Highest Ranking: #13 by Scott Luebke

Questions surrounded Garrison Hearst entering the 2001 football season and he answered these questions with flying colors.  Though not as serious as last year, there are still a few questions that surround Hearst entering this season.  Basically, will the 49ers give the starting job to Kevan Barlow?  With a willingness to battle and overcome adversity, look for Hearst to win this battle.

With 1200+ rushing yards last year, 4 touchdowns (all in the 2nd half of last season) and a 4.8 ypc average, Hearst looks stronger than ever.  The more consistent and productive running backs generally reside on the most productive offensive teams in the NFL.  Plain and simple, the 49ers score points consistently.  With so many questions surrounding other running backs in the league, the San Francisco running back situation will be among the most productive in the league.  When ranking a player, I always like to look at his backup replacement.  Remember, we are trying to build a team and not just predict production. 

A little draft strategy:  utilize the Bo and Luke Duke philosophy and grab both Hearst and Barlow.  If given the chance, both players will be productive in the explosive 49ers offense.  Plain and simple, whoever starts in the 49ers backfield will be a top 10 fantasy running back each week.  It's Hearst's job to lose.  Barlow can provide your fantasy team quality insurance.  Remember, we are utilizing our rankings to build a team and not just predict performance. 

Use the 49ers running back situation as a vault to help you leap towards a championship.  I've seen it too many times and I'll use Hearst and Barlow as an example...Team 1 through Team 11 in the league ranks Hearst 22nd and Barlow 32nd entering the draft.  However, Team 12 ranks Hearst 14th and slips Barlow alongside Hearst in the rankings.  Team 12 grabs Hearst in round 3 (after getting a quality receiver or quarterback) and then grabs Barlow in round 8. Basically, Team 12 has locked up a top-10 running back position by claiming both Hearst and Barlow in the draft.  Think about it and gain the edge against your opponents.

Lowest Ranking: Not Ranked by Chris Smith
Hearst, without question was one of the best stories of the 2001 season. His remarkable comeback was a great thing to behold and he had one of his best years as a pro. However there is a lot of potential for him to be a fantasy bust for this season.

First of all, Hearst has been very injury prone throughout his football career. He has only played in 91 games in 9 seasons and has had many serious setbacks including the last that most people thought would end his career. He is on the bad side of 30 now and I find it unlikely that his durability will improve as he ages. His remarkable comeback last year still only resulted in 252 carries and a paltry 5 touchdowns. 5 touchdowns is not going to get it done as a viable fantasy starter very often and he isn't likely to get the red-zone touches this year.

More importantly for Hearst is the fierce competition he is receiving from 2nd year running back, Kevan Barlow who is big, strong and talented. He stole a lot of carries from Hearst last year and I believe will end up with better fantasy numbers than Hearst and therefore will be a much better bargain in fantasy drafts. I have him ranked way down at # 31 and he will be taken much earlier than he probably should be. Love what you did last year, Mr. Hearst but that doesn't make you a top 13 back in my mind.