Marquise Goodwin, George Kittle's Fantasy Outlook After Pierre Garcon's Injury

The San Francisco 49ers may be forced to make do without a key piece of their offense.

According to the team, wide receiver Pierre Garcon will miss Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals because of shoulder and knee injuries.

As a result, head coach Kyle Shanahan will be forced to adjust his game plan to account for Garcon's absence.

Here's a look at what those changes and Garcon's injury could mean for the fantasy stocks of wide receiver Marquise Goodwin and tight end George Kittle.

Marquise Goodwin

From a fantasy perspective, Goodwin stands to be the biggest beneficiary of Garcon's absence.

Garcon had racked up 27 targets over his last four games, and the Niners will be forced to reallocate those looks as long as he's on the shelf.

And while he won't pick up the entirety of Garcon's target share, Goodwin stands to watch his distribution increase from the 3.8 he has averaged over five games.

Dante Pettis (who is expected to return from a knee injury) and Trent Taylor should also see sizable upticks in usage, but Goodwin will be the Niners' best perimeter option without Garcon available.

For now, he should be viewed as a borderline flex play since C.J. Beathard can't be counted upon to stretch the field on a game-to-game basis.

George Kittle

With or without Garcon, Kittle is the best pass-catcher the 49ers have to offer from a fantasy perspective.

Beathard has locked in on the tight end time and again since he took over for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, and that connection has allowed Kittle to break out for a team-best 32 receptions, 527 yards and two touchdowns.

And with Garcon out, there should only be more opportunities for Kittle to bolster his breakout numbers.

Owners fortunate enough to steal Kittle late in their drafts or off the waiver wire early this season should continue to confidently plug him in as a top-five option at the position.