Week 3 at Seattle
Hyde managed just 14 carries for 34 yards with three receptions for another 18 in a blowout loss at Carolina. Now, he gets the rugged Seattle defense that is giving up a league-low 248.5 yards per game and 19 points in two games. That doesn't bode well. But the Seahawks are struggling to score as well, so perhaps the 49ers will keep things close enough to allow Hyde to continue to run the ball. We're not betting on that. Use Hyde as no more than a flex play this week.
Week 2 at Carolina
Hyde saw a heavy workload last week in the blowout win over San Francisco, getting 23 carries for 88 yards and two scores. He also caught two passes, but for just five yards. The sledding could be a little more difficult at Carolina, especially if the 49ers fall behind. Hyde is going to be a hit-or-miss running back. He's more of a No. 2 option this week and that's based largely on his workload.
Week 1 vs. Los Angeles
The sun rises, Carlos Hyde is on the injury report. Nothing new there. Hyde is dealing with a concussion and those are tricky. He does have an extra day to get cleared since the 49ers play Monday night, but keep an eye on the situation. If you have a better option, you might want to go with it. Even if Hyde does play, he's more of a low-end No. 2 option.
2016 Fantasy Outlook
A fantasy season is not made on one game alone. Hyde had 168 yards and two scores in San Francisco's opener and then became a victim of the poor offense around him after that. Once teams loaded up to stop Hyde, he, well, had nowhere to hide. It ended with him being injured. Enter Chip Kelly. Unlike Kelly's collection of players in Philadelphia, Hyde is clearly the top back in this offense. Heck, he's the best player, period. If he can stay healthy - and with his contact-heavy style of running, that's a big question - he could have a big season. But health will definitely be a question. Hyde's ADP is placing him as the No. 14 running back drafted. That might be a little high. We have him at 18, which puts him on the low end of the No. 2 back rankings.
Week 8 at St. Louis
Hyde is dealing with a stress fracture in his foot and was limited to 11 carries for 40 yards last week. This is going to be a continuing problem unless the 49ers decide to shut him down. St. Louis' pass defense has been good, but the Rams are just 23rd against opposing running backs. That said, given Hyde's health issues, it's difficult to recommend him as a starter this week.
Week 7 vs. Seattle
Hyde played through a foot injury and managed 55 yards on 21 carries. He added five receiving yards on two catches, so it wasn't one of his better days. The Seahawks rank sixth in the league in terms of points allowed to opposing running backs, so Hyde could find tough sledding in this one. They have given up just two rushing TDs to opposing backs this season - though both came last week. Use Hyde as a low-end No. 2 or high-end flex play this week.
Week 6 vs. Baltimore
Hyde broke 20 carries for the first time since the opener and gained 93 yards with a score last week. But he left practice Thursday with a foot injury, so check the practice report on Friday before moving forward with him. Baltimore's run defense has allowed just one team's backs to go over 100 yards - Pittsburgh - so it's not bad. Then again, maybe that's because the Ravens are awful when the ball is in the air. If Hyde practices Friday, use him as a No. 2 back. If not, look elsewhere.
Week 5 at Giants
With Colin Kaepernick providing nothing in the passing game, Hyde has gone bust the past three weeks. Last week he managed just 20 rushing yards on eight carries. The Giants are allowing less than 70 rushing yards per game - partly because they've been so easy to throw against. At this point, you can't count on Hyde as much more than a low-end No. 2 back or high-end flex until the quarterback play gets better.
Week 4 vs Green Bay
Hyde has been kind of forgotten the past two weeks as the 49ers have fallen behind early and been forced to all but abandon their running game. He only 15 carries last week at Arizona and turned those into just 51 yards. He had just one catch, as well, for 10 yards. With Reggie Bush expected back this week, his workload could go down, if anything. The hope here is he can at least be effective down close. The Packers haven't allowed much to opposing backs the past two weeks after getting gouged in the opener on the ground, but they did allow three rushing touchdowns last week. Hyde should get his 15 to 20 touches again this week and be a decent No. 2 fantasy option.
Week 3 at Arizona
After going for a NFL-best 168 yards in the opener, Hyde was a fantasy star. He proved to be a shooting star, however, picking up just 43 yards on 13 carries against the Steelers and leaving the game twice - once with a knee contusion, the second time with a head injury. He runs hard, sometimes too hard, which leads to big collisions. The Cardinals have given up just 137 rushing yards and a score in two games to opposing running backs, which means the sledding could be tough again this week for Hyde. He should produce enough to be a decent No. 2 starter though, especially if he can get into the end zone.
