Fantasy Football 2014: San Francisco 49ers RB Rundown
The San Francisco 49ers have gotten off to a really rough start to the preseason getting outscored 57-3 in their first two games. The one bright spot has been in their backfield, though, where it looks like San Francisco is primed to give us a pair of nice fantasy options.
More from Fantasy Football
- Top 10 fantasy football dynasty wide receivers heading into 2023
- Fantasy Football: How high should Alexander Mattison’s ADP rise after Dalvin Cook release?
- Top 10 fantasy football dynasty running backs heading into 2023
- Top 10 dynasty quarterbacks heading into 2023
- 5 players fantasy football owners should hope are traded this offseason
Fantasy stalwart Frank Gore continues to be a fantasy factor although his progressing mileage does make his value a little hard to nail down. The good news for both ‘Niners fans and fantasy owners is the emergence of Carlos Hyde as a serious sleeper who looks ready to step in and shoulder some of the RB workload this season.
Here is my fantasy forecast for the 49ers this season including my ranking from my top 80 RB which came out last week and which will be updated later this week.
Frank Gore. 20. player. 42. Gore isn’t the fantasy monster he used to be, but he’s still the lead back in a run-heavy offense that will be much better than it’s shown this preseason. Chances are he’ll end up in the top 20 barring major injury even if he does end up sharing work with Carlos Hyde by mid-season. Gore is a strong goal line back and knows the 49ers offense extremely well. He isn’t going to rip off huge gainers as often as he used to, but he’s still a very solid RB2 who will probably start the season strong and may step back as the season goes along. As long as you plan for that possibility, Gore is a extremely nice value pickup as your RB2 in most standard leagues.. RB. San Francisco 49ers
42. About the only good thing to come out of the first two preseason games for the 49ers is Carlos Hyde’s emergence as a legit backup to Gore. If you can handcuff him at a reasonable price, my guess is that about half way through the year Hyde may actually pass Gore in fantasy value. Hyde has huge upside and is one of my favorite sleepers at the RB position. I still wouldn’t overspend for him, though, and he’s gotten so much buzz that he is going ahead of more established backups in some drafts. I’d try to add him as my fourth RB in standard leagues, but he does have the potential to be a RB2 by mid-season if he can take over enough of Gore’s workload. The challengers for the backup role have all disappeared with Kendall Hunter’s season-ending injury, LaMichael James recurring injury issues, and Marcus Lattimore’s slow recovery. It looks like the job is all Hyde’s giving him a huge opportunity to be this year’s Zac Stacy or Alfred Morris as a rookie rusher with a breakout campaign.. RB. San Francisco 49ers. Carlos Hyde. 37. player
42. Hyde’s quick ascension to fantasy relevancy has been aided by the struggles of LaMichael James who just can’t seem to stay healthy. James dislocated his elbow again this preseason, but did return to the practice field and is expected to be ready for the opener. However, he’s viewed as more of a change-of-pace option than a reliable every-down player. He can be left on the wire to start the season in almost all formats.. RB. San Francisco 49ers. LaMichael James. NR. player
42. Lattimore still hasn’t made it on to the practice field, but he is expected to play at some point this season. He isn’t worth a fantasy draft pick, though, until he proves he can at least get on the practice field. The 49ers took a flier on him late in the 2013 draft, but it hasn’t paid off yet so don’t feel the need to follow suit this season.. RB. San Francisco 49ers. Marcus Lattimore. NR. player
This post is part of a series detailing the backfield situation for each NFL team from a fantasy football perspective. Check out my top 80 rankings and click here for the full series.