49ers RB Elijah Mitchell to see Reduced Workload?

Since Kyle Shanahan was hired as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, the team has had a different leading rusher each season. It was Elijah Mitchell’s turn last year, as he set a club rookie record with 963 yards. However, with Mitchell missing six games due to various injuries, his workhorse role ahead of 2022 is tenuous at best.

ESPN’s Nick Wagoner writes, “[Mitchell] will get the first crack at keeping his job…But the team drafted Tyrion Davis-Price in the third round, brought back Jeff Wilson Jr., and still has JaMycal Hasty and Trey Sermon in the mix. Ideally, Davis-Price offers short-yardage and goal-line help, with Mitchell handling the bulk of the work. But injury concerns about Mitchell are real, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Davis-Price and Wilson involved early and often even if Mitchell hangs on to the starting spot.”

If Wagoner’s words do, in fact, ring true, San Francisco’s backfield is shaping up to be a weekly fantasy nightmare, one that may be best to let other owners decipher.

FanDuel Sportsbook currently has the 49ers holding the sixth-best Super Bowl LVII odds at +1600 (tied with the Los Angeles Chargers).