Frank Gore Injured - May Miss Preseason

Frank Gore (RB) of the San Francisco 49ers, universally viewed as a top 10 fantasy football pick this season, broke a small bone in his right hand on Monday and will potentially be out through the preseason.

Early indications are that this injury should heal in approximately 4 weeks, although it will still put some doubt in the minds of people using their first round pick on an injured / recently injured player. All you have to do is think about Shaun Alexander, who many people argued should be the #1 overall pick in last year's draft, to see an example of what can happen when your first round pick is injured - it puts a serious damper on your chances to win, sometimes taking you out of contention immediately (depending upon your skill & luck with the rest of your picks). There is nothing more frustrating for a fantasy football owner than starting the season with your top player injured.

Fantasy Impact:
This injury makes drafting Gore a slightly riskier decision, but it shouldn't deter anyone from still selecting him in the first round. Gore was one of the top sleeper picks last season, getting drafted around pick 60 - 70, on average. This year, some writers have him ranked #1 overall, so obviously expectations are high. I am a bit concerned about his ability to hold on to the ball after returning from a right hand injury, as he did "lead" NFL running backs last season in fumbles lost with 5, but I think he's worth the risk. He will be a medium risk, very high reward pick this year, and at this point, I would pick him without hesitation if his name is still on the board from pick 5 forward in a fantasy draft.

Did you know - Frank Gore set a Dade County record for rushing yardage in a season in 2000 with 2,953 yards and 34 touchdowns in his senior year in high school.