Montario Hardesty had a solid week for the Cleveland Browns last week against the Seattle Seahawks. His 95 yard performance kept the ball out of the hands of the Seattle offense, but he failed to reach the end zone and give fantasy owners an added touchdown boost. With Peyton Hillis still day-to-day with a hamstring injury it is likely that Hardesty will still see significant time on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. That does not make him a solid fantasy play, however.
The 49ers have reached 5-1 on the season thanks to a very strong rush defense. San Francisco ranks second in the NFL against the run at just 74.7 yards per game given up. Only the Cowboys have been better against the run in 2011. Worse yet for Hardesty, the 49ers are the only team in the NFL that has not given up a touchdown on the ground. Their run defense is playing at another level, so fantasy owners should stay away from Hardesty this week, especially if Hillis can return to the lineup for Cleveland.