Kyle Juszczyk

The 49ers shelled out a five-year, $27 million contract to keep Juszczyk around this offseason. While that number seems abnormal for a veteran fullback who accounted for just 266 yards from scrimmage in 2020, his ability as a blocker, pass catcher and short-yardage threat - he had a career-high six touchdowns last year - proved to be too valuable to pass up for the organization. Expect more of the same from Juice this year and beyond; an excellent asset for a football club, but minimal value as a fantasy asset due to lack of volume and unorthodox position.

Fullbacks may be an endangered species in today's NFL, but Juszczyk continues to provide value both as a blocker and as a receiving threat out of the backfield. The seven-year pro led his shallow position in receiving yards - 239 with a touchdown on 20 catches - but he was limited to single-digit carries (three), nullifying any potential for fantasy appeal. Expect more of the same from Juice in 2020: excellent lead blocking with the occasional play or two drawn up for him each game.

Juszczyk turned in another Pro-Bowl season, setting a new career high in receiving yards (324) in addition to his usual excellent run blocking. Fullbacks are a dying breed in the NFL and rarely spark fantasy conversation, but Juice appeared to gain a little bit of deep-league fantasy traction early in the season, averaging 2.8 receptions and 39.4 receiving yards through the first five games of the season. That production, however, died once Nick Mullens took over under center, as he rarely used his fullback in the passing game (1.8 targets per over the final eight games of the season). The 49ers extended Juszczyk's contract option, and the fullback could be on pace for career offensive numbers across the board if Jimmy Garoppolo - who boosted Juszczyk's value the most last season - stays healthy all season.

Juszczyk got off to a slow offensive start with his new club, accruing just 14 touches for 103 combined yards through the first nine weeks of the season (seven healthy games). The Swiss Army knife turned things on in the second half with 24 receptions and 230 receiving yards, finishing with 315 receiving yards and a touchdown, which was best among all fullbacks in the league. "Juice" is more valuable to his actual football club than he is to fantasy owners, given the lack of utility of the fullback position in standard formats. That said, it wouldn't be surprising to see him build on last year's receiving numbers after a full offseason with his new quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, and another year under offensive guru Kyle Shanahan.

Juszczyk was one of the 49ers' bigger free agent signings this offseason, inking a four-year deal after spending four years in Baltimore. The versatile fullback accrued 97 receptions (132 targets), 769 yards and five receiving touchdowns in his three years as a starter, bringing playmaking ability to a position that usually lacks it. Teaming up with the offensively-minded Kyle Shanahan -- who maximized Patrick DiMarco's receiving abilities in Atlanta -- could be a match made in heaven.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Juszczyk has made a name for himself as one of the better fullbacks the NFL has to offer. He can catch the ball well for an athlete of his stature, too, and was often utilized as a check-down option by Joe Flacco in 2015, as evidenced by his 41 total receptions. However, he rarely gets carries to complement those receptions and is a fantasy afterthought even in the deepest of formats.

Juszczyk came out of Harvard in 2013 with the skillset of an H-back, but the Ravens have molded him into more of a traditional lead blocker, with the versatility to still contribute the occasional reception. He ranked among the fullback leaders in snaps in 2014, finishing with 19 catches for 182 yards and a touchdown, though he did lose a pair of fumbles. He's yet to record a carry through two NFL seasons.

After years of using lead-blocking specialists, the Ravens are expected to hand the starting fullback job to Juszczyk, who profiles as more of a versatile H-back type. There's some hope that he'll become a dependable receiving option, but it's unclear how often the Ravens will even use a fullback, as the team will likely make frequent use of two-TE sets.

Juszczyk is a rookie out of Harvard, where he mostly played tight end. He will serve as the backup fullback behind Vontae Leach and could also see some playing time as an H-back.