San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers placed running back Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday, and his 2024 season is over. Mitchell, who was projected as the team's RB2, has dealt with injury problems throughout his career, having never played more than 11 games in a year. Jordan Mason is now expected to be the 49ers' RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey (calf) with Mitchell sidelined. Rookie Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr. will also see an uptick in playing time behind McCaffrey and Mason with Mitchell now done for the year.

The San Francisco 49ers have typically carried four running backs and a fullback on their 53-man roster. They've traded two RBs for fifth-round draft picks in the past, Matt Breida and Jeff Wilson Jr., during Kyle Shanahan's tenure as head coach. If Elijah Mitchell can fetch a return, then perhaps the 49ers have adequate depth to orchestrate another trade. San Francisco has been happy with Cody Schrader and Patrick Taylor Jr., so expect at least one of those backs to remain in the building, even if it's on the practice squad. Mitchell is one of San Fran's top backups to workhorse starter Christian McCaffrey (calf), who is currently not practicing. If Mitchell were to get traded ahead of the regular season, it would leave Jordan Mason as McCaffrey's clear-cut backup and an abundance of contingency upside as a handcuff.

The New York Giants are waiving wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins, who has accumulated 54 receptions for 581 yards and seven touchdowns during his time in New York. Drafted out of Oregon State by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2020 draft, Hodgins was claimed by the Giants two seasons ago and made an immediate impact, recording 33 receptions for 351 yards and four touchdowns. Although he remained productive last season, his role diminished with the addition of younger talent, resulting in just nine starts and 33 targets. While Hodgins shows promise as a possession receiver, his lack of contributions on special teams has likely influenced the decision to waive him. At 25, he should attract interest from teams seeking depth at wide receiver.

San Francisco 49ers rookie first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (shoulder) returned to the practice field on Monday, but he was wearing a blue non-contact jersey. The rookie first-round pick out of Florida has been out of action for a few weeks, causing him to miss valuable reps in the absence of Brandon Aiyuk (holdout). Pearsall's role is already tough to analyze in Year 1 with the Niners, but his injury could take him even longer to get acclimated to his new offense. If Aiyuk re-signs with the 49ers, it would be a surprise if Pearsall is on the fantasy radar in 2024. If Aiyuk is traded or does not play early in the season, Pearsall could have deep-league flex value, but veteran Jauan Jennings (oblique) could play ahead of him. Ultimately, Pearsall is an intriguing dynasty stash, but his projected redraft value is likely to be limited.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) was on the practice field on Monday doing side work as he continues to recover from a calf injury. Last week, head coach Kyle Shanahan said he is not concerned with CMC missing all of training camp, and his return to the field in some capacity is great news for his Week 1 availability against the New York Jets. Last season's NFL Offensive Player of the Year was dominant in fantasy football in Year 2 with the Niners, racking up just under 1,800 yards from scrimmage and 21 total touchdowns. The 28-year-old is still in the conversation to be the No. 1 overall pick in all redraft formats, and he's a must-start option all season - regardless of matchup.