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INDIANAPOLIS -- If Matt Forte played Fantasy Football you get the impression the Bears running back would target his friend, Frank Gore, in all leagues. Forte was glowing about the Colts starter during a joint practice session between the teams Wednesday.
"Great player. A guy who has been doing it a long time," Forte said. "Frank is not a guy who has to come out and you have to stay on him to do stuff. He's going to be a hard worker. He's a very gifted running back in his vision, and he's quick, so if the hole is there, he's going to find it. They're getting a solid player. He's going to be productive. He knows how to take care of his body as well. That's why he's shown he should be playing this long."
The two work out together in Miami in the offseason, and Forte respects the way Gore plays the game.
"I always talk about how Frank is," Forte said. "He's got a low center of gravity. But he still runs with good pad level, so he can run over people. But he's also shifty. So Frank has that low center of gravity, which helps him out in breaking tackles. And then he has great vision, which helps him hit the holes. So in a running back, when you look at scouting him, you want a guy who has great pad level and good vision. That's Frank."
Fantasy owners know all about Frank. He has been a staple in lineups since his rookie season in 2005 with the 49ers. In the 10 years since, Gore has piled up eight 1,000-yard seasons, including four in a row.
He's leaving San Francisco for the first time to play with the Colts, and Fantasy owners can still rely on him despite being 32 this year. He might be old in terms of the NFL, especially for running backs, but he should be able to excel this season.
He's a borderline No. 1 running back this year in all leagues, and he's worth drafting toward the end of Round 3 or beginning of Round 4.
"I love everything about him," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "Tough, smart, a competitor, a great leader in the locker room and on the field. He knows his stuff. He's great with the ball in his hands. He's great without the ball in his hands. Great receiver out of the backfield. He does a lot of things really, really well."
One thing that Pagano said there that could jump out for Fantasy owners is the comment about being a receiver out of the backfield. Gore didn't catch many passes the past four seasons with 72 over that span, including just 27 the past two years. But that was by design in former 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman's system.
Early in his career, Gore had five seasons of at least 43 catches, including 61 receptions in 2006. And the Colts last year had 108 targets to their three main running backs in Ahmad Bradshaw, Trent Richardson and Dan Herron for 86 catches, 702 yards and six touchdowns.
That has Gore excited, and he said Thursday he hopes to be more involved in the passing game this year. The Colts could definitely lean on Herron or rookie Josh Robinson to help Gore, but he should be a workhorse in 2015.
He should also benefit with plenty of open holes at the line of scrimmage. In San Francisco, defenses stacked the box and dared Colin Kaepernick to beat them. You can't do that against Andrew Luck, which should be a dream for Gore.
We're expecting Gore to play at a high level, and he's worth investing in as a top-tier pick in all leagues. Even his peers like Forte are buying in.
"Frank's got over 10,000 rushing yards, I think," Forte said, as Gore has 11,073 to be exact. "And not many guys achieve that -- not many running backs achieve that in their careers. And that's an accomplishment he's already made, and he continues to play. And I wish him the best of luck in Indy. They've got a good offense and a good team, period. So he's got the ability to have some success here."
Look for Forte to have Gore on his Fantasy team this season.