Quarterbacks

Sam Howell – (28.6% Owned)

We have recommended Sam Howell before and now you can start to see why he is a viable fantasy option. Howell was one of our fantasy football sleepers before the year started and he is trending up. He has finished in the top 10 for quarterbacks in the last two weeks and more importantly, has a 5 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio during that time. Sure Howell has to clean up the sacks but thankfully QB sacks don’t count in fantasy football.

Running Backs

Ezekiel Elliott – (41.6% Owned)

Is Ezekiel Elliott now a better option than Rhamondre Stevenson? It is sure trending that way as Stevenson has been disappointing so far this season. Meanwhile, Elliott scored his first touchdown of the season against the Raiders and had another 74-yard scamper called back due to a penalty. I wouldn’t be surprised if Elliott out-touches Stevenson in the coming weeks and is the feature back for the Patriots.

Elijah Mitchell – (27.2% Owned)

Mitchell is worth stashing as we wait to hear the injury status of Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey is dealing with an oblique injury that may keep him out of action this week. If that happens I like Mitchell over Jordan Mason to carry the load for San Francisco. Mitchell is ahead on the depth chart and has filled in admirably for McCaffrey before.

Wide Receivers

Rashee Rice – (37.7% Owned)

Rashee Rice is worth stashing on your roster and has upside as the season goes on. Kansas City is without a true #1 receiver but signs are pointing to Rice settling into that role. The rookie had his highest receiving yards total last week with 72 yards. As Patrick Mahomes gets more comfortable with the young receiver he will start trusting him more. Rice is averaging around 4.6 targets per game and I expect that number to go up.

Tight Ends

Taysom Hill – (5.9% Owned)

It’s slim pickings at the tight end position this week but Hill is worth taking a flier on. Hill had his best output of the season on Sunday where he hauled in 7 receptions for 49 yards along with 2 rushing attempts. It will always be a risk starting Hill but if you take the chance he could reward you with a big week.

The post Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups (2023) appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The San Francisco 49ers stated today that they are inking running back Tevin Coleman (also known as a cheat code in Madden 19). The 6’1, 210 lb running back was able to be a factor in the New York Jets offense last season — as he ousted 356 rushing yards in 11 contests with NY a season ago. PFF also gave Coleman a modest 74.1 grade for his 2021 performance.

Coleman’s best single-season performance unequivocally came in 2018: 800 rushing yds, 4.8 YPC, and four rushing TDs. Let’s not forget that he has been able to be a threat as a receiving back, as well. He registered 421 receiving yds in 2016, 299 receiving yds in 2017, and 180 receiving yds in 2018.

With Coleman on the practice squad, the 49ers opted to elevate Marlon Mack to the active roster. Mack was cut by the Houston Texans on Aug. 30th.

These RB moves come after star RB Elijah Mitchell went on injured reserve last week and it was stated that he was going to miss two months. Trust in Shanny to garner not only grab production from the most involved ball carriers but to also obtain magic from Mack and potentially Coleman on occasion.

The post San Francisco 49ers sign Tevin Coleman appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The offensive wiz Kyle Shanahan handed the keys of the offense to Trey Lance this season & he will certainly anticipate magic from the former North Dakota State signal-caller. Lance has only thrown for 603 passing yards and 5 touchdowns (to two interceptions) in his career. Nonetheless, the dual-threat QB that is seen as the chosen one by 49ers fans has made a ton of growth this off-season. He flexed his arm talent in the preseason opener by converting four of five passes and even completing a 76-yard touchdown to Danny Gray (as shown below)!

Besides Gray mopping the floor against opponents, the 49ers still arguably display a Top-3 WR-TE tandem in the league with Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Samuel is coming off a season with 1,405 receiving yards, 365 rushing yards, and of course: first-team All-Pro honors. Meanwhile, the Thor-like 49ers TE unveiled 910 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 14 contests a season ago. PFF gave Kittle a very impressive 90.9 grade for his performance.

At the RB spot – I really, really like Elijah Mitchell. I slotted Mitchell as a Top-10 RB entering 2022 after he unleashed 963 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 11 contests a season ago. He will certainly mow down opponents behind the Trent Williams-led OL. Williams picked up his first first-team All-Pro nod in 2021.

The two x-factors in the 49ers offense are unequivocally Brandon Aiyuk and Kyle Juszczyk. The 49ers WR2 didn’t exactly transcend into a 1,000+ yard WR last season, but he should really evolve into a Pro Bowl wideout with a big-arm, young QB in Lance. The 49ers FB from Stanford is the jack-of-all-trade for Shanny & he made his sixth straight Pro Bowl last season. Yes, you read that correctly.

Assuming the 49ers don’t have a walking dead-like squad, which occurred in 2020, I foresee the scrappy NFC West squad being a Top-3 rushing offense and a Top-15 passing attack. It would be difficult to deny that the 49ers boast the right combination of youth and experience on offense. I expect Lance to have growing pains, but he should be able to have more high-end performances than Jimmy G – to say the least. It’s unclear if Lance will be overly efficient or clutch, but I believe the QB that holds high expectations for himself will steer his offense to be quite successful moving forward.

The post What to expect from the San Francisco 49ers offense in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season is steadily approaching & it’s obvious that it will feel great to hear Scott Hanson’s voice each weekend. It will clearly be thrilling to witness next-level quarterbacks and talented running backs dazzle on the field. With that stated, I’m going to highlight the RB spot and project the ten best RB performances in the 2022 season.

Christian McCaffrey

I really believe a healthy Christian McCaffrey is the scariest RB in the league. CMAC was second-team All-Pro in his sophomore season and then he really blossomed in his junior campaign — where he garnered 2,392 all-purpose yds, 19 combined touchdowns, and was named first-team All-Pro. Sadly, he’s only played in 10 games over the prior two seasons combined. I still feel deeply positive about his all-around outlook as a healthy, motivated, 26-year-old that doesn’t have an abundance of tread on his tires.

Jonathan Taylor

It’s hard to ignore the talent, consistency, and situation that JT is in. Taylor garnered 1,811 rushing yds and 18 rushing TDs last season — which led him to garner first-team All-Pro honors and place second in OPOY voting. Taylor could be slightly leaned on less in the offense with Matt Ryan and his backfield is a bit more talented than last season – as these two factors could slightly hurt Taylor’s overall production.

Alvin Kamara

The New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is authentic and a superb RB. AK has made the Pro Bowl in each season. The Saints skat-back’s superior, all-around RB’s best season unequivocally came in 2020 – where he unleashed 1,688 total yds and 21 combined TDs (which resulted in getting second-team All-Pro honors). He had another fantastic output last season: 1,337 total yds and 9 combined TDs in 13 games.

According to Fantasy Pros, a suspension for Kamara is also likely to occur in 2023.

Dalvin Cook

The Minnesota Vikings running back is an extremely electric RB and he should continue to belittle his opponents in 2022. The Vikings RB ran angry for 13 touchdowns and 1,135 yds in 2019 and then managed to run for 16 TDs and 1,557 yds in 2020. Cook missed four contests last season, but he still unveiled 1,159 rushing yds six rushing TDs. I believe there is still room for a couple of top-tier seasons in his football life.

Derrick Henry

Derrick Henry has an old-school mentality and he’s also explosive. Henry ran angry for 1,540 yds and 16 rushing TDs in 2020 and then proceeded to bulldoze opponents for 2,027 yds and 17 rushing TDs (which led him to win Offensive Player of The Year in 2020). It appeared that Henry was on a rampage until he suffered a broken football in Week 8 – which caused him to miss nine contests. Father time will have an impact on Henry, but he should absolutely be an elite RB in 2022.

Nick Chubb

It may seem blasphemous to peg Nick Chubb at this spot, but I feel more inspired by the other ball carriers. Still, Chubb should be a top-tier RB for yet another season. The Browns RB1 (sitting in front of Kareem Hunt – who has seemed to bury the hatchet with CLE), ran angry for 1,259 yds and 8 TDs last season. PFF slabbed him an 81.7 grade for his 2021 performance.

Elijah Mitchell

I believe that Elijah Mitchell is one of the most underrated skill players in the league. Mitchell was quite potent behind the Trent Williams-led OL in only nine games a season ago: 963 rushing yds and five rushing TDs. The 49ers full back Kyle Juszczyk and former Harvard grad believes that Mitchell’s ability to simplify things in the 49ers offense led to his success as a rook. Juszczyk stated, “It’s a complicated offense, and sometimes the best way to come into a complicated offense and be successful is to simplify things. And I think that’s something that Elijah did in his first year. You talk about the wide zone and it being a one-cut offense. That’s how Elijah approached it, and that, I think, is his strength….He’s decisive and he just puts his foot in the ground and gets upfield. ook. Mitchell obtained a 76.3 grade by PFF for his 2021 outcome, too. With that said, I do expect Trey Sermon, who has impressed this off-season, to be more involved in the 49ers offense in his second season (which should put a dink on Mitchell’s production).

Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants running back is far from dead in my opinion. Barkley’s best season was in his rookie year (2,028 total yds and 15 combined touchdowns) and then he accumulated 1,441 total yards in 13 games as a sophomore. Unfortunately, disaster struck the young, gifted RB (as he suffered a torn ACL after two games in 2020). He also sat out of four games last season – or was playing healthy behind a brutal OL in the other 13 match-ups. I suspect Barkley to return to the PB behind a much-improved OL in the upcoming season.

Joe Mixon

The reigning AFC Champion, Joe Mixon, is slightly in the shadow of the Bengals impressive QB-WR duo. Nonetheless, let’s not forget that Mixon is a dangerous bell cow RB (1,205 rushing yds and 13 rushing TDs last season). PFF nicely gave the Bengals RB a 79.5 grade for his 2021 outcome. Mixon will also benefit next season from an improved OL (as Cincy brought in Alex Cappa, C Ted Karras, and of course: La’el Collins).

Austin Ekeler

The Los Angeles Chargers have a surreal QB-RB combination (between Justin Herbert & Austin Ekeler). The Chargers versatile ball-carrier had a personal-best 911 rushing yards with a career-high 647 receiving yds last season. Furthermore, Ekeler had total of 20 touchdowns — which undoubtedly edged out his previous single-season best total TD count (11). Ekeler should have worse rushing production than last season with Isaiah Spiller in the RB room, but his all-around ability in a high-powered offense should still help register around 1,300 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns.

The post Top 10 RBs heading into the 2022 season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The San Francisco 49ers like to unleash a thousand cuts against opponents with their rushing attack. The 49ers ranked fifth in rushing attempts last season — as they also ranked seventh in rushing yards and fifth in rushing touchdowns. The methodical Kyle Shanahan has Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson Sr, Tyrion Davis-Price, and Trey Sermon at RB.

The alpha RB Mitchell absolutely has the potential to be Top-5 in rushing yards in 2022. Mitchell ranked eighth in rushing yds (963) last season while missing six games. He also averaged an impressive 4.7 YPC. PFF gave Mitchell an admirable 76.3 grade for his 2021 performance.

The second 49ers RB, Wilson Sr, isn’t a scary RB2, but he has fine production and experience in the 49ers system. He recorded 600 rushing yds and 7 TDs in 2020 and then ran for 294 yds and 2 TDs in 9 contests last season. He re-signed with SF on a one-year deal worth $1.085 million dollars this off-season.

Davis-Price (2022 third-round pick) or Sermon (2021 third-round pick) will likely be the future RB2 after the 2022 season. The former LSU RB ran angry for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns last season. His best rushing performance against Florida (where he notched 287 yds and 3 TDs). His impressive power is similar to the recent AFC Champion Joe Mixon.

Sermon was honestly a disappointment last season, but Shanny has expressed enthusiasm about the 23-year-old this off-season. Per NBC Sports, Shanny told reporters on Tuesday, “Watching him in OTAs, he was as yoked-up as he could be. He was in as (good of) shape as he could be. Like you could tell the guy learned from his rookie year and wants to do a lot more.” Sermon is definitely an x-factor in the 49ers offense moving forward.

The 49ers ranked second in rushing yards in 2019 and they will look to return to being a Top-3 rushing team with their young and utterly explosive RB group next season. The 49ers rushing offense can help their wiz head coach finally obtain his ever-elusive first Super Bowl ring.

The post San Francisco 49ers running back outlook right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

Some might say dynasty fantasy football season never sleeps. Then there are those who appeal to the notion that “fantasy football season” never sleeps. The 2022 fantasy season should be special, as we will witness a healthy Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey notably. Truth be told, the list of star players that will be returning ought to go on a yellow text far into the galaxy. 

Still, the stargazing and dream draft pick(s) isn’t what fantasy love should be all about. We love the juicy sleepers and players that can shock the FF realm. With that said, let’s take an early look at some 2022 sleepers from the RB position. 

• Michael Carter

The New York Jets fourth-round pick has been one of the lone bright spots on the 4-12 squad. Carter has ousted roughly 73 all-purpose yards per game (missed three), as he’s been reliable in the run and pass game. A healthy Mekhi Becton, more impressive growth in the system, and fewer defenders in the box from at least a modest passing game, should provide wonders for Carter in year two. We shouldn’t expect a year-two jump that we saw out of Jonathan Taylor, but he should at least crack the 1,000-yard club. 

The New York Post nicely depicts how Mike LaFleur raves about his knack to learn quickly and utilize his all-around skill set. If he continues to keep climbing the ladder, he should have a nice floor and thrilling ceiling.

• Mark Ingram 

It’s strange to see Mark Ingram, also known as the Saints hypeman, turn back the clock at age 32. The bowling ball halfback has had 3.8 YPC and 398 all-purpose yards (seven games) in his short Saints tenure thus far. These stats don’t truly reveal how impressive his running has been with NOLA. In comparison, Alvin Kamara has only mustered out 3.6 YPC, which is a full yard worse than his previous YPC of 4.6 YPC. The Saints OL has been beaten up and to be honest, the Saints offense has been absolutely decimated. It’s been reported that the Saints have set an NFL record of 58 different starters this season. Ingram may be a bit of a deep sleeper, but he could surprise A LOT of fantasy fanatics when he’s in sync with a healthy, well-oiled machine in NOLA. The Saints have lost Terron Armstead, Ryan Ramczyk, Andrus Peat, Jameis Winston, Michael Thomas, Deonte Harris, and the list goes on. Yet, Ingram looks explosive and efficient when he’s not meeting defenders at the line of scrimmage.

• Elijah Mitchell 

This might be a bit of an obvious *sleeper choice. Nonetheless, let’s not forget how absolutely phenomenal Elijah Mitchell is. As a rookie, the former Louisiana RB has notched 878 rushing yards, 4.7 YPC, in 10 games. If his rushing yard tally is averaged out over 17 games, the rook would have picked up 1,492 yards on the ground. That would place him second in the league (1734 is the first/1205 would be the third). Mitchell is flat out a special football player and fully expect him to be a Top 5 RB with ease next season. Fall in love with the news circling around him throughout the offseason.

The post 3 sleeper RBs to target in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Prospect Profile

[*Unofficial measurement]

Age- 

• 22 years old (DOB: 05/02/1998)

Size-

• Ht: 5’10
• Wt: 201

Pro Day Date-

• March 29^th, 2021

High School:

Elijah Mitchell was rated a 2-Star prospect by both Rivals and 247Sports coming out of Erath High School in Erath, Louisiana. The 5’10 200lb Mitchell was the 2016 3A State MVP in football and played basketball during his tenure at Erath High. His senior season he led the entire state of Louisiana in rushing with 1,903 yards and 28 touchdowns while carrying his team to an 8-4 record and a playoff appearance. Despite his incredible success on the ground, Mitchell was projected as more of a WR prospect and was under-recruited as a result. He received the most interest from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (the only school to offer him a scholarship) and committed to the Cajuns in the summer of 2016 to play running back. 

College:

Playing only about 30 minutes from his hometown of Erath, Mitchell played sparingly as a true freshman, but was incredibly efficient totaling 282 yards from scrimmage and 5 touchdowns on only 45 touches (good for 6.3 yards/touch) before his season was cut short by injury. He finished the year mostly in a rotation with other NFL hopeful Trey Ragas and current Los Angeles Ram Raymond Calais, a trend that would continue throughout his college career.

Despite sharing the backfield early and often in his college career, Mitchell broke out as a true sophomore and never looked back.  Beginning in 2018, Mitchell rattled off 3 consecutive seasons of 1,000+ yards from scrimmage, 8+ touchdowns, and 10+ receptions. In his 2019 season when given the most attempts on the team, he turned that into 16 rushing touchdowns which was good enough for second in the Sun Belt Conference. Despite a COVID-shortened 2020 season and another split backfield, Mitchell still managed to put up 1,000+ yards from scrimmage and 8 rushing touchdowns despite only playing 10 games. In January of 2021 Mitchell declared for the NFL Draft and participated in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he turned heads according to reports

Strengths:

• Receiving Ability 
• Agility
• Explosiveness 
• Contact Balance 
• Footwork 

Weaknesses:

• Top-end Speed
• Pass Protection
• Size 
• Age 

Team Visits: 

• No verified visits as of 4/5/2021.

Overview:

Elijah Mitchell is a productive, versatile, and explosive back coming out of UL-Lafayette. He is a good pass-catcher, shows great contact balance, is explosive, and shows excellent footwork on his cuts when reading holes. He has questions about his top-end speed, size, is an older prospect, and was a liability at times in pass protection. While he ran a fast 40 time, Mitchell was often caught from behind on some of his longer runs by lesser athletes, which shows his speed may be more of a short-area burst rather than game-breaking long speed that NFL teams look for in featured runners. 

Despite his weaknesses, Mitchell ended his senior year with a bang. Against UTSA in the First Responder Bowl, Mitchell was named MVP, rushing for 127 yards and a touchdown while adding another 45 yards receiving. His grade of 94.2 was the highest graded game for a running back in the 2020 season according to PFF.

Comp:

• Elijah Mitchell comps closely to Austin Ekeler, in my opinion. Both players are close in size and posted similar athletic traits across multiple categories. Mitchell shows elite athleticism which is reflected in his RAS (Relative Athletic Score) Score of 9.44 which ranked 83 out of 1463 RB prospects since 1987.

Mitchell will most likely have identical draft capital (rounds 3-5+) to Ekeler but will have to improve on his pass protection before he can be projected to have an Austin Ekeler-type impact at the pro level. I believe Mitchell will be a nice complimentary back in the league who could potentially show 3-down capability should he successfully clean up some of the weak spots in his game. He is easily one of the better values at the position this year. While conservatively he could go anywhere between rounds 3-5+, I would not be surprised at all if he ends up being a Day 2 pick for an NFL team.

The post Elijah Mitchell: Player Outlook appeared first on Pro Football Mania.