Injuries are a part of the NFL and fantasy football. But that doesn’t make losing your first-round pick in Week 12 (two weeks before the traditional fantasy postseason) hurt any less.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened for countless owners (including yours truly), as 49ers RB Frank Gore was lost for the remainder of the 2010 campaign with an injured hip.

In his absence, Brian Westbrook is going to be the hottest name on the waiver wire.

The one-time fantasy superstar is now the top man on the 49ers’ depth chart, and he showed some flashes of his old statistical brilliance against the Cardinals on Monday night. Westbrook rushed for an impressive 136 yards and scored a touchdown in the 27-6 win.

He’s currently a free agent in close to 99 percent of NFL.com leagues.

Of course, Westbrook hasn’t exactly been very durable in his career and won’t be counted on to take over all of Gore’s heavy workload. As a result, Anthony Dixon is also worth a look if you’re unable to land Westbrook.

The rookie rushed for 54 yards and scored a touchdown of his own against the Cardinals.

Gore’s absence is also good news for WR Michael Crabtree and TE Vernon Davis, as the Niners will also have to make up for the 46 catches Gore had before suffering the ailment.

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