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Second-year running back Elijah Mitchell returned to game action on Sunday night for the first time since Week 1, in which he suffered a knee injury.
Mitchell broke out as a rookie last season filling in for the injured Raheem Mostert, taking 207 carries for 963 yards and five touchdowns along with 19 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown. He was drafted largely as an RB2 in fantasy this season.
Should Elijah Mitchell be a primary waiver wire target coming off of his Week 10 return to action?
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Why is Elijah Mitchell Available in Fantasy Football Leagues?
As he was recovering from his knee injury, the San Francisco 49ers made a splash trade for superstar running back Christian McCaffrey. Mitchell owners were devastated, and he was dropped across the board in many leagues (currently owned in 58% of Yahoo leagues, 51% of ESPN leagues).
Many assumed that McCaffrey would be the full-on starter and that Mitchell would only be usable in fantasy in the event of a McCaffrey injury. They were wrong.
What Did Elijah Mitchell Do in Week 10?
Elijah Mitchell had much more usage in his return to action than anybody could have anticipated. He carried the ball 18 times for 89 yards and caught one pass for a one-yard loss.
McCaffrey had 14 carries to go along with four catches, touching the ball one less time than Mitchell. Kyle Shanahan found a way to get both electric running backs involved heavily, but not everybody was pleased by the Mitchell-McCaffrey split.
Should I Pickup Elijah Mitchell in Fantasy Football?
Elijah Mitchell should be rostered in all formats. Although he may not be a confident start as long as McCaffrey is splitting touches with him, he garnered enough usage on Sunday to be a weekly flex consideration even in a split backfield.
Christian McCaffrey hasn’t finished a season healthy since 2019. With his injury history, rostering Mitchell has a potential league-winner feel to it.
The San Francisco running back tandem of Elijah Mitchell and Jeff Wilson Jr. produced league-winning numbers down the stretch a season ago, and this year’s fantasy playoff schedule (SEA, WAS, LV) looks just as appealing for any San Francisco offensive player.
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