Fantasy Football Rookie Spotlight: Cody Schrader

Cody Schrader took an unconventional path to the NFL, beginning his career at the Division II level before walking on at Missouri. He wasn't drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Schrader landed as a UDFA with the 49ers, where he'll look to carve out a role behind Christian McCaffrey. What will the 24-year-old running back look like at the NFL level? Is he a potential fantasy sleeper heading into his first NFL season?

Below, you'll find our fantasy football rookie profile for San Francisco 49ers running back Cody Schrader.

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Cody Schrader's Path to the NFL

Cody Schrader took a fairly winding path to the NFL, starting his college career at Division II program Truman State. Schrader began his career there in 2018, with his true breakout campaign coming in 2021. That year, Schrader ran for 2,074 yards and 25 touchdowns for the Bulldogs.

After that performance, Schrader entered the transfer portal. He wasn't able to find a scholarship at the Division I level, but he walked on at Missouri, where he was able to make an immediate impact for the Tigers. In his first season with the program, Schrader had 170 carries for 745 yards and nine touchdowns.

Love 🖤 #miz pic.twitter.com/LcChzR0iZZ

— Cody Schrader (@codyschrader_7) January 4, 2024

He followed that up with an even better performance in his second season with Mizzou. In 2023, Schrader had 276 carries for 1,627 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus caught 22 passes for 191 yards.

After starting at the Division II level, the fact that Schrader went on to lead the SEC in yards from scrimmage in 2023 was an incredible feat. While he went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, his performance was enough to earn him a spot on the 49ers as an undrafted free agent.

What Cody Schrader Brings to the 49ers

Schrader brings a lot of toughness to the football field. While the 49ers have an electric back on the team's roster already, Schrader could fill a need for a between-the-tackles runner who can grind out yards.

Top 5 draft-eligible running backs in Running Back Dominator in 2023:
1) Re'Mahn Davis
2) Cody Schrader
3) Frank Gore Jr.
4) Rasheen Ali
5) Blake Watson

✍️Davis is super old (24.1 years) but destroys advanced metrics like Gore Jr.
✍️Schrader has solid rushing metrics. pic.twitter.com/A0V4z7bTvk

— Corbin (@corbin_young21) January 5, 2024

As you can see in the clip above, Schrader hits the gap really hard, and he's able to find a spot and explode toward the goal line. He takes contact between the 3- and the 2-yard lines, but his momentum helps carry him in for the touchdown. He's not the fastest guy in the world, but if he can get some steam behind him, he can use his toughness to bounce off guys and drag his defenders for extra yards.

Schrader's a guy who can finish plays, and every NFL team has some use for a guy who can finish plays. Like I said, Schrader's not going to be out on the field zipping past everyone, but he's also not a plodder. There's juice in those legs, which can help if he's forced to run horizontally.

Path to Playing Time

The 49ers have a top two at running back that's going to be impossible to break through without an injury, as Christian McCaffrey is arguably the league's best running back and Elijah Mitchell is a great No. 2. Beyond that, Schrader is fighting for a spot with fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo. Schrader was more productive in college than Guerendo and if anything happens to Mitchell, he'd be a great between-the-tackles complement to McCaffrey.

And with McCaffrey's recent extension with the team, there isn't really a clear long-term role for Schrader, either. It's going to be really, really tough work for Schrader to earn a spot with the 49ers.

The good news is that his past track record suggests he's got the tenacity to keep pushing. You don't go from Division II to walking on in the SEC to leading the SEC in yards without having a lot of drive. What I'm saying is that while Schrader making an impact in the NFL isn't the likeliest outcome, I'm not betting against a guy like him.

2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

As good as Cody Schrader looked at Missouri, there are a number of things working against him when it comes to figuring out his performance in the NFL in 2024.

The main thing is that there's not a clear path to snaps for Schrader. Christian McCaffrey is the NFL's best running back and Elijah Mitchell is a capable backup. If there are no injuries in San Francisco, Schrader almost certainly won't see the field.

And that's assuming he even makes the roster. The path to NFL success for an undrafted free agent running back can be tough, especially when that back will turn 25 years old in September. In addition to fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo, Schrader is battling with Patrick Taylor Jr. and Jordan Mason to even make the roster. There's no guarantee that Schrader's on the active roster at the start of the 2024 season, or on the 49ers at all. He could be cut and land elsewhere. He could be on the practice squad.

Overall, Schrader's a talented back, but he's got a lot working against him in 2024. Fantasy managers don't need to draft Schrader at this point in redraft leagues, as he's highly unlikely to make a fantasy impact in his rookie season.

He can be viewed as a late-round option in dynasty rookie drafts. His age works against him a bit there, but Schrader feels like someone who can find a way to get on the field at some point. Maybe that point won't be in San Francisco -- personally, I'd love to see him in Miami after the team moves on from Raheem Mostert, though that's obviously just a personal wish and not something that should impact any fantasy stock. Still, I wouldn't be shocked at all if three years from now, we're collectively having an "oh, wow, that Schrader guy, where'd he come from?" moment.

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