5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 2

3. Top fantasy football pickups for Week 2 – 49ers RB Elijah Mitchell

One of the most fascinating and frustrating situations in fantasy football is trying to decipher the usage in the San Francisco 49ers’ backfield. Rookie Trey Sermon was a surprise inactive in Week 1, leading to a serious carry vacuum when starter Raheem Mostert went out for the game with a knee injury.

The beneficiary was sixth-round rookie Elijah Mitchell, who racked up 19 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco’s 41-33 win over Detroit. The highlight of Mitchell’s day was a 38-yard touchdown in the second quarter but he was the unquestioned top dog in the backfield after Mostert left.

We are still awaiting word on the severity of Mostert’s injury at post time but this performance from Mitchell has certainly earned him a nice piece of the pie in a backfield that usually functions by committee. The coaching staff’s choice to activate Mitchell ahead of Sermon, who was drafted three rounds earlier and was a popular sleeper in drafts this summer, clearly indicates that Mitchell is outpacing Sermon on the depth chart.

The only reason that Mitchell, who is currently rostered in just six percent of Yahoo leagues, is third on this list is due to the uncertainty over Mostert’s upcoming availability. If Mostert has to miss significant time Mitchell should be the top pickup of the week based on his role in a dynamic rushing attack.