For the San Francisco 49ers, the fantasy football options have been pretty cut-and-dry: start tight end Vernon Davis whenever you can and, if you have running back Frank Gore, run with him week-in and week-out, barring the oft-occurring injury. But what of any sleepers? If you're faced with a bye week here or there, you need to mine teams for diamonds in the rough, potential sleepers that could be primed for a big game. Let's take a look at who are solid option sleepers for the 49ers on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
TE Delanie Walker - It makes a lot of sense to bring Walker out this week if you're facing a bye week. It's true that the Cleveland Browns haven't been allowing that many yards (fourth in the NFL), but they do give up touchdowns, and that's why Walker is a good option. He's coming off a game in which he had a mental error, missing a catch or two against the Detroit Lions, but then was trusted on fourth down in the fourth quarter to catch a touchdown pass and put the team up. He caught it, the 49ers took the lead, and eventually won the game.
Walker will be looking to get more playing time and more looks, especially with receiver Josh Morgan on injured reserve. Jim Harbaugh has always been a coach who utilizes his tight ends, and trusting in Walker to be the guy who catches that touchdown pass - and he was the primary option on the play - shows that he wants him to be a part of, at the very least, the red zone offense.
RB Kendall Hunter - If I had him, I'd start him if there was a bye week. The Browns don't give up big receptions - they give up short completions. Usually, they give up a lot of them. So it's in the players' hands to make some yardage happen. That's where Hunter has shown flashes, and he's itching to get the ball in his hands. With all that considered, Hunter is a solid option just for his rushing ability, as well. Even with the recent bye week, the 49ers might look to limit Frank Gore (not so much limit as swap some carries) and give Hunter some carries.
49ers Defense - This may or not be obvious to you, but the Cleveland Browns had a woeful offensive performance on Sunday. Despite getting good rushing yardage without Peyton Hillis, they weren't able to put the ball in the endzone once, and Colt McCoy didn't look good. On top of that, receiver Mohamed Massaquoi and tight end Benjamin Watson are not practicing with concussions, and could be limited or out on Sunday.