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30th August 2013
09:20pm BST

Another positive is the fact that they've got Alex Smith in at QB. He was, of course, the number one overall pick a few years back, and while his time at San Francisco is best forgotten (bar his time under Harbaugh) he is reliable, accurate on the short pass and manages games well, once played in the right system. It shouldn't be forgotten that there is talent in there, and he showed flashes of it in San Francisco, he just needs consistency and some decent weapons to aim at. Andy Reid should be able to provide a system to suit his quarterback, and Dwayne Bowe is a good receiver who has the talent to work well with Smith.
Running the ball, Jamaal Charles will see plenty of touches, both because it can take pressure off the QB and the fact that he's also absolutely brilliant helps too. For the Fantasy heads out there, he's definitely going to be in the 'elite' class, and the Kansas City Star are predicting he'll get 300 touches.
First pick in the draft they took Eric Fisher, a beast of an Offensive Tackle, and that will also certainly help Alex Smith and make them more solid. Their defence was not bad really last year, they did produce four Pro Bowlers after all, and they're extremely solid at corner back with Eric Berry and Brandon Flowers. Dontari Poe will also hopefully improve, as he could be a real talent.
In terms of their schedule, their division is weak and they should be able to pick up more wins than they did last year. They do have tricky games against the Giants and Cowboys early on, but we predict that they can acquit themselves well.
Verdict: While making it through to the playoffs might be a bit of a stretch, their division is weak enough (we're looking at you Chargers and Raiders) for them to make a run. It wouldn't be a surprise if they did make it, but 7-9 seems a bit more realistic for a team that's improving this year.
We're also working on the logistics of the NFL Fantasy League with JOE readers since we had some great interest, so we'll let you all know when it's sorted!Explore more on these topics:

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