The Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks all have great starting quarterbacks in Kyler Murray, Matthew Stafford, and Russell Wilson coming into the 2021 season.
All three quarterbacks are highly sought after among high-stakes players going off the board among the top 10 at the position in early fantasy football drafts during the last month.
This leaves the San Francisco 49ers, who must decide whether to start veteran Jimmy Garoppolo or first-round draft pick Trey Lance in 2021.
Garoppolo will be the starting quarterback in Week 1 according to the oddsmakers at DraftKings Sportsbook, who put him at prohibitive odds of -350.
Jimmy Garoppolo (-350) is widely favored as the 49ers’ Week 1 starting quarterback when they travel to Detroit to play the Lions as 7.5-point favorites. Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports Jimmy Garoppolo (-350) is heavily favored as the 49ers’ Week 1 starting quarterback when they travel to Detroit to face the Lions as 7.5-point favorites.
Garoppolo has seven NFL seasons under his belt, three with the New England Patriots and four with the San Francisco 49ers.
Garoppolo has thrown 51 touchdowns in 48 career games since being drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Patriots.
Since the start of the season, the veteran has missed 23 games due to injuries.
When he’s been healthy, Garoppolo has a 24-8 regular-season record as a starter in the NFL.
In 2019, he led the 49ers to the Super Bowl, but he was denied a ring after a series of wide-open throws resulted in two interceptions and squandered opportunities in a 31-20 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“San Francisco invested on its future quarterback with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, placing Garoppolo on the hot seat this season,” my colleague Sean Childs believes.
I expect the 49ers to lean on experience, with wins determining who gets the most playing time.” Trey Lance (+225) Trey Lance, who was selected ninth overall by the 49ers, will have a fantastic chance to be the franchise’s biggest face at quarterback since the days of Steve Young and Joe Montana.
If the 49ers’ offense suffers early in the 2021 season, you can guarantee Kyle Shanahan will have a short hook with Garoppolo.
Despite just playing 19 NCAA games for the Bison, the former North Dakota State standout caught the attention of NFL scouts.
Lance had his greatest year in 2019, when he threw for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns in 16 games.
Lance was also a standout on the ground, racking up 1,325 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground in those 18 games.
He’s a raw talent who will most likely need time to grow in the NFL.
After being selected third overall in the NFL Draft, Childs believes Lance may not spend the entire season on the sidelines holding a clipboard: “San Francisco may not hand Lance the keys to their offense early in the season, but his ability to run the ball will tempt the club to use him at the goal line and in short-yardage situations.”
Josh Rosen (+3300) and Nate Sudfeld (+5000) both need injuries to both Garoppolo and Lance to have a chance at the starting job.
The NFL journeymen’s enormous odds should not tempt gamblers to invest in either player, who will likely compete for the third-string spot on the 49ers squad in 2021.
According to recent sources out of the Bay Area, Jimmy Garoppolo’s only chance of not starting for the 49ers in Week 1 is if he suffers an injury.
Due to the veterans’ failure to stay healthy, fantasy owners feel Lance will take over during the season, propelling him to the top of early summer draft lists.
As we often emphasize, laying prohibitive odds is not a good strategy to manage your bankroll.
Despite the fact that Lance could play a key role in the Lions’ Week 1 game plan, he will not be the starting quarterback.
Despite strong Vegas sportsbook signals that Garoppolo will start Week 1, all SI Gambling bettors should avoid this market due to the potential of preseason injury.
This is a tough pass at -350 odds on a market that was at -270 odds in early May.
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