49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said after Sunday night's win over the Chargers that he was “hoping that the carries could come out about even" between RBs Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell. Mitchell ended up out-carrying McCaffrey 18 to 14, receiving 5 of the final 6 carries because, as Shanahan said, "we were just feeling him." This obviously isn't what McCaffrey owners want to hear, but don't panic. Even if he's truly going to split carries 50/50 with Mitchell, there's enough to go around for McCaffrey to still settle in somewhere around 12-15 carries per game. And, of course, he'll dominate passing-game work. He's racked up 15 targets on a massive 28% share over San Francisco's last 2 games. It's a similar role to Austin Ekeler's -- and he currently leads all RBs in PPR points per game.
RB Elijah Mitchell led the 49ers in carries Sunday night in his 1st action since a Week 1 knee injury. He carried 18 times for 89 yards, beating Christian McCaffrey by 4 attempts and 51 yards. McCaffrey claimed the lone TD between them and caught 4 of 6 targets to add 39 yards. Mitchell drew 2 targets and caught 1 for a loss of a yard. We'll see about this backfield plan going forward. But the even split in Mitchell's return sets McCaffrey up as a "sell-high" candidate in redraft leagues.
49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) will be activated from IR and play vs. the Chargers on Sunday night, HC Kyle Shanahan said. Mitchell has been out since going down with a sprained MCL in the season opener. He figures to return as the #2 RB behind Christian McCaffrey. Mitchell is unlikely to hold standalone fantasy value but is worth rostering as the CMC handcuff.
49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) has been designated to return from IR. He's now eligible to practice and be placed on the active roster whenever ready. Mitchell has been sidelined since going down with a sprained MCL in the season opener. While he was out, of course, San Francisco traded for RB Christian McCaffrey. So Mitchell will return as the #2 RB -- and just a handcuff in fantasy football. We'll see if he's ready to play vs. the Chargers on Sunday night.
49ers RB Jeff Wilson popped off for 17 carries, 120 yards and 1 score in Week 5. Tevin Coleman mixed in for 8 carries, with 5 of them and a garbage time TD coming deep in the 4th. Coleman did catch a 1st quarter TD, however, while he out-targeted Wilson 3-2. Elijah Mitchell (knee) remains at least a couple of weeks away from returning to action. So Wilson — who’s hit 74+ yards in 4 straight — will remain a viable RB2 in the short-term. Next up is a road matchup with Atlanta.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that 49ers RB Elijah Mitchell is expected to miss "about 2 months" with the MCL sprain he suffered in Sunday's loss at Chicago. Jeff Wilson Jr. stepped in after Mitchell left the game, though WR Deebo Samuel nearly matched his carry total (9-8). We'd bet on Samuel remaining significantly involved in the run game, which isn't great for his chances of staying healthy. We'd also expect rookie Tyrion Davis-Price to be activated for Week 2, after being a healthy scratch in the opener. RB Jordan Mason was active ahead of him but didn't play a snap on offense. Wilson is the only 49ers RB worth considering for Week 2 use. Don't expect him to land high in our Week 2 rankings when they hit the site Tuesday, however.
49ers RB Elijah Mitchell is expected to miss "a few weeks (or more)" with the knee injury he suffered in Sunday's opener vs. the Bears, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Mitchell is undergoing an MRI on Monday to get a full view of the damage to the knee. We should get a more concrete timeline for his return over the next couple days, but fantasy owners need to start making replacement plans. Jeff Wilson is the favorite to take over as San Francisco's lead RB, but Jordan Mason and Ty Davis-Price are also worth stashing.
The 49ers lost RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) early in Sunday's loss to the Bears, which left Jeff Wilson Jr. as the clear backfield leader. With rookie RB Tyrion Davis-Price a healthy scratch, Wilson led RBs at 59% playing time and claimed 9 of 15 RB carries. He managed just 22 yards on the ground, adding 8 more on 2 receptions (2 targets). Deebo Samuel served as the other primary -- and only productive -- runner vs. Chicago, including scoring the team's only TD. RB Jordan Mason was active but didn't get onto the field. We'll see about the outlook for Mitchell's injury and who joins Wilson in the backfield. But he looks like the best bet to lead 49ers RBs in opportunities while Mitchell is out.
The 49ers have declared RB Elijah Mitchell out for the rest of today's game with a right-knee injury. We'll see about the severity.
Chicago has been hit with heavy rains this morning. It looks like the worst of it will be gone by kickoff of 49ers-Bears, but there will be lingering showers -- and a wet field. The forecast also calls for 15-20 mph winds. Less than ideal scoring conditions, although this looked like a low-scoring game anyways. Expect lots of running from both teams.
49ers RB Tyrion Davis-Price is a healthy scratch for today's opener vs. the Bears. Shades of Trey Sermon last year! -- although this one isn't nearly as big a surprise. San Francisco will roll with RBs Jeff Wilson and Jordan Mason behind starter Elijah Mitchell.
The Athletic's Matt Barrows believes Jeff Wilson will open the season as the 49ers' #2 RB behind Elijah Mitchell. Barrows goes on to suggest that rookie Ty Davis-Price might eventually claim that #2 job. But, for now, it sounds like Wilson is the Mitchell handcuff.
The 49ers kept 5 RBs on their initial 53-man roster: Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon, Ty Davis-Price and Jordan Mason. Mitchell is the clear lead back heading into Week 1, but keeping 5 RB is another sign that San Francisco is worried about Mitchell holding up. Unfortunately, there's no clear-cut handcuff to Mitchell at this point.
49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) returned to practice on Sunday. He'd been out for over 2 weeks and missed all 3 of San Francisco's preseason games. Barring a setback, though, he should be ready to operate as the 49ers' lead back come Week 1.
Search
