Don't bank on Brian Westbrook carrying the ball another 23 times this Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. 49ers head coach Mike Singletary admitted Tuesday that he probably asked a bit too much of his 31-year-old running back against the Cardinals. "Because of the past history with Brian, some of the injuries, it's smart for us to be careful about how we use him, how often we use him," Singletary said. "He's a talented guy, but we want to be smart about that." Westbrook gained 136 yards on those 23 carries in place of Frank Gore, who fractured a hip Monday and was placed on injured reserve. Westbrook missed eight games last season due to a couple of concussions and an ankle problem. He missed at least one game a year because of injury since he was drafted in 2002.

Fantasy Analysis:

Westbrook will still get the majority of the carries, but as we saw on Monday, Anthony Dixon will pitch in. He got 14 carries in Arizona, although most came in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided. But Dixon, who led all rushers in yards during the preseason, is definitely they type of back who could take goal-line carries away from Westbrook. While Brian should be picked up in all leagues of at least 10 teams, Dixon is also someone to keep an eye on; I expect him to get 8-12 touches per game. For this week, neither is an exceptionally strong fantasy start at Green Bay, but Westbrook can be considered flex-worthy because of his perceived opportunity and obvious versatility.