The injuries to running backs continue. While the Baltimore Ravens have been the most cursed, San Francisco 49ers fans must be having horrible flashbacks to last season. In the 49ers vs Lions matchup, San Francisco lost cornerback Jason Verrett for the season. There was also a Raheem Mostert injury that didn’t initially seem serious, though it irritated fantasy football owners everywhere.
However, the recent Raheem Mostert injury update reveals it may be a bit more serious than we initially believed. Because of this, there are obvious boosts to the fantasy football values of both Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon.
Raheem Mostert Injury Update
Unfortunately, the Raheem Mostert injury update on Monday afternoon was not a positive one. Mostert reportedly suffered chipped cartilage in his knee. While it could be much worse, the 49ers running back is expected to miss around two months of the season. If there is a silver lining, it’s that San Francisco has an early Week 6 bye, so it’s one less game than he could have missed.
Elijah Mitchell Fantasy Football Outlook
Clearly, the main beneficiary from the Raheem Mostert injury in Week 1 was Mitchell. If you were an Elijah Mitchell fantasy football owner who started him in Week 1 or played him in DFS, congratulations. He took 19 carries 104 yards and scored a touchdown.
Going forward, it appears the Elijah Mitchell fantasy value should be high. He did well with the opportunity yesterday, and he has drawn comparisons in the past to Mostert, who the 49ers obviously like enough to make their lead back. However, there also is plenty of hype surrounding the rookie runner.
Trey Sermon Fantasy Football Outlook
Yes, Elijah Mitchell had a big fantasy day. However, Trey Sermon was inactive. On one hand, you could say Sermon was inactive because he is clearly a good distance behind Mitchell. The other way to look at the situation is that the 49ers felt Mitchell would complement Mostert better for that specific game plan.
In other words, don’t be surprised to see some “Shanahanigans” in Week 2. Sermon will almost undoubtedly be active. He will also see some carries. The 49ers will likely ride the hot hand on a game-by-game basis, meaning there is no true way to predict the exact output. However, Sermon needs to be owned and he could impress enough to solidify himself as the lead back. Think Cam Akers from just a season ago.
