When former San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Alex Smith suffered a concussion in Week 10, 2012, that opened up the door for backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who started his NFL career with the 49ers in 2011, to step up and show the 49ers his capabilities. In Week 11 of 2012, Kaepernick had his first start against the Chicago Bears, completing 16 of 23 pass attempts for 246 yards and two touchdowns. With no interceptions, Kaepernick lead the 49ers to a 32–7 win against a staunch Bears’ defense.

After a couple of weeks of covering for Smith, Kaepernick’s extraordinary talents began to flourish, and rumors of him replacing Smith as the lead quarterback began to surface. Kaepernick continued to start even though Smith was cleared to return, as Coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t want to rush Smith back into the game. As a quarterback controversy begun to arise, Harbaugh stated that the 49ers would go with the guy with the “hot hand."

Kaepernick continued to be the clear starter and even set an NFL single-game record for most quarterback rushing yards with 181 in a game against Green Bay, surpassing Michael Vick, who had a 173 yard game in 2002. As the 2012 season continued, Kaepernick and the 49ers eased their way into the playoffs, proudly earning a place in the 2013 Super Bowl where they were defeated by the Ravens 31-34.

2013 Outlook

Kaepernick, whose jersey is currently the NFL’s hottest seller, will begin 2013 as the starting quarterback of the 49ers, now that Smith has signed on to the Kansas City Chiefs.  His 2013 statistics should somewhat mirror those of his partial 2012 season where he produced remarkable rushing numbers. Kaepernick was third in rushing touchdowns and fourth in rushing yards among quarterbacks who played the entire season.

If the athletic, 6’5” 25-year-old Kaepernick stays healthy, he should continue to excel in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, as we all witnessed his incredible skill to run the ball. As an ex-baseball pitcher, Kaepernick possesses the ability to throw the ball exceptionally well also. Look for his passing yards to fall somewhere in the mid-range compared with other quarterbacks who play for more pass-heavy teams.

Dynasty Outlook

In 2012 it didn’t take long before Kaepernick started being selected from the waivers to cover a late bye-week quarterback or as a replacement for a regular quarterback who was letting your team down. In the eight and one-half weeks Kaepernick played in 2012, he averaged an impressive 20.47 fantasy points per week.

Unfortunately, the 49ers are starting 2013 without top wide receiver, Michael Crabtree who suffered an Achilles injury earlier this year. If Crabtree is cleared to return later in the season, this would surely boost Kaepernick’s future fantasy value. Right now for the passing game, his primary targets are tight end, Vernon Davis and newly signed wide receiver, Anquan Boldin.

Kaepernick will definitely earn a good portion of fantasy points from his rushing plays and touchdowns also. It could be somewhat of a risk owning Kaepernick as your sole, top quarterback because we all know the more mobile a quarterback is, his chances of injury increase. If you choose to draft Kaepernick, he should start the season on your roster as a high QB2 with QB1 upside, but it would be advisable to draft another quarterback with similar point potential to have available as a reliable back up.

Projected 2013 Statistics: 3658 Pass Yards, 22 Pass Touchdowns, 676 Rush Yards, 8 Rush Touchdowns, 10 Interceptions