By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com, FootballDiehards

Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers

Gore has gotten off to a strong start this season, with 214 yards and three touchdowns rushing. He also has eight receptions for 93 yards and continues to emerge as one of the league's most dangerous offensive weapons.

As San Francisco Chronicle columnist Ray Ratto noted this week, Gore is the go-to guy until quarterback Alex Smith grows into the job. As such, 30-touch games will almost certainly be the norm.

Why We Overlooked Him: Kevan Barlow was still a 49er when most of us drafted and while the belief that Gore would supplant Barlow as starter might have been widely held within the organization, the consensus among observers was both would be relied on to better absorb the workload. It's also worth noting Gore was coming off surgeries on both shoulders and has a history of knee injuries.

Why We Shouldn't Have: Two words: Norv Turner. ... Hired as the team's offensive coordinator over the offseason, Turner has turned every running back he's worked to gold. In fact, when Raiders tailback LaMont Jordan finished with 1,025 rushing yards last season, it marked the 11th time since 1991 one of Turner's runners surpassed 1,000 yards. Emmitt Smith led the NFL in rushing all three years Turner ran the Cowboys' offense, and he also has coached Terry Allen, Stephen Davis, LaDainian Tomlinson and Ricky Williams to 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

Who Knew? Turner. At his introductory news conference, the new coordinator said the 49ers' 2005 late-season rushing success was an attraction. San Francisco averaged nearly 200 yards on the ground in its final two games -- both wins -- and Gore emerged in the eyes of many as a favorite to be the featured back in 2006 after finishing his rookie season as the team's leading rusher.

Warrick Dunn, Atlanta Falcons

The reigning two-time NFL rushing leaders, the Falcons have already racked up 558 rushing yards in convincing wins over Carolina and Tampa Bay and Dunn has led the way, racking up a league leading 266 yards on 50 carries.

For those keeping track, that's 5.3 yards per carry. Those 266 yards also happen to be more than the rushing total of all but six teams through the first two weeks.

As the Associated Press recently suggested, anybody doubting he's in the same league as Shaun Alexander, Tiki Barber and Edgerrin James need look no further than Dunn's production the past two seasons. He rushed for 1,106 yards in 2004, helping Atlanta reach the NFC championship game, and he followed up with a career-best 1,416 in 2005, averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

Why We Overlooked Him: Dunn's durability was a concern, especially as he reaches that 30-something age when NFL running backs often begin to decline. A hamstring injury also limited his effectiveness the final four games last season.

Why We Shouldn't Have: Dunn's cutback style is ideal for the Falcons' zone-blocking scheme, which allows ball carriers to pick seams created by flow and precision blocking. It has certainly been a factor the past two seasons with Dunn racking up 2,522 yards on 545 carries.

Who Knew? I did. ... And I told you as much in this very space a week before the season started.

But hey. ... Hindsight is always 20/20.

Bob Harris is co-founder of the FootballDiehards Web site and senior editor at FSP Inc., publisher of Fantasy Football Pro Forecast, DraftBook, CheatSheets and Football Diehards magazines. He is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.

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