Who Should I Start? Elijah Mitchell or DJ Giddens

Monday, March 10, 12:48 PM

The Kansas City Chiefs are signing free-agent running back Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) to a one-year deal worth up to $3.5 million on Monday, sources tell FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. Mitchell, who was a sixth-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 out of Louisiana, will now join the Chiefs backfield as depth behind Isiah Pacheco for the 2025 season. Barring another injury for the injury-plagued RB, he'll likely enter Week 1 this fall as the No. 2 behind Pacheco. Mitchell has averaged a healthy 4.7 yards per carry on 327 rushing attempts over his three seasons in the NFL, but he's only appeared in 27 games (12 starts) due to injury. He suffered a hamstring injury in training camp last year and was placed on season-ending Injured Reserve in August before the regular season even began. At best, Mitchell will be a deep-league handcuff option for those that have Pacheco rostered.

Sunday, August 31, 3:25 PM

Indianapolis Colts rookie running back DJ Giddens remains third on the depth chart despite a strong training camp and decent preseason. The 22-year-old rookie, drafted in the fifth round out of Kansas State, is currently listed behind starter Jonathan Taylor and Tyler Goodson (elbow). Last year in college, Giddens rushed for 1,343 yards on 205 carries, averaging an impressive 6.6 yards per attempt, and also caught 21 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown. His preseason stats of 18 carries for 67 yards (3.7 YPC) and one nine-yard reception are less impressive. RotoBaller ranks Giddens as RB61, making him a potential late-round stash with upside. Taylor has a history of injuries, missing 16 games over the past three seasons. Goodson is also dealing with an elbow injury, and Giddens could see a significant workload increase if either misses time. The fifth-round pick is a must-add handcuff for Taylor managers and a strong late-round target in deeper leagues, with the potential to step into a starting role if injuries happen.