Fantasy Football Rankings Week 8: Frank Gore and More RBs Set for Big Days

Running backs are nearly always the heart of a successful fantasy team, but on any given Sunday, some of the biggest stars will come from unexpected places. Week 8 has some unusual suspects who should be in for a week of major fantasy production.

Frank Gore, San Francisco

Frank Gore is the heart of the 49er offense any week, and he’ll be even more of a factor than usual on Sunday. Cleveland has the top pass defense in the NFL, so asking Alex Smith to do more than is absolutely necessary would be a foolhardy move by Jim Harbaugh.

Moreover, Cleveland’s run defense is only 20th in the league, leaving plenty of opportunity for Gore to put up big numbers. With San Francisco at home, he’ll have every chance for a monster performance.

DeMarco Murray, Dallas
After Murray’s breakout game last week, it’s easy to jump on the Dallas rookie’s bandwagon, but it’s also a good week to take advantage of his newfound starting status. The Eagles' run defense is better than it was to start the season, but it’s still a decided weakness.

Just as critically, Dallas will be looking to avoid letting the ballhawking Eagle corners blow up Tony Romo’s passing game. That means forcing Philly to respect the run, which means lots of touches for Murray.

Ahmad Bradshaw, NY Giants

Bradshaw has been up-and-down in fantasy play this year, but this week should be one of the ups. Even coming off a bye, New York is unlikely to give banged-up Brandon Jacobs a full load, leaving Bradshaw a few extra carries.

More critically, the Giants should cruise to a home win over Miami, meaning lots of fourth-quarter carries for anyone in the New York backfield. Expect Bradshaw to get a TD or two (whether by land or air) and put up some fat yardage statistics to boot.