Elijah Mitchell was impressive last season when given the opportunity, and the San Francisco 49ers seemed interested in spelling Christian McCaffrey as much as possible in an effort to keep him healthy for the postseason.
Fantasy football managers were already interested in Mitchell as a way to protect their CMC investment, but if he can work his way into a 35% touch role in this backfield, he could well challenge the weekly Flex ranks.
Behind in research? Get a trade offer in your dynasty or redraft league? Not sure who to start or sit this week? Leverage PFN’s FREE fantasy tools — our Fantasy Football Draft Kit, Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Calculator, and Start/Sit Optimizer! Put the finishing touch on your A+ draft with 1 of our 425+ fantasy football team names.
Elijah Mitchell’s Fantasy Outlook for the 2023 NFL Season
Mitchell may have only played five games last season, but he impressed by averaging 6.2 yards per carry and allowed McCaffrey’s workload to be managed. Could that be his role again in 2023?
It could, but with over 1,500 touches on CMC’s NFL résumé, there’s a real possibility that Mitchell will have his chance to shine as the feature back at some point this season.
Should fantasy managers be drafting Elijah Mitchell this year?@4thandLange breaks down the latest injury news for arguably one of the best "handcuff" RBs out there in his first ever article at Pro Football Network!https://t.co/7nL4w0Pvm8
— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) August 19, 2023
Of course, the variety of options in this offense makes everyone a risk of being left out of the mix in any given week. Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle are all back and all very much in the prime of their careers. What makes this offense great in real life is a big part of what gives us headaches, so be aware of that fact whenever investing in a 49er.
Brock Purdy doesn’t offer anything with his legs, giving Mitchell one less threat to worry about when it comes to earning touches. The problem I have in assuming Mitchell’s usage is enough to make him viable next to McCaffrey is the lack of versatility (22 catches in 16 career games).
Is Mitchell a Good Fantasy Pick?
Spending a 10-11th round pick and getting a piece of a Kyle Shanahan offense is an easy click.
I’m not 100% sold that Mitchell can hold standalone value to open the season, but it’s not out of the question. At this price, you’re really just paying for a McCaffrey handcuff, and anything else is gravy.
MORE: 2023 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
Even a skeptic like me will be penciling in 6-10 touches per week for Mitchell, and when bye weeks begin and injuries set in, that role in this offense is going to be more appealing than it is right now.
Simply put, the potential reward far outweighs the risk on Mitchell in drafts this summer.
- PFN Consensus Rank: 111th overall
- Current ADP: 123rd overall