2022 Fantasy Upside
Coming off a 963-yard rookie season, Elijah Mitchell proved ideal for Kyle Shanahan's scheme with his ability to get wide, make the correct cuts, and run through arm tackles. As CBSSports.com noted, Mitchell's rise came without warning as he was drafted well after Trey Sermon, and veteran holdovers Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. seemed to have the edge in experience. But Mostert and Wilson were sidelined by injuries, Sermon was a huge disappointment, and Mitchell became a prime waiver-add after Week 1. He suited up for 11 games last year, missing the other six with a combination of shoulder, rib, finger, head and knee issues. Still, Mitchell, who ran the ball anywhere from 21 to 27 times in each of the final five regular-season games in which he played, finished 14th among running backs in PPR points per game and appears to be heading into 2022 with the lead role in his possession -- even if there are reasons for concern.
2022 Fantasy Downside
NBCSports.com's Matt Maiocco reports that Shanahan appears determined to deploy more of a backs-by-committee approach this season. Maiocco went on to explain there are legitimate concerns about Mitchell’s durability. He had a "clean-up" procedure on his knee after a season in which he also missed time due to shoulder, ribs, finger and head injuries. Beyond the six games missed due to injury, Mitchell saw his average per carry drop to just 3.1 yards per attempt in the postseason. At this point, Maiocco believes Wilson is behind Mitchell in the pecking order with Trey Sermon and rookie Tyrion Davis-Price behind Wilson.
2022 Bottom Line
It goes without saying Mitchell's potential success in 2022 will hinge on his health, but it's also worth noting if he leads the 49ers in rushing in 2022, he'll be the first running back to repeat under Shanahan's tutelage since Devonta Freeman in 2015-16. All that said, as the lead component in this offense, Mitchell remains a solid RB2 for fantasy purposes.
