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Fantasy football stars of the decade
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Frank Gore running the ball against the Colts. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
It was hard to formulate a list of the top fantasy stars of the decade who wore a 49ers or Raiders jersey, but let's take a look at the top Bay Area players of the past few seasons.
1. Rich Gannon, QB, Oakland Raiders, 1999-2004
Key seasons: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
Rich Gannon threw for 15,787 yards and 105 touchdown passes between 1999 and 2002 while leading Oakland to three playoff appearances and a Super Bowl loss in his tenure with the Raiders. He also ran for 11 touchdowns, making him a versatile threat for fantasy owners. His only blemish fantasy-wise were his 44 fumbles in six seasons. His best season was in 2002 when he threw for 4,689 yards and 26 touchdowns while running in three more himself. Another plus that Gannon gave fantasy owners was the fact that he threw only 12 or more interceptions in a single season once.
2. Jeff Garcia, QB, San Francisco 49ers, 1999-2003
Key seasons: 2000, 2001, 2002
It's hard to replace a Hall of Fame quarterback, but Jeff Garcia did just that after Steve Young retired after the 1999 season. An undrafted free agent out of San Jose State, Garcia became the 49ers full-time starting QB in 2000. He went to three Pro Bowls in his time with San Francisco while throwing for 16,408 yards and 113 touchdowns. His best year came in 2000 when he threw for 4,278 yards and 31 touchdowns, while also rushing for five more. He gave fantasy owners a few seasons of consistent play, and always had the capability of putting up a big game.
3. Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers, 2005-current
Key seasons: 2006, 2007, 2008
Granted, Gore's last two seasons have been decent, but not great. However, he's run for at 1,000 yards the past three seasons, including 1,695 in 2006. He's dealt with a number of injuries throughout his career, but he's always been a good fantasy running back when healthy. Assuming he stays healthy for the remainder of 2009, Gore should break the 1,000 yard mark yet again. The only major blemish on Gore's resume is that he only has 26 rushing touchdowns in 4+ seasons.
4. Terrell Owens, WR, San Francisco 49ers, 1996-2003
Key seasons: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002
The Bay Area hadn't seen a wide receiver as good as Owens since Jerry Rice and Tim Brown of the 1980s and 90s. Owens caught 81 touchdown passes in his time with the 49ers, including 16 in 2001, 14 in 1998 and 13 in 2000 and 2002. He might have been a head case, but Owens gave fantasy owners a ton of points week after week. He was a prime fantasy target up until this year, when he was run out of Dallas and signed with Buffalo this offseason.
Others worthy of mention: Garrison Hearst (2001), Tim Brown (2000-01), LaMont Jordan (2005), Eric Johnson (2004), Kevan Barlow (2003), Charlie Garner (2000), Jerry Rice (2001-02), Kerry Collins (2005).
The 49ers and Raiders have been below average since 2003, but both teams have had a few fantasy gems that have sparkled in the past few seasons.
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