Elijah Mitchell

Elijah Mitchell ran away with the job last season en route to finishing as the RB14 in fantasy points per game. He was third in opportunity share, but his underlying rushing metrics were a lackluster ball of meh. He was 36th in juke rate, 30th in breakaway run rate, and 34th in yards created per touch. With his 7.0% target share and 25th ranking in route participation, he doesn't have the pass game usage to save him if the rushing volume and efficiency aren't there. It's still possible that the 49ers roll it back in 2022 with him as the primary rusher, though, as long as he doesn't face plant in camp.

Elijah Mitchell undergoes cleanup procedure on knee

Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports that San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell underwent offseason knee surgery and that he is planning on bulking up for the upcoming season.

Fantasy Impact

Mitchell was arguably the first big splash on the waiver wire last year, as fantasy managers scooped up the relatively unknown rookie after starting running back Raheem Mostert got hurt in the season-opener. The 2021 sixth-round pick stepped in immediately and carried the workload for the 49ers. Mitchell rushed for 963 yards and five touchdowns in only 11 games, breaking the 49ers' single-season rookie rushing record. Having missed six games due to injury, the offseason knee cleanup and added weight should help Mitchell stay on the field. If healthy, the second-year pro has the chance to be a solid RB2 with RB1 potential in San Francisco's run-heavy offense.