San Francisco 49ers RB Elijah Mitchell is considered one of the top handcuffs in fantasy football. The third-year running back plays behind the top — but often injured — Christian McCaffrey and plays in one of the more fantasy-friendly offenses in San Francisco, making him a priority pick to any CMC manager at the end of their draft.
However, after suffering an adductor strain a few weeks ago, when can fantasy managers expect Mitchell back? What does this mean for their fantasy football team heading into 2023? Let’s find out!
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What Happened to Elijah Mitchell?
Mitchell suffered an adductor strain earlier this month during a training camp practice. But at the time of this writing, he has returned to practice and is set to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season.
Yessssirr @EliMitch15 for the score 🙌#HOUvsSF on CBS/49ers App pic.twitter.com/mlurEvgaXL
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 2, 2022
With this news, Mitchell should be firmly on fantasy managers’ radars, and there should be zero reservations about drafting him at his current ADP.
What Are San Francisco’s Options if Mitchell Misses Time?
Although Mitchell is on track for the start of the regular season, the injury bug and Mitchell are no strangers to each other. The third-year back has missed multiple games in the last two seasons.
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Should he suffer any setbacks or another injury, the 49ers will turn to a combination of second-year backs Jordan Mason (sprained foot) and Tyrion Davis-Price. Both running backs saw extensive time playing time during the preseason after seeing very little playing time on offense as rookies.
What Does This Mean for Mitchell’s Fantasy Ranking?
It’s worth noting that Mitchell was the starter for the 49ers last season after rushing for nearly 1,000 yards his rookie year. Yet, injuries and the team trading for McCaffrey pushed Mitchell into a backup role.
With an ADP of 123 (RB42), Mitchell only has value as a CMC handcuff. Mitchell has no standalone value, but with very little competition besides his health, he only needs an injury to the oft-injured McCaffrey to be pushed into low-end RB1 territory.