Eli Mitchell, JaMycal Hasty's Fantasy Outlook with 49ers After Raheem Mostert Injury

San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert left Sunday's season-opening game versus the Detroit Lions and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest with a knee injury, leaving an already convoluted backfield situation even more complicated for fantasy players to navigate.

There was some good news for Mostert and fantasy players rostering him, though:

Coming into Sunday, the widely held belief in such a scenario was that Trey Sermon would have stepped into the starting lineup, with some fantasy players banking on the rookie running back eventually winning the job over Mostert outright.

But that idea took a major hit when Sermon was inactive for Sunday's game:

It's possible that if Mostert is injured for a significant period of time, Sermon is still the better long-term option. But it's pretty clear at this point that he isn't the short-term answer at running back for fantasy players looking to handcuff Mostert.

If Sunday's game action is any indication, Elijah Mitchell is the player you want to add on waivers this week. He rushed 19 times for 104 yards and a score, while JaMycal Hasty had just one run for three yards, though it was for a touchdown.

Even if Mostert is able to return next week, Mitchell has become the handcuff you want in fantasy. And if Mostert misses time, Mitchell suddenly has RB2 upside for your fantasy team.

As for Hasty, he likely isn't worth rostering if Mostert's injury isn't serious, while he's a solid handcuff option if Mostert is set to miss time. And Sermon is probably a player you should wait and see on before cutting him. He could yet emerge at the top of San Francisco's depth chart.

But your priority should be getting Mitchell on your roster this week.