Fantasy Football Week 4: Assessing Fank Gore's Start or Sit Status

San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore has had a slow start to the 2011 NFL season, and it might be getting even worse. The 28-year-old back was held out of practice on Wednesday and was visibly favoring his right ankle.

San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that he thought Gore was "good to go" for the team's Week 4 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. On Wednesday, Harbaugh was far less committal on his starting running back's health.

While Gore's numbers have been declining over the past few seasons, he has looked almost completely spent this season. The Miami product has rushed 59 times for 148 yards and one touchdown. That's an average of just 2.5 yards per carry.

In 2010, Gore only played in 11 games. In that time, he had 203 carries for 853 yards and just three touchdowns. However, the 49ers did use him effectively as a receiver, as he caught 46 passes for 452 yards and two touchdowns.

If you spent a draft pick on Gore, it's not time to completely give up on him. However, he doesn't look like a smart play right now. Even if he does take the field on Sunday against the Eagles, he won't be 100 percent.

In addition to that, Gore is a part of an offense that currently ranks dead-last in the NFL, averaging just 213.7 total yards per game. The 49ers also boast the league's 30th-ranked rushing offense, averaging just 69.7 yards per game.

If you have Gore this week, bench him. He's hobbled with an ankle injury and hasn't been playing well when he's been healthy anyway.