The San Francisco 49ers have lost running back Raheem Mostert for the season. On Sunday, his knee injury against the Detroit Lions thrust rookie Elijah Mitchell into the spotlight. Mitchell delivered an impressive 104 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. It was a performance that earned him a Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week nomination.
The Niners will miss Mostert's contributions this season, and we may have seen the last of the veteran running back in red and gold. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next year. For now, it seems many believe San Francisco will lean on Mitchell to carry the load for the rest of 2021.
This morning, ESPN's Field Yates reported that Mitchell, a sixth-round draft pick, has become the most added player in fantasy football heading into Week 2. The 49ers' rookie running back is now owned in 72.7 percent of leagues.
The most added player via waivers in @ESPNFantasy this week was 49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (104 yards, TD). He's now rostered in 72.7% of leagues.
Removing players out for the year, Bills RB Zack Moss was most frequently dropped (10.9% of leagues) after a Week 1 healthy scratch.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 15, 2021
Mitchell and the 49ers remained on the East Coast following their 41-33 Week 1 win over the Lions. They are in West Virginia, preparing to play the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. San Francisco is a 3.5-point favorite.