Just watch the NFC Championship Game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers and try to say that running back Raheem Mostert isn't capable of putting up some big fantasy football numbers.
The former special-teams standout single-handedly embarrassed the Packers defense to the tune of 220 rushing yards and four scores while averaging 7.6 yards per carry.
Even during the regular season, Mostert averaged 5.6 yards per carry. He's averaged an impressive 6.0 yards per carry over his career. Although, his sample size before last season is minuscule. But it's that performance last season that has put Mostert on the radar, and Pro Football Focus recently named him as a dark horse candidate with top-10 potential in fantasy football.
"Mostert is coming off a remarkable season with an 82.8 overall PFF grade (seventh among RBs) and 83.3 rushing grade (fourth)," wrote Jarad Evans of Pro Football Focus. "Most impressive was his 29-220-4 eruption in the NFC Championship as the 49ers steamrolled the Packers into the Super Bowl. There are very few running backs that possess 200-yard and four-touchdown upside in any given week."
Evans notes that Mostert's 10 runs of 15-plus rushing yards were two more than anyone else. The 49ers running back put up his impressive numbers without a start or taking on a significant workload throughout the season. Mostert had just two games — that NFC Championship Game and a Week 13 contest against the Baltimore Ravens — where he saw more than 15 carries. He responded with 146 rushing yards and a score against the Ravens.
Mostert is expected to take on more this season, which should boost his appeal to fantasy football owners.
"While his RB7 ranking in Weeks 12-17 was buoyed by seven touchdowns, Mostert proved throughout last season that he can score from anywhere on the field," wrote Evans. "He scored from distance, with six touchdowns of 10-plus yards (second), and from inside the 5-yard line with five carries for two touchdowns."
It's also worth noting that Pro Football Focus' projections for the upcoming season have Mostert gaining 1,045 yards on the ground with 10 touchdowns. Those 10 rushing scores place Mostert second in that category, with only Derrick Henry projected to have more (12).
Added Evans: "The upside here is No. 1 running back on the NFL's best rushing offense, which has a wizard in Kyle Shanahan calling plays and the league's fourth-best run-blocking unit."