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49ers' Colin Kaepernick: Struggles in 2016 debut Sunday

Kaepernick got the start under center against the Bills on Sunday, completing 13 of 29 pass attempts for 187 yards and a touchdown. He added 66 yards on eight rush attempts in the 45-16 loss.

Analysis:

Offseason trade rumors, health concerns, contract reconstruction and a preseason social protest made Kaepernick one of the most talked about quarterbacks this season despite not throwing a regular season pass. All of that is in the past now that he has officially made his first start of the 2016 campaign. The results weren't pretty, as Kaepernick was just as ineffective as Blaine Gabbert running the San Francisco offense. He did show some early promise, dialing up Torrey Smith for a 51-yard touchdown in the first half and exhibiting his athleticism on several designed and improvised scrambles. But when the 49ers' porous defense began giving up chunks of points in the second half, he wasn't able to make the necessary throws to keep his team in the game. From a fantasy perspective, Kaepernick will have value due to his ability to run the ball effectively, but his ceiling won't be very high if he is completing less than 50 percent of his passes.

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