The top seed in the loaded NFC will be on the line in Week 14 when the San Francisco 49ers travel to New Orleans to face the Saints. Both teams are a solid 10-2 and making a case for conference supremacy. However, think about how different things look for these teams from a fantasy aspect. The Saints boast a Hall of Fame quarterback who last missed finishing among the top 10 at his position in 2003. (Yep, it is true.) They have a beloved top-five running back and the best wide receiver in the sport -- one on a record pace for receptions.
The 49ers have the same record and easily the top scoring differential in the conference. A fantastic defense leads the way, but for skill position options in fantasy, well, there is awesome TE George Kittle and then ... a lack of top, consistent production alongside no clear depth-chart hierarchy. Yes, the 49ers, despite Sunday's 20-17 road defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens (a terrific game in inclement weather and hardly a bad loss) are a bit tough to figure out in fantasy. Perhaps a bit of clarity will come during the big matchup in New Orleans in what is the first week of the fantasy playoffs for most managers.