ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly from training camp through the Super Bowl with answers to a new question being posted Thursday morning. How the guest experts responded when we asked them: What will happen in Super Bowl LVIII?
DAVID DOREY
The Kansas City defense presents a problem for all opponents and there is no denying that the reigning NFL champs have played at a higher level in the playoffs. The 49ers bring in a very diverse and potent offense, as well as a respected defense. In the end, I think the game will be played closely throughout and likely with a lower-scoring first half. But I expect Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid's experience will win out in the end, even if it is with a final drive that takes back a lead. The 49ers are a strong team and have the firepower to compete. But Brock Purdy doesn't have the experience that Mahomes does, and that will show up later in the game when the KC defense improves against them. I like Kansas City, 27-24.
Dorey co-founded The Huddle.com in 1997. He's ranked every player and projected every game for the last 23 years and is the author of Fantasy Football: The Next Level. David has appeared on numerous radio, television, newspaper and magazines over the last two decades.
JASON WOOD
Kyle Shanahan is a good enough coach to think he should have at least one Super Bowl on his resume, but Patrick Mahomes appears inevitable. Andy Reid is arguably the second-best coach of the modern era, Travis Kelce is arguably the best tight end of his era, and Patrick Mahomes is undoubtedly the best quarterback of his era. And since both Kansas City and San Francisco have top-5 defenses, I'll say KC wins by a field goal.
Wood is Senior Editor at Footballguys.com and has been with the company since its start in 2000. For more than 20 years, Footballguys has provided rankings, projections, and analysis to help fantasy managers dominate their leagues.
SCOTT PIANOWSKI
Give me the 49ers. Game probably should be a pick'em, but even at -2 you're probably just choosing a winner, and I feel better about San Francisco's balance. The key is getting Brock Purdy to settle down quickly; Purdy started very poorly against both Green Bay and Detroit, and the Niners were lucky to survive both games. But I can't ignore San Francisco's overall depth advantage.
Pianowski has been with Yahoo Sports since 2008, covering a variety of sports. On the rare occasions when the computer is turned off, he enjoys word games, poker, music, film, game theory, and a variety of condiments. He lives in suburban Detroit. Pianowski was inducted into the FSWA Hall of Fame in 2021.
SAM HENDRICKS
Kansas City starts slow and San Francisco seems to have the game well in hand. But in the middle of the third quarter Patrick Mahomes starts his magic. With key catches from Kelce and Pacheco, Kansas City overcomes a 13-point deficit to win 35-34. Kelce has 10 catches for 112 yards and 2 scores. He does not ask Taylor Swift to marry him, but there is a gratuitous camera shot of them together after the game.
Hendricks is the author of Fantasy Football Guidebook, Fantasy Football Tips and Fantasy Football Basics, all available at ExtraPointPress.com, at all major bookstores, and at Amazon and BN.com. He is a 30-year fantasy football veteran who participated in the National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) and finished 7th and 16th overall in the 2008 and 2009 Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC). He won the Fantasy Index Open in 2013 and 2018.
IAN ALLAN
To me, Kansas City looks like a team that’s peaking at the right time. I think they’ve got the better defense. They’ve definitely got the better quarterback, and he’s got a lot more experience in these kind of high-pressure games. San Francisco opened as a 2.5-point favorite, but to me, I think KC should be favored.
Allan is the senior writer for Fantasy Football Index magazine. He is a member of the FSGA’s Fantasy Sports Hall of Fame and the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame. He is an avid runner, swimmer and cyclist.
MIKE NAZAREK
Kansas City 27, 49ers 24. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the MVP once again. I never bet against him in big playoff games!
Nazarek is the CEO of Fantasy Football Mastermind Inc, celebrating 25 years online! His company offers a preseason draft guide, customizable cheat sheets, a multi-use fantasy drafting program including auction values, weekly in-season newsletters, injury reports and free NFL news (updated daily) at its web site, www.ffmastermind.com. He has been playing fantasy football since 1988 and is a four-peat champion of the SI.com Experts Fantasy League, a nationally published writer in several fantasy magazines and a former columnist for SI.com. He's also won nearly $30K in recent seasons of the FFPC High Stakes Main Event. Nazarek can be reached via email at miken@ffmastermind.com.
SCOTT SACHS
It looks like KC might be short-handed on the offensive line which may affect the running game more than the passing game. Mahomes and his elusiveness and ability to move the pocket will be key in keeping Bosa & Company from disrupting the offense as KC must throw to win. I expect Travis (Mr. Swift) Kelce will draw 10+ targets. Christian McCaffrey must dominate in the running game as well as catching balls out of the backfield. The KC secondary is young, but tough on wide receivers. Prediction: Kansas City over the 49ers 30-27.
With 2 perfect seasons and multiple league championships to his credit, Scott Sachs runs Perfect Season Fantasy Football, featuring LIVE Talk & Text Advice. He is a 3-time Winner of the Fantasy Index Experts Auction League, as well as a previous Winner of the Fantasy Index Experts Poll.
ANDY RICHARDSON
I've always rooted for the underdog. And even though when I was growing up in the 80s the Joe Montana 49ers were the ultimate favorites, and even though San Francisco is inexplicably favored in this game (for now), I don't know anybody who actually thinks Kansas City, having made it this far again, is going to lose. I try to think of ways for San Francisco to win, and the best argument I can come up with is Christian McCaffrey, running it, catching it, scoring. Between him and Deebo Samuel, the Niners seem to have the top 2 offensive weapons in this game. (Travis Kelce is great, but there's at least a familiarity with what to expect from him; he's not going to be running end-arounds or anything.) Unfortunately, Kansas City has the best quarterback, and based on what we've seen in the postseason, at least, they seem to have the better all-around defense. Kansas City 27, San Francisco 24.
Richardson has been a contributing writer and editor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and www.fantasyindex.com since 2002. His responsibilities include team defense and IDP projections and various site features, and he has run the magazine's annual experts draft and auction leagues since their inception. He previews all the NFL games on Saturdays and writes a wrap-up column on Mondays during the NFL season.