Keaton

Mitchell

With Justice Hill out for Week 17 because of a concussion, Ali was in line for RB2 duties this week. That didn’t amount to much as he earned one carry which was a loss of three yards. Keaton Mitchell could ascend to the No. 2 role for Week 18 if Ali and Hill remain out.

Ditto Nelson Agholor. Neither player practiced this week and both should be considered questionable for Week 18. It was always unlikely that Hill would clear protocol in just four days. We rarely if ever see players cleared for Thursday Night Football under such circumstances. Rasheen Ali saw nine snaps in relief of Hill last week and it’s possible he caddies for Derrick Henry on passing downs during Wednesday’s game. Keaton Mitchell could also see snaps there despite being a healthy scratch each of the last two weeks.

Mitchell has a chance to be active before the postseason but the Ravens will keep him sidelined for this week. That means Justice Hill will continue as the team’s RB1 behind Derrick Henry and might hold some fantasy value in a likely blowout scenario against the overmatched Giants.

Mitchell didn’t play a snap on offense last week. He hasn’t seen a touch since coming off the PUP list in Week 10 and is now a healthy scratch.

Harbaugh said he sees “a little bit of a three-headed monster” in the Ravens’ backfield, but we’ll take that comment with a grain of salt. Justice Hill is averaging just 6.4 opportunities/gm this season, and Henry is leading the league in rushing through the first 10 weeks. We’d expect Mitchell to get additional work in the coming weeks, but a true “three-headed monster” approach seems unlikely, especially with Lamar also handling work on the ground.

Pro Football Focus charted Mitchell playing two snaps behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill. Maybe he will eventually cut into Hill’s snap share, but it doesn’t seem likely any time soon. Mitchell isn’t worth a stash in 12-team re-draft leagues.

Mitchell is active and will play in Thursday night’s game against the Bengals. The second-year back was enjoying a solid stretch of games in his rookie year before a torn ACL in Week 15 ended his season. Mitchell will play well-behind Derrick Henry, but could see a role as a change-of-pace back in Baltimore’s dynamic rushing attack. He’s worth a stash in deep leagues but fantasy managers shouldn’t be rushing to get him into their lineups at this time.

Mitchell has been a full participant in practice in each of the last two weeks and enters Thursday as questionable. The explosive former UDFA posted a line of 47-396-2 in eight games last season and was averaging 11 opportunities/gm over his last three games before suffering his season-ending injury. It should go without saying that Mitchell won’t pose a serious threat to Derrick Henry, but he could eat into some of Justice Hill’s snaps as he continues to work his way back on the field. He’s worth a stash in deeper leagues.

Mitchell remains on the PUP list while recovering from the gruesome knee injury he suffered last year. Even if activated for Week 10, Mitchell would likely be eased in with just a few snaps while playing behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill. Mitchell is only worth stashing in relatively deep fantasy formats.

Mitchell has been working his way back from a torn ACL late in the 2023 season and has yet to make his season debut. Harbaugh’s comments indicate the blazing running back could return to the game-day roster for the team’s Week 10 meeting with the Bengals on Thursday Night Football, although the Ravens could theoretically hold him out another week considering he has another nine days remaining on his 21-day practice window. The Ravens held a walkthrough Monday, so fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on Mitchell’s practice status Tuesday and Wednesday before making firm plans.