Is Keaton Mitchell The Starting Running Back For The Ravens When He Returns?

Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) was a revelation of the 2023 season. Despite being undrafted, once he earned significant playing time, he quickly established himself as one of the most explosive athletes on the planet and one of the top speedsters in the league.

Sadly, his season was cut short when he tore his ACL against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15 of last year. It was a dismal end to an incredibly exciting storyline that will now have to continue in 2024. However, we should be in for more offensive fireworks when he takes the field.

But will he be the starting running back for Baltimore when that time comes?

• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings
• Kicker fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• IDP fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Will Keaton Mitchell Start For The Ravens When He Returns?

There's no chance as long as Derrick Henry is healthy. However, he'll likely slot into the RB2 role quickly. The current backup, Justice Hill has played well, and will likely maintain a pass-catching role, as that's what he's done most of the season. Hill is a solid pass-protector and has the size to hold up against rushers, unlike Mitchell.

Justice Hill laughs at your blitzes pic.twitter.com/YXNjyLsDTg

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) October 23, 2024

Looking at real football purely from a fantasy perspective, it may not make much sense that Hill will continue to receive playing time, but protecting the quarterback is arguably the second-most important job of anyone on the field (other than that held by the QB himself). He's crucial to the offense continuing to run.

It's likely that Mitchell won't handle much pass pro, but will get a decent amount of touches (7-12 when fully ramped up). It will be interesting to see how much he eats into Henry's touches.

Keaton Mitchell Fantasy Football Outlook

He's lightning in a bottle and will probably see at least a few explosive plays that could lead to weeks where he's worth starting. He was somewhat inconsistent in 2023, and defenses will likely be more ready for his speed, which shocked defenders last season and often left them looking silly.

Keaton Mitchell is a touch football legend. NFL can't even get a hand on this guy. Dude is so fast he's playing a different game altogether. pic.twitter.com/VX3EbCWPut

— JetPack Galileo (@JetPackGalileo) November 16, 2023

He has absurd acceleration, and speed kills. There isn't much defenders can do in a well-designed offense where he'll be given space to work. The biggest questions will be the health of his knee and how much volume he gets, but he's at least worth rostering in most leagues, and should be able to reach RB3/FLEX production on limited volume.

More Fantasy Football Analysis