SANTA CLARA -- Raheem Mostert has played 50 professional games. He has made zero starts.

That number wasn’t surprising before this season when the running back was a fringe player who fought for scraps.

That’s not the case anymore.

Mostert spearheads the 49ers dynamic rushing attack, even if he doesn’t have the title to go with it.

Talk to Mostert and you learn quickly such designations don’t hold weight. He doesn’t need the starter’s status given to Tevin Coleman each week no matter who’s featured in the game plan.

A starter’s title won’t define his game.

“I really don’t care too much about it,” Mostert said. “It’s one of those things where, whether I’m the starter or not, I’m going to give my best effort. I’m going to play ball no matter what. I don’t necessarily care about who is starting and who isn’t. I don’t want to look at that. I want to look at it like, no matter when my first snaps comes on Saturday, I’m going to be ready to play.”

His first snap of Saturday’s divisional-round playoff against Minnesota should be followed by a great deal more. That work has been earned with jaw-dropping efficiency. Mostert is averaging 5.6 yards per carry on the year and nearly six per tote during a five-game run where he has become the main guy over Coleman and Matt Breida. Even though all three guys get opportunities. Mostert has also scored seven touchdowns in his last six games.

Being steady is the most important thing to the Purdue alum who finds himself front and center heading into a playoff game.

“My thing is being consistent,” Mostert said. “I would rather be in there for five plays and nail them all over being named a starter changing my approach because I have the title.”

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan likes his running back rotation the way it stands, with Coleman leading things off. That shouldn’t change Saturday, and he isn’t worried about massaging Mostert’s ego with a start.

“Tevin brings a lot to our game,” Shanahan said. “I know he hasn't had the same yards-per-carry as Raheem. I don't really care much who the starter is. All those guys play. Raheem has got the bulk of it. Usually, in my opinion, the guy who gets the bulk of the carries is usually the guy we call the starter because we're treating him as the starter.

“If he's not out there the first play, I know no one else calls him the starter because that’s what matters, I guess, to be called a starter. Tevin started out that way this year. I think he handles it very well. I think Raheem is very comfortable in his situation when he comes in and doesn't have a problem with it. There's a different element to all of them. I do like having Tevin out there because the way he hits holes, he brings a little different physicality to the game. But, I like what all our backs do.”

Mostert has been hot and Shanahan has no problem going with a rusher doing good work.

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The fifth-year veteran has done great work down the stretch and wants to continue his solid run in the postseason.

“There’s definitely a hunger driving me to be the best I can be on the field,” Mostert said. “I want to show everyone what I can do. There are eight teams left and there will only be one winner at the end of this thing. I feel like you have that hunger in you this time of year, because you really have to grind it out. These next few weeks, if we move on, it’s going to be strenuous. We will really have to fight. We will really have to be detailed. We will have to make sure we’re on top of everything all the time.”