So, who’s going to fill Elijah Mitchell’s shoes for the majority of the 2022 fantasy football season?
Twitter held spirited tennis matches this offseason regarding Tyrion-Davis Price vs Trey Sermon and who will rise to the tops of the 49ers depth chart should Elijah Mitchell go down to another injury. Well here’s what we know:
- Elijah Mitchell has a sprained MCL and will likely miss two months
- Tyrion Davis-Price did not record a snap in Week 1
- Trey Sermon was cut this offseason and landed with the Eagles
In a conference call between 49ers head coach, Kyle Shanahan, and reporters the day after the Bears game, Shanahan was asked about how he felt about the three guys behind him.
“We’ve always been comfortable with Jeff just because of his experience and what he has done here. We know what we’re going to get. The other two guys, they made our team for a reason. They’re two talented players who we think can help us a lot running the ball, but they have to grow up fast. They’re trying to compete and learn how to play better without the ball in their hand,” said Shanahan.
Jeff Wilson Jr. took over and handled most of the work after Mitchell went down and didn’t exactly light the world on fire. He did play 59% of the offensive snaps and ran the ball nine times for 22 yards and caught both of his targets for eight yards.
Meanwhile, Jordan Mason, one of the gems from the preseason, didn’t play an offensive snap and operated solely on special teams.
Trey Lance led the team in rushing on a team-high 13 carries for 54 yards.
WHAT’S THIS MEAN FOR FANTASY?
I’m glad you asked.
Lance and Wilson should see a healthy dose of rush attempts still. Those two and do-it-all weapon Deebo Samuel should be the primary focus of this lucrative ground game.
Mason is likely the most intriguing roster addition. He was the best looking back on the 49ers in the preseason and that belief has carried over, according to the 49ers media.
Mason, PFF’s highest-graded rusher in the preseason, averaged nearly 5 yards per attempt during the preseason compared to just over 3 YPA from Davis-Price. Mason is a decisive and physical runner that showed good vision dating back to his Georgia Tech days.
While Wilson should get the first crack at first-team work, Mason has a chance to play his way up the depth chart with a strong showing on his opportunities and could overtake Wilson going forward.
If you want to take a high-upside dice roll on the Week 2 Waiver Wire, Mason is your guy. If you want to play it “safe,” Wilson is your target.
