RaheemMostert

News: 6 days agoThe 49ers shifted Mostert (knee) from the reserve/COVID-19 list to injured reserve Tuesday.

Spin: Since getting hurt Week 1, Mostert underwent a procedure Oct. 12 to address chipped cartilage in his left knee, was cleared to walk without crutches Dec. 12 and spent Jan. 3-18 on the COVID-19 list. There's no potential for the seven-year pro to return from IR this season, but he appears as if he'll be healthy at some point between the end of the 49ers' season (whenever that may be) and the offseason program. In the meantime, rookie sixth-rounder Elijah Mitchell will continue to lead the backfield.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Mostert is eyeing a bounceback 2021 campaign after injuries limited him to 120 touches in eight games last season. Mostert was fantasy's No. 16 RB during those eight outings and, granted he's only handled 282 career carries, but his 5.6 YPC is tops in the NFL since he entered the league in 2015. Mostert's usage has been fairly consistent. He handled 51% of the carries and 8% of the targets during the final eight games of 2019 and was at 51% and 8%, respectively, during the six games he played in full in 2020. The 29-year-old doesn't see much receiving work (career 48 targets), has durability concerns (has appeared in more than 11 regular season games once) and will face competition from third-round rookie Trey Sermon. Mostert will be on the RB2/flex radar early on, but expect Sermon's role to progressively increase.