers and then the Cardinals. Assuming another loss in Seattle, the 49ers will likely need to win the other three to vie for a wildcard at 10-6.

QUARTERBACK : It is a safe assumption that a game did not go well when the internet instantly spawns memes and cartoons about a player. Colin Kaepernick comes off his worst game of the year when the visiting Seahawks held him to only 121 passing yards and two interceptions . He has not scored more than once in any of the last six games and has passing yardage that barely rates as average in that time. This week is a chance to get back to scoring in Oakland but then the next week is a trip to Seattle that may be even worse than the home loss.

RUNNING BACK : Frank Gore topped 100 yards in two of his first five games but since he’s never amounted to more than a very low end fantasy play for yards. He did run for more than 80 yards in New Orleans and New York but otherwise has remained very safely below 50 yards without scoring. Carlos Hyde only gets a handful of carries and has no fantasy value either though he ran in a score in two of the last four weeks. All facets of the offense are slowing down.

WIDE RECEIVER : Anquan Boldin has been the best offensive player for the 49ers for the last month or more and scored four times with over 90 yards in each but last week was held to just 18 yards. He remains the best fantasy play but is not above a bad game. Michael Crabtree rarely manages more than 50 yards in any game and scored just twice in the last nine weeks. Stevie Johnson has all but disappeared for over a month.

TIGHT END : There is positively, absolutely no fantasy value in Vernon Davis. They should charge him for watching the game.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: The problem in matching up against the Raiders is many teams just play down to their level knowing that they can win. So far every visitor has passed for at least two touchdowns and usually 250+ yards. That has to help Kaepernick get some much needed passing success. The Raiders are also weak against the run and every visiting team had a running back score at least once. While none of these players can be considered more than moderate starts, at least Kaepernick, Gore, Boldin and possibly Crabtree could produce decent fantasy points this week.

If there is one good way to erase the glow of a first win, it is to get shutout 52-0 the next week. The Raiders beat the Chiefs in a game that seemed sort of fated but then when the hands of fate let go, the Rams had their way with the Raiders in ways that are illegal in most states. The most telling thing about the offense is that everyone is holding their breath until the running back with four carries in week 12 can return.

QUARTERBACK : As a sign of how bad the Raiders are overall, consider that they lost a low scoring game in San Diego, then won against the Chiefs and then were decimated by the Rams. And yet the yardage thrown in those three games by Derek Carr was 172, 174 and 173 respectively. He did score once against the Chiefs unlike the other two scoreless weeks. Carr has gone five weeks without throwing for over 200 yards.

RUNNING BACK : Latavius Murray still has not been cleared from his concussion but he gets the starting nod as soon as he can return after his four carry, two touchdown game against the Chiefs. Darren McFadden is the starter otherwise even though he has remained below 30 rushing yards in each of the last five games. Maurice Jones-Drew is so unproductive with his three to five carries each week that he doesn’t even suit up anymore. He just goes onto the field in jeans and a nice polo shirt and then takes a knee when they hand him the ball. This saves water he would waste taking a shower. I will assume Murray remains out until he is certain to play and then I will update. Murray is probably better off remaining out the rest of the year and just being a Raiders Myth.

WIDE RECEIVER : No change to this fantasy wasteland. Andre Holmes has not scored since week eight and averages a heft 26 yards per game over the last five weeks. James Jones is no better other than he did score once in the Chiefs win. That was his only touchdown in the last seven games. All fantasy value has left this unit.

TIGHT END : Mychal Rivera’s ever so brief span of significance is over after two weeks of minimal production.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: The 49ers defense has declined this year though mostly from facing really good teams – not the Raiders. There are no fantasy starters here in any week for now unless Murray returns.

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