The San Francisco 49ers welcome the New York Giants to town on Sunday for a game that has significant implications in the battle for first round bye positioning. The 49ers are on a solid run and will look to continue winning with their recent formula for success: power rushing, dominant defense, excellent special teams. That limits a lot of fantasy football options, but it is getting them all-important victories.
For fantasy purposes, the big question mark surrounding the 49ers is Frank Gore. He sprained his ankle against hte Washington Redskins and has been limited in practice this week. He was a bit gimpy on Wednesday and again limited on Thursday. Gore will most likely play, but Kendall Hunter could be a solid option in spite of this. If Gore plays as expected it would be a bit of a gamble to go with Hunter, but the 49ers often mix him in on some passing plays so there is some upside there. If you have Gore AND Hunter, if Gore is active you go with Gore.
The 49ers defense is normally a solid play and I would play them this week, but they could find themselves giving up more points than normal. They are facing a more explosive offense than they have seen in recent weeks, but the aggressive 49ers defense is likely to still grab some points via sacks and potentially turnovers.
From a wide receiver perspective, Michael Crabtree is the best play, particularly if you are in a points-per-reception league. Outside of PPR leagues he still has some value, but it's a bit of a stretch. Other than Crabtree, Braylon Edwards has some potential, but until we see Alex Smith target him more frequently it will only remain potential.