49ers running back Elijah Mitchell to miss preseason Week 1 with hamstring injury

San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell will not suit up for tonight’s preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers. In fact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the second-year tailback is dealing with a hamstring injury that will sideline him for the entire preseason. It is expected that he’ll be healthy and ready in time for the team’s regular season opener against the Chicago Bears.

Mitchell emerged as a surprising rookie revelation for a 49ers team that was battered by injuries last season. The sixth-round pick out of Louisiana fired out the gate with a 104-yard performance against the Detroit Lions in the season opener and ultimately finished the regular season with 207 carries for 963 yards and five touchdowns. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to avoid the injury bug himself and various ailments sidelined him for six games.

Mitchell is currently RB23 in average draft position in fantasy, indicating that fantasy managers have high expectations for the second-year back. As long as the hamstring injury isn’t serious, he definitely warrants an RB2 spot in lineups.