Ravens Hope Keaton Mitchell Will Return In November
There is hope that Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) will return sometime in November. Mitchell is on the Physically Unable to Perform list to begin the season and will miss at least the first four games of the year after suffering a season-ending torn ACL in December of last year. This could lead Baltimore to add a RB who was cut from another team, but for the time being, veteran receiving back Justice Hill is all set to handle the change-of-pace role behind workhorse starter Derrick Henry in the early stages of 2024. Fantasy managers can stash the 22-year-old Mitchell if they have the space, considering he racked up 8.4 yards per carry across 47 attempts in his rookie season last year, but he's unlikely to be an option until the second half of the campaign.
The Baltimore Ravens are expected to place running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, meaning he will miss the season's first four games. Mitchell, who tore his ACL in a Week 15 win over the Jaguars last season, had an impressive rookie campaign before his injury. Despite being undrafted, he outperformed Melvin Gordon in the preseason and was highly productive, rushing for 396 yards and two touchdowns with a remarkable 8.4 yards per carry. With Mitchell sidelined, the Ravens will rely on new addition Derrick Henry as the primary running back, while Justice Hill will back him up and serve as a change-of-pace option. Henry is expected to dominate touches in this backfield, making him a prime early target in fantasy drafts.
Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (knee), whose rookie season ended in 2023 due to an ACL tear in his left knee in December, was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list on Monday to start training camp. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise after the 22-year-old suffered the season-ending injury late last year. The bigger question will be whether Mitchell can make enough progress this summer to avoid staying on the PUP list for the start of the regular season, which would mean he'd have to miss at least the first four games of 2024. When healthy, he'll be a speedy complement to new RB Derrick Henry in Baltimore. Mitchell still has plenty of intrigue in dynasty/keeper leagues, but he'll most likely be left to the waiver wire in 12-team leagues this fall, especially if he stays on the PUP list to begin the regular season.
Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) is "on schedule" with his recovery from a torn ACL suffered in Week 15 of last season. However, the speedster won't take part in training camp this summer, and he's likely to miss at least a few games early in the 2024 campaign. This is no surprise given the usual timeline to return from a major knee injury. After going undrafted last year out of East Carolina, Mitchell rushed 47 times for 396 yards and two touchdowns. His sample size was small, but his 8.4 yards per carry led all running backs, and he flashed his splash-play upside. The 22-year-old should be stashed in dynasty formats, but he has a slim chance of being a significant fantasy contributor this year behind Derrick Henry. Justice Hill is slated to begin the season in the RB2 role, though fifth-round rookie Rasheen Ali could make a run at it.
Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) was officially placed on the injured reserve list on Tuesday. It was an expected move from the Ravens after Mitchell tore his ACL in Sunday's 23-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 21-year-old has really come on in recent weeks, but now faces a long road to recovery this offseason. He finished his rookie year with 396 rush yards and two touchdowns. In a corresponding move, Baltimore added Melvin Gordon III to the active roster. Gordon should fill in as the team's RB3 moving forward.
Keaton Mitchell Suffers Full ACL Tear On Sunday Night
Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) suffered a full ACL tear in the Week 15 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday Night Football. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, there is optimism for a full recovery. However, he's obviously out for the remainder of the 2023 season and any playoff games the Ravens take part in. It's a disappointing end to a promising rookie season for the speedster who produced 396 rushing yards on just 47 attempts (8.4 YPC) this season. In his absence, expect Justice Hill and Gus Edwards to split Baltimore's backfield duties.
Ravens Say Keaton Mitchell Has Season-Ending Injury
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh says running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 15's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. It's a bittersweet night for the 11-3 Ravens, who clinched a playoff berth but have likely lost Mitchell for the remainder of the year after the rookie left the game in the fourth quarter. The 21-year-old crumbled to the ground after what appeared to be a gruesome knee injury, and he couldn't walk off of the field under his own power. The undrafted Mitchell's hyper-efficient campaign seems to have come to a heartbreaking end after rushing for a stratospheric 8.5 yards per carry over his 38 attempts with two touchdowns, adding seven catches for 78 yards. It's a tough blow to Baltimore's potent rushing attack, which now loses some of the lightning to Gus Edwards' thunder. After Edwards was trending down of late, he now finds himself in must-own territory for the fantasy playoffs.
Keaton Mitchell Carted Off With Knee Injury, Ruled Out Quickly
Baltimore Ravens rookie running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) suffered an ugly looking knee injury in the second half of Sunday night's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, was carted off the field, and quickly ruled out for the rest of the contest. Mitchell needed assistance from trainers as he hopped off the field and wasn't able to put any weight on his leg. The 21-year-old could easily be looking at a season-ending injury just by the way it looked (non-contact injury), but we'll have to wait and see what all his upcoming tests show. He had nine carries for 73 yards (8.1 yards per carry), adding two catches for 15 yards before getting hurt on Sunday night. If Mitchell ends up missing time moving ahead, which seems likely, both Gus Edwards and Justice Hill will become more valuable in fantasy. Hill is only rostered in 13% of Yahoo leagues currently.
Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell is becoming the lead back in a crowded backfield after he saw the bulk of the work in Week 14. Despite that, he remains a boom-or-bust type of fantasy player, so he'll be a risky start every time. Combine that with the fact that Lamar Jackson takes plenty of the carries himself, and the waters get even murkier. His opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars, is right around the middle of the pack against the run, so his fantasy relevance will likely come down to the game script. They have allowed an average of 23.6 fantasy points per game to opposing backfields. Start him at your own risk, but Mitchell does have some flex appeal in this contest.
Keaton Mitchell Leads Baltimore Running Backs In Carries, Yards
Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell rushed nine times for 54 yards and caught one pass for eight yards in the team's overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Both marks were above Gus Edwards' totals (six carries for 15 yards), although the veteran received the first attempt of the game. Mitchell then took the next couple of touches. Despite not receiving a carry, Justice Hill actually led the running backs in snaps on Sunday. All three backs will be involved in the offense moving forward, which caps the upside of both Edwards and Mitchell. The rookie is the most explosive of the trio and will have more chances to break off a long run or two against Jacksonville in Week 15.
