Kevin Szafraniec reminds you just how powerful Elijah Mitchell was in his rookie year and locates a 2024 rookie who might be on the same trajectory.
In 2021, Elijah Mitchell came out of obscurity as a sixth-round pick to claim the lead role in the San Francisco backfield after injuries decimated the 49ers’ running back depth chart. While Mitchell himself was also limited to 11 games due to injury, he was still able to finish as the overall RB26 in his debut season. Despite missing key weeks late in the season, Mitchell led those who were willing to draft him in their FFPC leagues — often in the final round — to a 17.5% win rate. Only two RBs were better that year.
Mitchell’s success wasn’t purely volume driven either — he finished as the RB12 in FPOE per game.
Mitchell’s career since then has been scuttled by injury — he’s played in only 16 games over the last two seasons, and now shares a backfield with the decade’s best running back. It’s interesting to imagine the scenarios that might have played out if Mitchell could have stayed healthy. But it’s even more actionable to identify a player who can repeat Mitchell’s rookie success, and perhaps even build on it.
When looking at this year’s class of rookie running backs, there is one player whose profile and landing spot draws plenty of comparisons to Mitchell. He’s firmly entrenched behind two high-level veteran RBs on a team that has consistently churned out elite rushing production, but there is plenty of injury history to go along with the mountains of available fantasy points. The similarities with Mitchell’s statistical and athletic profiles give us some intrigue. When you also see names like Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker pop up in the Prospect Workout Explorer, you realize why this player may just be the most undervalued RB across all fantasy formats.
