Phil Mafah

Phil Mafah is poised to reprise his role as a complementary piece in the Clemson backfield to lead dog Will Shipley. Mafah managed 5.3 yards per carry and four touchdowns last season on 98 carries but hasn’t been much of a use in the Tigers’ passing game, catching just nine balls. Mafah is a 6-foot-1, 230-pound load capable of being a featured back, making him a terrific handcuff if that’s a path you’re willing to go down. New Tiger OC Garrett Riley loosely supported a second back last year, with Emari Demercado going for 681 yards and 121 carries, and Riley’s offense also afforded TCU QB Max Duggan 137 attempts, a number Tiger QB Cade Klubnik likely isn’t going to sniff despite being a capable runner. It still seems unlikely Mafah can carve out his own fantasy value without an unfortunate incident occurring to Shipley, but there does appear to be a slight path for an uptick in workload.