Is Raheem Mostert worth the fantasy premium in a crowded 49ers backfield?
By John Buhler
Raheem Mostert really came on in the second half of the season, but is he worth paying a premium in fantasy in a crowed San Francisco 49ers backfield?
If the San Francisco 49ers’ run to the Super Bowl wasn’t shocking enough, how about the terrific year Raheem Mostert had out of the backfield. Unless you are an avid Purdue Boilermakers football fan, you probably never heard of the 27-year-old running back heading into last year. He was critical in the 49ers’ ground success a season ago, but will he be worth the fantasy premium?
The Fantasy Footballers understand Mostert plays in a crowded San Francisco backfield. Tevin Coleman followed 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to San Francisco after his four-year rookie contract with the Atlanta Falcons was up. San Francisco also paid big money to Jerick McKinnon in free agency a few years ago. How does Mostert fit into all this?
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Mostert made it a point to put on more muscle so he can be a bell-cow back in this offense. Last year, Mostert had 137 carries for 772 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. If he approaches 200 carries, he’ll surely be in the mix to rush for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his journeyman NFL career out of Purdue.
While it may be a bit premature to think Mostert will be a sure-fire RB1 in the 2020 fantasy football season, the guys believe he is worth paying a premium in the upcoming draft. They believe he will do more of the same in Shanahan’s offense if his workload increases. Should it stay the same, he can still be an incredibly productive fantasy player for you.
What this really comes down to is McKinnon’s injury history and Coleman’s inability to assert himself as the No. 1 running back option at any point of his five-year NFL career out of Indiana. Coleman was an excellent No. 2 back backing up Devonta Freeman in Atlanta, but when it comes to being a featured back, he hasn’t tapped into what made him an All-American at Indiana.
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No, Mostert shouldn’t be your RB1 this year, but he projects to be a quality RB2. If you were a wise fantasy player a season ago, you used him as your flex option and reaped the benefits from your decision making. San Francisco may not get back to the Super Bowl, but the 49ers should still be a good team. If they’re a good team, they’ll probably have a great ground game with Mostert.