Fantasy Football Previews - Week 21 - Baltimore Ravens @ San Francisco 49ers

WEEK 21 FANTASY FOOTBALL MATCHUPS
BAL @ SFO

Baltimore Ravens @ San Francisco 49ers
Fantasy Football Game Preview
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It all comes down to this. On Sunday, February 3, the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers will meet in Super Bowl XLVII (6:00 PM ET, CBS) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

The game will mark the first time in any of the four major professional sports (NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL) that brothers - Baltimore's John and San Francisco's Jim Harbaugh - will match up against one another as head coaches in a postseason game.

"I guess it's pretty neat," says John Harbaugh, who has eight postseason wins in his first five seasons, tied with Tom Flores for the most since the 1970 merger. "It's pretty cool. But it's really about the team. It's about the players. That's what it's about. It's about those guys. The more we focus on those guys, the better it is for everybody."

The 49ers (5-0) and Ravens (1-0) are a combined 6-0 in the Super Bowl. San Francisco won Super Bowls XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV and XXIX. Baltimore won Super Bowl XXXV. This is the 49ers' first Super Bowl appearance since the 1994 season. The Ravens' lone Super Bowl appearance came during the 2000 season.

Team	Super Bowl Record	Super Bowl Wins
San Francisco 49ers	5-0	XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV, XXIX
Baltimore Ravens	1-0	XXXV

Super Bowl XLVII will be the second Super Bowl (Super Bowl XXX between Dallas and Pittsburgh) in which each team lost its Conference Championship Game the previous year. In 2011, the 49ers lost to the New York Giants in the NFC title game and the Ravens were defeated by the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

"It's an unbelievable feeling to be in the Super Bowl," says 49ers Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis, who leads the team with 19 tackles in the postseason. "I'm really grateful for this."

During Championship Game weekend, the Ravens and 49ers became the first set of road teams to win the Conference Championships since 1997 (Denver and Green Bay). In the second halves of their games, the Ravens (21-0) and 49ers (14-0) outscored their opponents 35-0. The AFC (47.7 million viewers) and NFC (42.0 million viewers) Championship Games ranked as TV's most-watched programs since Super Bowl XLVI.

"This is a great moment for our team, for the city of San Francisco and the whole Bay Area," says 49ers Pro Bowl safety Donte Whitner. "Now for the big one in New Orleans. We're going to be ready."

The Ravens defeated New England 28-13 at Gillette Stadium in the AFC Championship Game. It marked the first time that the Patriots lost a home game in which Tom Brady started and New England led at halftime; the Patriots had been 67-0 (including postseason). In the victory, quarterback Joe Flacco threw three touchdown passes, including two to wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

"Joe Flacco has been great at playoff time," says NFL Network analyst and former quarterback Kurt Warner. "That's when he plays his best football."

With the Ravens playing in the Super Bowl, this is the seventh time in the past eight seasons in which a team that played in the Wild Card round has advanced to the Super Bowl.

The win at New England marked the sixth road playoff victory for Flacco, the most in NFL history. His eight postseason wins are tied with Ben Roethlisberger for the second-most in a quarterback's first five NFL seasons, trailing only Brady (nine).

Quarterback	Team	First Five Seasons	Playoff Wins
Tom Brady	New England Patriots	2000-04	9
Joe Flacco	Baltimore Ravens	2008-12	8*
Ben Roethlisberger	Pittsburgh Steelers	2004-08	8

* Currently in fifth season

"This is just one of those things you dream of when you are a little kid," says Flacco about advancing to the Super Bowl. "You watch Joe Montana and those guys in the Super Bowl. So to be here at this point is pretty special."

Flacco leads the NFL in the playoffs with a 114.7 passer rating, which includes eight touchdowns and no interceptions. In NFL postseason history, the only quarterbacks to finish a postseason with at least nine touchdowns and no interceptions are former 49ers quarterbacks and Pro Football Hall of Famers Steve Young (nine touchdowns; 1994) and Montana (11 touchdowns; 1989).

Veteran linebacker RAY LEWIS - who was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV - has led the Baltimore defense. The Ravens joined the 2010 New York Jets as the only teams to defeat both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in the same postseason. Lewis, who will retire after the season, leads the NFL with 44 tackles in the playoffs.

"Ray Lewis is a guy who has been here since the beginning of this franchise," says Baltimore safety Bernard Pollard. "He's a guy who is ‘The Raven.' We all respect him. When he speaks, everybody stops, everybody hears him. He's kept the team together. He's kept this organization together in so many ways. We're all in this together. We want to go win this thing."

The 49ers erased a 17-0 deficit in the NFC Championship Game to defeat Atlanta 28-24. San Francisco is one of only three teams to win a postseason game on the road after trailing by as many as 17 points.

"We fought hard," says 49ers running back Frank Gore, who rushed for two touchdowns in the win over Atlanta. "We fought and we deserved it."

San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick, who took over as the team's starting quarterback in Week 11, has guided the team to a 7-2 record (.778) in his starts, including a pair of postseason victories. In those nine starts, he has a 101.2 passer rating (13 touchdowns, four interceptions) and has rushed for 440 yards with four TDs.

In the NFC Championship Game, he completed 16 of 21 passes (76.2 percent) for 233 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions and a 127.7 passer rating. His 11.1 yards per pass mark was the highest in 49ers postseason history, besting the previous club record of 10.7 held by Joe Montana.

"He's made great plays for us and stepped up big for us all season," says 49ers Pro Bowl tackle Joe Staley about his quarterback. "I'm excited to go into this next game with him."

Kaepernick will be the fourth quarterback in the Super Bowl era to start the Super Bowl in the same season as his first career NFL start, joining Tom Brady, Kurt Warner and Vince Ferragamo.

Quarterback	Team	Season	Super Bowl Result
Vince Ferragamo	Los Angeles Rams	1979	Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-19
Kurt Warner	St. Louis Rams	1999	Defeated Tennessee Titans, 23-16
Tom Brady	New England Patriots	2001	Defeated St. Louis Rams, 20-17
Colin Kaepernick	San Francisco 49ers	2012	Faces Baltimore Ravens Feb. 3, 2013

Kaepernick's seven career regular-season starts are the third-fewest for a starting quarterback in the Super Bowl, trailing only Jeff Hostetler (four) and Ferragamo (five).

"If Colin Kaepernick plays well in the Super Bowl, he is going to change the face of the quarterback position," says NFL Network analyst and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.

In the postseason, Kaepernick has a 105.9 passer rating and has rushed for 202 yards. No player has ever posted a 100+ passer rating and rushed for at least 200 yards in a single postseason.

"Winning the George Halas Trophy is a huge accomplishment," says Jim Harbaugh. "It's another flag. You want to get as many trophies and flags as you can. We said at the start of this there are three Super Bowls to win. We have won two so far and have one more coming up."

Don't forget to check out all of this week's fantasy football rankings, sleepers, news and more through our free fantasy football weekly newsletter!

Ravens fantasy football rankings

Pos Rk	Fan Value	Player
1	1	Joe Flacco
1	1	Ray Rice
3	2	Bernard Pierce
5	Flex or bench	Vonta Leach
7	Bench	Anthony Allen
2	1	Anquan Boldin
3	1	Torrey Smith
4	2	Jacoby Jones
6	Flex or bench	David Reed
7	Flex or bench	Tandon Doss
9	Bench	Deonte Thompson
1	1	Dennis Pitta
3	1	Ed Dickson
5	Flex or bench	Billy Bajema

49ers fantasy football rankings

Pos Rk	Fan Value	Player
1	1	Colin Kaepernick
2	1	Frank Gore
4	2	LaMichael James
6	Flex or bench	Anthony Dixon
8	Bench	Bruce Miller
1	1	Michael Crabtree
5	2	Randy Moss
8	Flex or bench	Ted Ginn Jr.
10	Bench	A.J. Jenkins
11	Bench	Chad Hall
2	1	Vernon Davis
4	1	Delanie Walker
6	Flex or bench	Garrett Celek

Access all of this week's fantasy football player rankings and cheat sheets.

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Ravens latest news and notes

Ravens | Cody Larsen signed

The Baltimore Ravens have signed undrafted free-agent DT Cody Larsen (Southern Utah). Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Ravens | Have some cap room

The Baltimore Ravens have $1.986 million available under the salary cap after LB Rolando McClain retired.

Ravens | Rolando McClain wants to focus on personal issues

Baltimore Ravens LB Rolando McClain decided to retire to was solely his decision, and he wants to focus on getting himself together before continuing his career, a source said. The Ravens have offered to be a resource for McClain.

Ravens | Justin Tucker thinks he can be perfect in 2013

Baltimore Ravens PK Justin Tucker said he believes he has a chance to make all of his field goals and extra points this season. "It's not unrealistic to say that I can have a perfect regular season kicking field goals and extra points," Tucker said. "It's just a matter of, no pun intended, putting in the leg work right now." Tucker made 90.9 percent of his field goal attempts in 2012, which ranked sixth in the NFL.

Ravens | Rolando McClain retiring from NFL

Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome announced Ravens LB Rolando McClain, 23, has informed the team he is retiring. Baltimore has placed McClain on the Reserve/Retired list.

Want more? Access our Baltimore Ravens news, injuries and rumors....

49ers latest news and notes

49ers | Have some wiggle room

The San Francisco 49ers have $1.36 million in salary cap space with five of their draft picks signed.

49ers | Two to compete for top OLB backup job

San Francisco 49ers LBs Parys Haralson and Corey Lemonier are expected to compete to be the primary backup at outside linebacker. Haralson is better suited for the base 3-4 defensive alignment while Lemonier likely will be used in pass-rush situations.

49ers | Cornellius Carradine expected to be ready for camp

San Francisco 49ers DE Cornellius Carradine (knee) is expected to be ready for the start of training camp. He is still recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered his last year in college.

49ers | Would like to use rotation at DL

The San Francisco 49ers would like to rotate players along the defensive line this season to make sure DEs Justin Smith and Ray McDonald do not wear down during games.

49ers | Colt McCoy favorite for No. 2 QB job

San Francisco 49ers QB Colt McCoy is the clear favorite to win the No. 2 quarterback job during training camp.

Want more? Access our San Francisco 49ers news, injuries and rumors....

Ravens - Week 21 injury report

PROBABLE

DL Haloti Ngata (knee), CB Asa Jackson (thigh), CB Jimmy Smith (abdomen), TE Dennis Pitta (thigh), WR Tandon Doss (ankle), LB Terrell Suggs (Achilles'/biceps), FB Vonta Leach (knee/ankle), LB Ray Lewis (triceps), DL Pernell McPhee (thigh), LB Albert McClellan (shoulder), LB Dannell Ellerbe (toe/back), WR David Reed (thigh), FS Ed Reed (shoulder), RB Bernard Pierce (knee/thigh)

INJURED RESERVE

CB Lardarius Webb (knee), OG Justin Boren (foot), SS Anthony Levine (shoulder), FS Christian Thompson (thigh), DL Ryan McBean (ankle), LB Jameel McClain (neck), TE Matt Balasavage (ankle), WR LaQuan Williams (thigh), WR Tommy Streeter (foot), LB Darryl Blackstock (leg), SS Emanuel Cook (leg), RB Bobby Rainey (knee), OT Jah Reid (toe), TE Bruce Figgins (shoulder), LB Ricky Brown (head), RB Damien Berry (neck/shoulder)

49ers - Week 21 injury report

PROBABLE	RB LaMichael James (finger), LB Patrick Willis (shoulder), LB Clark Haggans (shoulder), LB Aldon Smith (shoulder), RB Frank Gore (shoulder/ankle), OG Mike Iupati (shoulder), TE Garrett Celek (foot), FB Bruce Miller (shoulder), LB Ahmad Brooks (shoulder), LB NaVorro Bowman (shoulder), SS Dashon Goldson (foot), DL Justin Smith (elbow/triceps)
PUP	LB Darius Fleming (knee)
INJURED RESERVE	WR Mario Manningham (knee), WR Kyle Williams (ACL), RB Kendall Hunter (Achilles'), LB Parys Haralson (arm)

Ravens fantasy football leaders and statistics

Player Name	Pos	Fan Pts	PaYd	PaTD	Run	RuYd	RuTD	Rec	ReYd	ReTD
Flacco, Joe	QB	373.00	4957	33	40	38	3	0	0	0
Rice, Ray	RB	255.00	0	0	341	1449	11	69	566	1
Boldin, Anquan	WR	172.00	0	0	1	3	0	87	1301	8
Smith, Torrey	WR	160.00	0	0	4	9	0	60	1088	10
Pitta, Dennis	TE	135.00	0	0	0	0	0	75	832	10
Pierce, Bernard	RB	74.00	0	0	147	734	1	8	55	0
Jones, Jacoby	WR	65.00	0	0	1	6	0	35	553	3
Dickson, Ed	TE	24.00	0	0	0	0	0	27	315	0
Taylor, Tyrod	QB	18.00	179	0	14	73	1	0	0	0
Doss, Tandon	WR	14.00	0	0	0	0	0	7	123	1
Access more fantasy football and NFL statistics in our Statistics Analyzer...

49ers fantasy football leaders and statistics

Player Name	Pos	Fan Pts	PaYd	PaTD	Run	RuYd	RuTD	Rec	ReYd	ReTD
Kaepernick, Colin	QB	281.00	2612	14	88	679	8	0	0	0
Gore, Frank	RB	226.00	0	0	289	1406	11	27	260	1
Crabtree, Michael	WR	203.00	0	0	1	8	0	105	1390	12
Smith, Alex	QB	135.00	1737	13	31	132	0	0	0	0
Davis, Vernon	TE	109.00	0	0	0	0	0	53	802	6
Moss, Randy	WR	65.00	0	0	0	0	0	35	546	3
Walker, Delanie	TE	54.00	0	0	0	0	0	26	429	3
Manningham, Mario	WR	49.00	0	0	3	64	0	42	449	1
Hunter, Kendall	RB	48.00	0	0	72	371	2	9	60	0
James, LaMichael	RB	25.00	0	0	38	190	1	5	40	0
Access more fantasy football and NFL statistics in our Statistics Analyzer...

Ravens depth chart

QB	RB	FB	WR (Left)	WR (Right)	TE	PK
Joe Flacco	Ray Rice	Vonta Leach	Torrey Smith	Jacoby Jones	Dennis Pitta	Justin Tucker
Tyrod Taylor	Bernard Pierce	Kyle Juszczyk	David Reed	Tandon Doss	Ed Dickson
Caleb Hanie	Bobby Rainey		Tommy Streeter	Deonte Thompson	Alex Silvestro
Dayne Crist	Anthony Allen		Aaron Mellette	LaQuan Williams	Matt Furstenburg

49ers depth chart

QB	RB	FB	WR (Left)	WR (Right)	TE	PK
Colin Kaepernick	Frank Gore	Bruce Miller	Michael Crabtree	Anquan Boldin	Vernon Davis	Phil Dawson
Colt McCoy	Kendall Hunter	Will Tukuafu	A.J. Jenkins	Mario Manningham	Vance McDonald
Scott Tolzien	LaMichael James	MarQueis Gray	Quinton Patton	Kyle Williams	Demarcus Dobbs
B.J. Daniels	Anthony Dixon		Chad Hall	Ricardo Lockette