Elijah Mitchell's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

According to The Athletic's David Lombardi, San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell is the team's clear No. 2 back behind All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. Mitchell is an all-around back, but his health is the key. If training camp this summer yields a productive backfield logjam, Lombardi points out that the 49ers have previously traded Matt Breida and Jeff Wilson Jr. when they have an excess of depth at the position. As of right now, the 26-year-old Mitchell is the best handcuff option for fantasy managers that take McCaffrey first overall in fantasy drafts this fall. Mitchell has produced 4.7 yards per carry in his three years in the NFL in the Bay Area, but he's also played in just 27 games in a three-year span. If CMC misses time with an injury in 2024, Mitchell will become a hot commodity.

With most NFL teams employing a backfield committee or time-share approach, San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell has spent the season as a throwback, one of only a handful of second running backs who are true backups. While Mitchell did score a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game against Detroit -- after McCaffrey pulled himself out following a long run to the goal line -- he only got three other touches for a total of seven yards. In the game before that versus Green Bay, Mitchell posted all zeros while playing only one offensive snap. The probability that Mitchell's usage suddenly changes is near zero when the team squares off against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Putting Mitchell into a fantasy lineup for the Super Bowl would be betting on an early McCaffrey injury, an improbable scenario that would eliminate many competitors. Having started Mitchell in that event could be a difference-maker.

San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell will not be a fantasy option when the team hosts the Detroit Lions on Sunday with the NFC Championship on the line. Last week as the No. 2 back on the depth chart in the Divisional Round against Green Bay, Mitchell garnered zero touches and zero targets on one snap. To invest in Mitchell this week in fantasy would be to gamble on an early McCaffrey injury or garbage time in a blowout 49ers win, which are his only realistic routes to production. Even DFS players going cheap at running back will want to look elsewhere.