Fantasy Football addicts like to know who NFL starters are because the last thing they want to do is draft a player who ends up being a role player on offense. Then you have several fantasy sports fans who probably freaked out at the news over the weekend of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck retiring, but that's a different topic altogether.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan does not care about your fantasy football team, and that's a good thing — except, you know, for those who actually care more about their fantasy teams.
Other than a few positions, Shanahan isn't concerned with who is labeled a starter. The 49ers Communications department released an unofficial depth chart at the start of each week leading to each preseason game. San Francisco's head coach probably had very little input. It's not like he was sitting there with the 49ers Communications staff trying to figure out who should be listed as WR1, WR2, and RB1.
Again, Shanahan does not care.
The coach was asked over the weekend if he envisions one of his running backs, Matt Breida or Tevin Coleman, being more of a workhorse than the other this season.
"No, it doesn't matter to me," Shanahan responded. "It doesn't matter to me at all. I feel that way with running backs; I feel that way with receivers. I really feel that way about every single position probably except for O-line and quarterback. So, it just depends on what packages you want, what the mismatches are, what play you're running."
Shanahan is going to put in the players he feels benefit the offense most in any given situation. The "starter" label means nothing to him except, as stated, at some obvious key positions like quarterback and the offensive line, where consistency is crucial. You're not going to see Shanahan throw in Nick Mullens in place of Jimmy Garoppolo because a defense gave him a specific look. Nor are you going to see veteran tackle Joe Staley exit the game because of an opposing substitution on defense.
Running back and wide receiver? Shanahan will put in whoever gives the offense the best chance to beat the defense on any given play. That's why the coach loves versatile players at those positions. He likes running backs who can carry the football and haul in a pass if needed. He wants receivers who can catch footballs on short and deep routes and block downfield, too.
"I know I've got a lot of confidence in both of those guys," Shanahan continued while discussing Breida and Coleman. "I think they're both very good backs. This will be my third year with Breida, and this will be my third year with Tevin. I feel like I've got a pretty good feel for those guys, so does our running backs coach in Bobby Turner. It's his same deal. He was with Tevin in Atlanta and here with Breida. We've got guys that are both good players who both bring a little bit different stuff."
Sorry fantasy football players. Maybe you shouldn't load up on 49ers offensive players this season. If you do, be warned, Shanahan does not care about your fantasy team.