49ers vs. Seahawks: Fantasy Stars Who Will Shine in NFC West Showdown

The most anticipated matchup of Week 2 is an NFC West showdown between two Super Bowl contenders in the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.

Not only will this game greatly impact the division race, there are many fantasy stars who owners will be expecting huge performances from. However, both teams have an elite defense, and this makes it difficult to determine which players to start and sit on your fantasy team.

Let's look at three fantasy stars with a strong chance to dominate in this Sunday Night Football matchup.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, 49ers

Kaepernick was one of the best fantasy quarterbacks last week with 412 yards passing, three touchdowns and a 69.8 completion percentage.

His matchup is a lot tougher this week against a Seahawks defense with a physical secondary and an effective pass rush, but there's absolutely no reason to sit the 49ers QB. Even if Seattle does a good job covering his receivers and tight end Vernon Davis, Kaepernick has a great pass-catching running back in Frank Gore to target.

As a quarterback with a fabulous offensive line, a good group of receivers, and the ability to scramble for big gains on the ground (415 yards rushing and five touchdowns last year), Kaepernick is a smart play in Week 2 despite the tough matchup.

Anquan Boldin, WR, 49ers

Boldin's 49ers debut couldn't have gone any better as he caught 13 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers.

His matchup this week is more difficult, especially since he will likely face elite Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.

Even though Sherman has the ability to prevent Boldin from having another monster performance, expect the 49ers receiver to line up all over the field as a slot receiver and a deep threat to get some favorable cornerback matchups. Sherman doesn't spend much time covering receivers in the slot.

As Pro Football Focus notes, Boldin's ability to miss tackles and gain lots of yards per route is quite impressive.

With Michael Crabtree injured, Boldin is once again Kaepernick's top target. As a No. 1 receiver for an elite fantasy quarterback, Boldin should have a strong game against the Seahawks. 

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seahawks

The 49ers run defense is among the best in the league, but consider this: Over the last two years, San Francisco has given up a 100-yard game to a running back five times. Marshawn Lynch was the 100-yard rusher on three of those occasions.

Last season, Lynch ran for 214 yards (4.8 yards per carry) with two total touchdowns in two matchups against the 49ers.

Seattle is at its best when the offense is balanced, which is why we should expect head coach Pete Carroll to establish the running game early so the play-action pass opens up for young quarterback Russell Wilson.

Even though the matchup isn't great, Lynch is too talented to sit this week, especially when you consider his recent success against the 49ers defense.

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