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The 49ers were supposed to be the team to represent the NFC in many football fans minds last season. They came close but could not supplant their divisional rivals in the Seattle Seahawks. As division foes the stage is set for Russ Wilson and Colin Kaepernick to face each other for many years.

Seattle designed the perfect system to keep Russ Wilson’s inexperience an actual advantage for him. Designing basic scrambles and creative rollouts allotted for Wilson to have the comfortability he needed. Sometimes it looked like total chaos seeing Wilson take off, but in the end it worked.

Pete Carroll and his staff had a basic offense in which the personnel understood their roles. San Francisco had the same formula as the Seahawks defensively but lacked the consistency offensively. That largely revolved around the 49ers not knowing how they wanted to use Colin Kaepernick. Their game plan for Kaepernick seemed to let him evolve as a pocket passing quarterback. Opposite of what Russ Wilson did freelancing as a runner, Kaepernick hardly tucked the football and ran with it.

Instead mistakes or poor games throwing the football would be the result. As the season started to wane , coach Harbaugh and Kaepernick began to get back to Kaepernick’s rookie season ways. He was running the football more and as a result the offense was not bogging down nearly as much.

Fantasy football enthusiasts and draft participants likely have Kaepernick labeled as a downgrade quarterback. Last year’s results left a lot to be desired, but the potential is still there. As the saying goes you can’t wait for results, by then someone else will have the rewards of your wait and see approach.

Go back to twelve months ago and your mentality on Kaepernick would be labeled with promise. The 2013 season was both questionable on the 49ers staff and Kaepernick’s. Keep in mind though that last season was his first full season as a starter.

Year two as a full time starter should see leaps and bounds from Kaepernick in all phases. While the media will likely push his offseason story further, there is no doubt that Kaepernick and his teammates are ready to propel past the Seahawks. They played well enough defensively in the NFC Championship game, and were a final big play away offensively.

While others may be downgraded Kaepernick, keep him high on your fantasy football draft charts.