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BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~40 Overall

ANALYSIS: San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell had a stunningly productive season as a rookie in 2021. As a sixth-round draft choice, few expected Mitchell to become a fantasy starter, yet he finished as the RB23 in standard leagues despite playing just 11 games. This came after Week 1 starter Raheem Mostert went down with a season-ending injury in the opener.

The 24-year-old is expected to miss the entire preseason due to a hamstring injury but is expected to return in time for Week 1. He had been limited during training camp while he recovers from knee surgery. With Mostert now in Miami, Mitchell seemingly has a clear path to remaining the top dog in San Francisco's backfield. However, there will be some competition for this role, and head coach Kyle Shanahan is notorious for his unpredictable handling of backfields. Teammate Trey Sermon was a third-round selection last season, yet his role was relatively small as a rookie.

Should Mitchell struggle early in the season, or if Sermon impresses in camp, Sermon may cut into Mitchell's volume. The 49ers also drafted Tyrion Davis-Price, an RB out of LSU, in the third round this spring. The team must have a plan for Davis-Price, which would likely come at the expense of Mitchell. That said, Mitchell is being drafted as merely the RB24 in fantasy drafts this offseason.

Considering he finished higher than this last year despite missing six games due to injury, this is a fair spot for him when factoring in these concerns regarding Sermon and Davis-Price.

Editor's Note: Trey Sermon has been waived by the 49ers and now the Niners' backfield has less competition for touches.

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