Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Anquan Boldin had a resurgence season in 2013, his first with the San Francisco 49ers, with 85 receptions for 1,179 yards and seven touchdowns. He had not topped 70 receptions or 1,000 yards since 2009, and his seven touchdowns matched his total from the previous two seasons. The 49ers re-signed Boldin to a two-year deal in March, and he will be a prominent part of the team’s pass offense this year.
Positives
Boldin was targeted 129 times (8.1 per game) and improved his catch rate (66 percent) from 2012 (58 percent), which helped drive a rebound in production. Three of his worst games last year came before San Francisco’s Week 9 bye, and Boldin finished strongly with 44 receptions for 605 yards and five touchdowns over the final seven games of the season.
Boldin was only targeted 13 times in the red zone, but all seven of his touchdowns came in that area of the field. He has the size and physicality to continue to make the most of his opportunities in the red zone.
Negatives
Boldin is likely to see a reduction in targets this year, with a fully healthy Michael Crabtree and the offseason addition of Steve Johnson creating more viable options for Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers also had the fewest pass attempts in the league last year (26.1 per game), and a dramatic change in offensive philosophy is unlikely.
Boldin will turn 34 in October, and while his skill set should allow him to remain productive for a few more years it’s worth noting he’s played all 16 games just four times in 11 NFL seasons.
Final Verdict
Boldin’s 2013 resurgence was nice, particularly for fantasy owners that had him and were able to start him regularly, but a full repeat can’t be expected this year. I can see a touchdown total similar to last year, but otherwise 70 receptions and 900 yards have to be considered high-water marks for Boldin this year. That makes him a low-end WR3 in all league formats, with slightly more appeal in PPR leagues.
Bye Week: Week 8
Projected Round: Ninth Round (12-Team Leagues)
Auction Value: $3 (ESPN.com)
Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter or connect on Google +.
