Who Should I Start? Elijah Mitchell or Israel Abanikanda

Friday, November 6, 12:04 PM

With multiple injuries in the backfield, the Philadelphia Eagles have elevated running back Elijah Mitchell from the practice squad for each of the past two games, and that is almost certain to be the case once again for a Week 9 contest against the New York Giants. In a Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders, Mitchell led all Philadelphia tailbacks with 39 offensive snaps played. He recorded 11 rushes for 34 yards (3.1 yards per carry) and four receptions for three yards. Mitchell has played a combined 53 offensive snaps over the past two games, and amassed 14 carries for 45 yards (3.2 yards per carry) and seven catches for 26 yards (3.7 yards per reception). Running back Saquon Barkley is available and will start as usual, though hamstring and back injuries have limited Barkley's touches, so Mitchell could be in line for a solid workload once again. Jaydon Blue is the other option in the backfield, with running backs Dameon Pierce (undisclosed), Tank Bigsby (abdomen) and Will Shipley (foot) all currently on injured reserve. Barkley played 22 offensive snaps against the Commanders, and rushed 13 times for 30 yards (2.3 yards per attempt) and a touchdown, while adding one reception for 24 yards. It will be interesting to see how healthy Barkley is and how Philadelphia splits up backfield touches against the Giants. It is likely that Mitchell will play a role in Week 9, but what that looks like is currently unclear. New York has been susceptible against the run, allowing 128.1 rushing yards per game, which ranks 26th in the league. However, according to Pro Football Reference, the Giants allow 16.8 fantasy points per game to running backs, which ranks 14th in the NFL. Mitchell is RotoBaller's No. 50 running back for Week 9. With Barkley in the lineup, Mitchell is not a recommended start against the Giants. Currently rostered in just 2% of Yahoo leagues, Mitchell is worth monitoring on the waiver wire and seeing how his role develops.