49ers RB Elijah Mitchell is expected to miss "a few weeks (or more)" with the knee injury he suffered in Sunday's opener vs. the Bears, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Mitchell is undergoing an MRI on Monday to get a full view of the damage to the knee. We should get a more concrete timeline for his return over the next couple days, but fantasy owners need to start making replacement plans. Jeff Wilson is the favorite to take over as San Francisco's lead RB, but Jordan Mason and Ty Davis-Price are also worth stashing.
The 49ers lost RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) early in Sunday's loss to the Bears, which left Jeff Wilson Jr. as the clear backfield leader. With rookie RB Tyrion Davis-Price a healthy scratch, Wilson led RBs at 59% playing time and claimed 9 of 15 RB carries. He managed just 22 yards on the ground, adding 8 more on 2 receptions (2 targets). Deebo Samuel served as the other primary -- and only productive -- runner vs. Chicago, including scoring the team's only TD. RB Jordan Mason was active but didn't get onto the field. We'll see about the outlook for Mitchell's injury and who joins Wilson in the backfield. But he looks like the best bet to lead 49ers RBs in opportunities while Mitchell is out.
49ers RB Tyrion Davis-Price is a healthy scratch for today's opener vs. the Bears. Shades of Trey Sermon last year! -- although this one isn't nearly as big a surprise. San Francisco will roll with RBs Jeff Wilson and Jordan Mason behind starter Elijah Mitchell.
ESPN's Field Yates reports that the 49ers have waived RB Trey Sermon. That leaves 4 RBs on the roster: Elijah Mitchell, Tyrion Davis Price, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Jordan Mason. We'll see exactly how things sort out behind (or alongside?) Mitchell. Kyle Shanahan backfields have been productive enough that all 4 players are worth a look in fantasy football leagues of varying sizes.
The 49ers kept 5 RBs on their initial 53-man roster: Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon, Ty Davis-Price and Jordan Mason. Mitchell is the clear lead back heading into Week 1, but keeping 5 RB is another sign that San Francisco is worried about Mitchell holding up. Unfortunately, there's no clear-cut handcuff to Mitchell at this point.
There's been some positive buzz on 49ers RB Trey Sermon this month, but insider Matt Maiocco believes he's on the roster bubble. "If Sermon were not a third-round pick a year ago, there probably would not be much of a conversation about his status," Maiocco writes. He has RBs Elijah Mitchell, Ty Davis-Price and Jeff Wilson as locks to make the team, with Sermon, JaMycal Hasty and Jordan Mason fighting for the final spot. There's no clear-cut handcuff to Mitchell, but Davis-Price and Wilson are better last-round fliers than Sermon.
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