Trey Sermon

As of now, we have to assume it's Raheem Mostert as the starting running back, though Kyle Shanahan did trade up into the third round to get Sermon. This should tell you that Mostert is on a short leash, and to be fair, he hasn't been able to hold up to a workhorse workload. The 49ers have one of the softest schedules in the league among running backs, so if we start hearing whispers that Sermon will start right out of the gate, he should shoot up draft boards. For now, he should be viewed as one of the best bench stashes in fantasy football.

Trey Sermon 'ahead of curve' during OTAs

So far, so good for 49ers rookie running back Trey Sermon. The Ohio State product and dual-threat back has looked impressive during OTAs and shown he can have a smooth transition to the NFL. With Raheem Mostert seeing limited reps and Jeff Wilson Jr. out with an injury, Sermon was given first-team work immediately upon the commencement of OTAs. Head coach Kyle Shanahan believes getting these key reps early in the program will "set Sermon up for success," according to Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports.

Fantasy Impact

Chan also noted that Sermon "is even more prepared than most rookies entering the league having watched quite a bit of 49ers game film prior to being drafted." When transferring to Ohio State, which runs an outside zone scheme, Sermon spent time studying Shanahan's system more than any other pro scheme. In addition to his increased reps and familiarity with the system, Sermon was taking both passes and handoffs from Jimmy Garoppolo. This added value can only help his status in the backfield competition.