Normally, fantasy managers rage with frustration any time their players purposely fall short of the end zone in an effort to preserve a win for their real-life team, regardless of whether it's a smart decision.
49ers third-string running back Isaac Guerendo isn't widely owned in fantasy leagues (yet), but he made that decision on "Thursday Night Football" against the Seahawks. This time, though, it wasn't necessarily the right choice.
Guerendo took over San Francisco's backfield after interim starter Jordan Mason suffered a shoulder injury in the first half. The 49ers were in line for a victory late in the fourth quarter and only needed one first down to secure the win.
Guerendo dashed for the first down and more, breaking off a career-long 76-yard run that looked like he was headed for the end zone. Instead of running in for his first-career touchdown, Guerendo slowed up near the goal line and slid short of a score.
It didn't cost the 49ers the game, as they ultimately won 36-24, but both DFS players and Guerendo's coaches and teammates were upset the rookie RB didn't punch in.
Here's what you need to know about Guerendo's questionable late-game decision.
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49ers RB Isaac Guerendo slides instead of scores on 'Thursday Night Football'
The Seahawks cut the 49ers' lead to five after a late touchdown with 1:44 remaining in the game. The outcome wasn't decided because Seattle still had all three timeouts.
That meant that San Francisco only needed one first down to win the game, and third-string running back Guerendo made that goal look easy.
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On the very first play of the drive, the rookie running back broke free for what appeared to be a sure-fire touchdown. Instead of charging toward the end zone for his first-ever score, Guerendo elected to slow up and slide short of the goal line.
ISAAC GUERENDO. 76-YARD RUN TO START THE DRIVE.#SFvsSEA on Prime Video
— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2024
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Guerendo was trying to make a heads-up play, keeping the ball in his team's possession to kneel out the clock. However, given the circumstances that it would have been his first-career touchdown — and put the 49ers up by two scores — the rookie running back absolutely should have punched the ball into the end zone.
After the game, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Guerendo claimed he wanted to give the touchdown to veteran fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Shanahan wasn't buying that, saying, "Hell no, we want [Guerendo] to score."
Star wide receiver Deebo Samuel echoed the same sentiment in his postgame interview with Amazon's Kaylee Hartung.
"[Guerendo] should've scored instead of giving it to [Juszczyk], but we scored and put the game away," Samuel said.
MORE: Jordan Mason injury update | 49ers RB depth chart
Not only did Guerendo sacrifice his first career touchdown — he also came up one yard short of a 100-yard rushing game. The 2024 fourth-round pick was nevertheless solid in Mason's stead, toting the ball 10 times for 99 yards.
If Mason is forced to miss any time beyond Thursday's game, expect Guerendo to take over San Francisco's backfield for the time being.
