The San Francisco 49ers are a run-first team and have had some solid depth at the running back position for a number of years. But there has only been one fantasy football-viable running back in that time: Frank Gore. Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James never got enough carries nor could stay injury-free long enough to make a difference for fantasy owners.
Carlos Hyde should get plenty of carries Thursday, may have fantasy value going forward
San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde should get the bulk of the carries on Thursday. We break down the fantasy implications.
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But another back will get his opportunity, possibly on Thursday when the 49ers take on the Baltimore Ravens in the preseason opener: rookie second-round pick Carlos Hyde. Despite having Hunter, James and Marcus Lattimore, the 49ers spent a high pick on Hyde, who runs an awful lot like Gore. Given that Gore isn't too likely to get many carries in a preseason opener, smart money is on Hyde taking the lion's share of the carries.
Fantasy Impact: For folks who are interested in getting Frank Gore, this should be pretty interesting as well. Gore hasn’t given up carries in a long time, despite experts saying it’s going to happen for several years now. Gore likely won’t play much, so it will be left to Hyde, thanks to injuries to Hunter and James. If he plays well, that could spell good things for his fantasy football future, and perhaps bad things for Gore’s.
