Frank Gore Injury: Updates on 49ers Star's Week 5 Status and Fantasy Value

For a while there, it looked like San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore was not going to be able to play in Week 4. He was dealing with an ankle injury, and his status for the 49ers' game at the Philadelphia Eagles was iffy right up until kickoff.

Gore ended up carrying the ball 15 times for 127 yards and one touchdown. Thanks in large part to his efforts, the 49ers left town with a 24-23 victory.

Given his efforts on Sunday, Gore's ankle must have felt pretty good. Regardless, we're going to be keeping tabs on Gore's status for Week 5. Check back here periodically for the latest updates and fantasy analysis regarding Gore's status.

UPDATE: Saturday, Oct. 8 at 4:39 p.m. EDT by Donald Wood

The San Francisco 49ers need Frank Gore to make big plays to be successful, and the ankle injury that limited him last week in practice limited him again this week.

San Francisco 49ers insider is reporting about Gore’s status for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

While it’s never good to see a team’s top back missing time in practice, all the rest the veteran can get will be a smart more. As we saw last week, the rest doesn’t hurt Gore, it actually helps him run all over teams.

Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7:28 p.m EDT by Brandon Galvin

After a dominant performance against Philadelphia's weak front seven, expect Frank Gore (ankle) to be ready to rumble Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home. After heading into the Eagles game looking doubtful to play, Gore shocked the world with his performance and held off rookie RB Kendall Hunter. Fantasy owners must start him with confidence.

Wesnesday, Oct. 5 at 3:34 p.m. EDT by Brandon Galvin

Great news for Frank Gore's fantasy owners and San Francisco 49ers fans. The 49ers' workhorse veteran RB is expected to practice this week and feels better than he did. A monstrous victory over the Philadelphia Eagles probably has something to do with that.

Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 8:40 a.m. EDT by -Alex Kay

It seems that Gore has completely bought into Jim Harbaugh's system and believes in his coach. This is a good fantasy sign for a guy whose carries could potentially go down with the emergence of Kendall Hunter.

From the Mercury News,

"

“Hey, we’re ready,” Gore said. “We’re there. We’ve just got to keep working. I know what type of guys we’ve got in here. I feel that the type of leader we’ve got. As long as we keep following him and believing in him we’ll be fine.”

"

Monday, Oct. 3 at 7:35 p.m. ET

One of the more intriguing aspects of Gore's big day against the Eagles is that he didn't start. Rookie running back Kendall Hunter started, and Gore said after the game that he was unsure of his status even while the game was going on.

Gore's first carry of the day was a 40-yard run that followed an 18-yard reception by Hunter. Despite that, Gore didn't know how much work Jim Harbaugh was going to send his way.

"I still wasn't sure I'd finish the game out," Gore told the San Jose Mercury News.

Whether Gore thought as much because of his ankle or because of the emergence of Hunter is a little fuzzy.

Personally, I think fantasy owners should be concerned about both possibilities. It's unclear how Gore's ankle is feeling the day after his breakout performance, but the presence of Hunter in the 49ers' offense is likely something that is going to limit his production week after week.

Worth noting is that Hunter did have nine carries for 38 yards and a pair of big receptions against the Eagles. If he keeps producing, Harbaugh will keep using him. As a result, Gore will not handle a full workload.