Week 8- It may be a bit far fetched to call a guy who was a third round pick in some leagues a surprise, but that is the case with Frank Gore. I fully expected Gore to bust, and quite frankly so did most people. Against the tough Cardinals Defense, he’s just a RB2.
Week 6- The Giants Run Defense hasn’t been as strong as you would expect with the talent on their D-line. Gore should put up RB2 numbers even with limited carries.
Week 5- Gore gets the Bills Defense in Week 5, which has proven to be poor against the run. Don’t expect a huge workload for Gore with Kendall Hunter, Brandon Jacobs, and Lamichael James to compete for carries, but he should be extremely productive in those carries. Some sites have him as a RB1 this week, we’re not that high. Keep him in your lineup as a RB2 with upside for this week.
Week 4- We don’t like Gore here at fantasyteamadvice.com, and we will continue to rank him this low. The Jets Run Defense may be a bit easier with Revis out(an extra guy needs to be in the secondary), but Gore is splitting carries with too many guys to start this week. He’s just a Flex option in week 4.
Week 3- Despite two very strong games from Frank Gore, we’re still not sold. He likely won’t be seeing the same workload that he’s getting right now as the season wears on, and he is a very good sell high candidate for the time being. The Vikings have a pretty strong rush defense and don’t expect Gore to put up a big game in week 3. If you don’t have any better options, he’s a low-end RB2.
Week 1- We’re very down on Gore entering the season, and he shouldn’t be considered much more than a Flex option this season. The 49ers are likely a no-doubt playoff team, and they will be wanting to keep Gore fresh for the playoffs. He could have a decent week going against a weak Packer rush defense, but he will not be consistent as his workload won’t allow him to be.
The time has come for fantasy owners to adjust their thinking about Frank Gore and his production. The Niners now feature 4 running backs in Gore, Hunter, Jacobs, and James that will be splitting carries in 2012, and Gore’s numbers will suffer as a result. He will no longer be the every down back for the 49ers as we will be seeing Kendall Hunter on third downs, and with Brandon Jacobs stealing goal line carries, Gore’s value is further diminised. He should be viewed as a #3 RB in most fantasy formats that shouldn’t be targeted until round 5 or later.
San Francisco 49ers running backs Frank Gore (#21) and DeShaun Foster (#29) on the sidelines of Bill Walsh Field at Candlestick Park prior to a regular season game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles won 40-26. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
