Think about what the prime Bay Area running backs have done for fantasy owners this season. Frank Gore of the San Francisco 49ers has been a rock, a consensus first-round pick living up to expectations. Oakland Raiders stud Darren McFadden has been one of the most pleasant surprises. Each entered Sunday among fantasy's top six running backs in season scoring. Now look at what this duo did for fantasy owners on Sunday, combining for 37 rushing yards and seven standard fantasy points.
With the trading deadline coming up this Wednesday for many in ESPN standard leagues, Gore and McFadden certainly didn't send their owners off with great impressions, but now is not the time for overreaction, either. Gore had a bad game, odd considering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one of the worst run teams in the league against the run. The 49ers hadn't been shut out at home since 1977. McFadden's plight is more understandable, considering the far more accomplished Pittsburgh Steelers defense had to be bitter from being lit up by Tom Brady and pals for 39 points in Week 10. McFadden ran 10 times for 14 yards.
Fantasy owners shouldn't read too much into this. Yes, those who relied on the Bay Area quarterbacks and wide receivers should rethink things, but the running backs have been far too good this season to turn back now. With Gore, this is more obvious given his pedigree, but I've already seen McFadden's name bandied about in two of my leagues as trade bait ... and I'm calling him a clear buy-low option. McFadden has actually outperformed Gore, fantasy's No. 3 running back entering Week 11, on a per-game basis. Do you really want to give up on him now?
Gore has had rough times in the past, and he always bounces back. In Week 1 at Seattle, he ran for 38 yards; the next week he produced 28 fantasy points against the defending champion New Orleans Saints. He's got the Arizona Cardinals up next, and he's a lock against that franchise, averaging better than 100 total yards and a touchdown in his career against them. It doesn't matter which Smith 49ers coach Mike Singletary chooses to hand the ball off to him, Troy or Alex, Gore will be among my top five running backs in Week 12 rankings.
McFadden hasn't scored since Week 7, which might seem like a harbinger of more rough times, but his schedule is favorable as well, with the Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars on deck. Plus, the Raiders remain AFC West contenders, despite Sunday's 35-3 blowout loss. Just don't expect much from Jason Campbell or Bruce Gradkowski or their wide receivers, and don't preemptively grab Michael Bush, either. McFadden is the stud, and unless there's an injury we haven't been told about, he'll be among my top 10 running backs this week.
For Eric's notes on BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the Manning brothers and the Vikings' offense, you must be an ESPN Insider!
Eric Karabell | email
ESPN.com Senior Writer- ESPN contributor on TV, radio, podcasts, blogs, Magazine
- Charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame
- Author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments"
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Eric Karabell
Eric Karabell is an ESPN.com senior writer. He has worked at ESPN since 1997 and covered fantasy sports for ESPN since 2001, specializing in baseball and football. Eric appears several times per week on SportsCenter, NFL Live and other ESPN shows, contributes to ESPN Radio and ESPN The Magazine and is the host of the Baseball Today Podcast. He has been honored twice as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, his blog was named best fantasy baseball series for 2007 and he was inducted into the inaugural FSWA Hall of Fame class in 2010.
Eric grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, and accordingly, favors Philly teams first, his fantasy teams second. He previously served as ESPN.com's lead NBA editor, and is a former Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer sports writer. Eric is also the author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments," published by Source Books and available in bookstores and online.
Check Eric's ESPN work:
Karabell archive
