Predictions Summary Projections by Position Projection Team Boxes

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Prediction: ARI 13, SF 24 (Line: SF by 6)

This is a rematch of week three when the Cardinals won 23-14 in Arizona. The Cards just lost all signs of an offense against the Seahawks but the 49ers have lost their last four games and are only 3-4 at home while the Cards are 4-3 on the road.

The 11-4 Cardinals have clinched a wild card spot and get the upgrade to the division win if they can beat the 49ers and have the Seahawks lose to the visiting Rams who would also lose their shot for a #1 seed. So – the Cardinals are a wildcard. Both the Cards and Seahawks play at the same time so both should give a full effort unless Arizona accepts the great reality and elects to rest players at the end of the game. Chances are you won’t be using them anyway. Starting Logan Thomas is a sign this game is not considered a must-win.

QUARTERBACK : Drew Stanton may practice this week but will be held out against the 49ers to save him for the playoffs. The Cards are going with the rookie Logan Thomas as a way to keep important people from getting injured. Stanton passed for 244 yards and two scores on the 49ers in week two.

RUNNING BACK : The loss of Andre Ellington took what was a marginal rushing offense and made it nearly worthless from a fantasy standpoint. Kerwynn Williams was good enough to run for 100 yards against the Chiefs and then 75 yards in St. Louis but never scored and only managed four yards on two carries versus the Seahawks. Stepfan Taylor is getting a dozen or so carries per game now but doing little with them. Ellington gained 62 yards on 18 runs against the 49ers in the first meeting.

WIDE RECEIVER : This is where the Cardinals win or lose games and also where the greatest concern would be relying on an Arizona player this week. Since there is likely nothing to win – and the Cards could certainly get a feeling for it at halftime based on what is happening in Seattle – then at least Larry Fitzgerald may be pulled. He only managed three catches for 34 yards with Stanton back in week three and now is on the road with a rookie quarterback. John Brown had his best game of the year when he caught two scores on his 52 yards on four receptions in week three. Michael Floyd rolled up 114 yards on five receptions but has since been very ineffective without Carson Palmer there.

TIGHT END : No fantasy value.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: Hard to recommend any start here given the chance that the Cards might rest players after halftime and they are opting to use a rookie quarterback for the first time. Anyone here is a tremendous risk since they are better off healthy for the following week and realistically probably have nothing to gain here.

The 49ers come off another choke job where they led the Chargers 28-7 but they lost in overtime. It was nice to see the team with far more fire and spirit then they had in their previous three straight losses but in the end the result was the same. This is a final home game and though it faces a great defense, it is a chance for a win and an 8-8 record. Plus the Cardinals don’t appear to be as concerned about a win here anyway. This will be Jim Harbaugh’s final game before going to any one of a number of rumored landing spots.

QUARTERBACK : The decline of the 49ers is spearheaded but Colin Kaepernick who has regressed since 2013. He has not thrown more than one score in any of the most recent nine games and failed to break 200 pass yards in the last four. He finally ran in a score last week but was only marginal with rushing yardage in all other games. He threw for 245 yards and one score in Arizona.

RUNNING BACK : Frank Gore may or may not be back at 32 years old next year but at least he just turned in a season best 158 yards on 26 carries against the Chargers. He has no role as a receiver this year and had struggled to gain more than 50 yards for the last month. Gore only managed 10 yards on six carries in Arizona. Carlos Hyde scored there but only gained 13 yards on three carries.

WIDE RECEIVER : Bruce Ellington was having a breakout game last week when the rookie scored on a run and a catch but injured his hamstring just to prove the bad mojo that the 49ers now attract. Anquan Boldin finishes the year as the top wideout with just three touchdowns and only had 36 yards on six catches in Arizona. Michael Crabtree had his best showing of the year in Arizona when he caught ten passes for 80 yards and a score but he’s going on six weeks of utter futility and only had one catch for five yards last week.

TIGHT END : Vernon Davis is little more than a ghost on the field with such ridiculously poor statistics that the average fullback is more productive than him. Davis scored in week two and never again and had no catches in Arizona. He had no catches last week. He did score a 63-yard touchdown in that game but it was, of course, called back on a penalty.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: This has been a very tough matchup but the Cardinals may lighten up a bit and the 49ers have everything to play for not wanting to exit 2014 on a five game losing skid. That’s not enough to consider any of these players as worth considering beyond a flex play though. But this should go off a bit different than it would if the Cards were all healthy and were playing for a realistic upgraded playoff spot. Boldin draws Patrick Peterson again.

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