Phil Mafah | RB | Clemson | 2025 NFL Draft Eligible
In my last Devy profile article, I covered Kyle Monangai, RB, out of Rutgers. (You can check that article out here.) Monangai is a late breakout and a prospect who seems somewhat underappreciated in the Devy community, given the long list of talented backs set to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. Phil Mafah of Clemson is another name that’s getting lost in the mix but is set for a massive role in 2024, which could catapult his fantasy value. You know the drill: I’m going to bring you Mafah’s resume and let you know how we should be valuing him in Devy formats.
High School
Phil Mafah was a 4-star recruit out of Loganville, GA, playing his high school football for Grayson High School. According to Mafah’s profile on Clemson’s website, he rushed for over 2,500 yards and 37 touchdowns over three years at Grayson. He was a man amongst boys, standing at 6’1″ and 210 pounds as a 17-year-old RB. Defenders had a tough time bringing Mafah to the turf, as he averaged 8.8 YPA over his high school career.
Mafah received offers from many big-name programs, including Florida State, Michigan, Texas, Tennessee, and USC. Phil decided to sign with Dabo Swinney‘s Clemson Tigers in August 2019, playing behind current Philadelphia Eagles’ RB, Will Shipley.
2021-2023
Mafah saw some decent playing time as a true freshman in 2021, rushing for 292 yards and three touchdowns on 68 carries. He also hauled in seven receptions for 50 yards, good for a mark of 1.22 yards per route run (YPRR). He was stuck behind Shipley and Kobe Pace but showed his potential as a future RB1, making an immediate impact for the Tigers.
In Year 2, Mafah beat out Pace as the RB2, ultimately leading to Pace’s decision to transfer to Virginia. Mafah had another productive season as a backup, rushing for 515 yards and four touchdowns on 98 attempts. He made improvements in his YPA and yards after contact per attempt (YCO/A), securing a legitimate role in this Tigers offense moving forward.
As a junior last season, Mafah gave us a taste of what we can come to expect when he steps into a bell cow role in 2024. While he was still technically behind Will Shipley on the depth chart, Mafah actually finished with more rush attempts than Shipley on the year (178 to 167). Phil again made small improvements in his YPA and YCO/A numbers, posting 966 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. 2023 was also Mafah’s best season as a receiver, grabbing 21 passes for 108 yards. He now enters his senior season as the clear RB1 for Clemson and should be in line for 250+ touches.
Strengths
Mafah is an extremely large back, listed anywhere between 225-230 pounds, depending on where you look. His size and strength allow him to fight through contact, and he has some surprising agility and burst for a guy his size. He’s great in short-yardage situations and has shown enough as a pass catcher, so I believe he could be trusted in a three-down role at the NFL level. Mafah is in a perfect situation where he should receive a massive workload in 2024 and has an opportunity to really garner the attention of NFL scouts.
Weaknesses
Mafah isn’t the most elusive RB in the world, and he doesn’t have that breakaway speed to outrun DBs in the second and third levels. While I think Mafah is a competent enough receiver, his efficiency as a pass catcher has been abysmal these past two seasons. His YPRR was 0.50 or less in both 2022 and 2023. (I generally look for my RB prospects to hit a minimum threshold of 1.0 YPRR in college, at least in PPR formats.) Phil has made some improvements as a pass protector over the past three years but can still be a liability in this department. And, as we discussed with Monangai, Mafah will be up against some stout competition in this draft class.
Conclusion
Mafah certainly has his work cut out for him if he wants to earn an everyday role at the NFL level, but he’s at least in a situation where he can prove his worth. He’s built to handle a large workload, which I think will ensure him a roster spot on Sundays. Whether or not Mafah can work his way up to an RB1 role at the NFL level remains to be seen, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
If I had to choose, I would prefer Mafah over Monangai, mainly due to being slightly younger and the fact he’s playing for a more prestigious program. If you’re in a Devy startup with deep rosters, I’d be willing to grab him around the 8th-10th round. If you’re in an existing league with a depleted player pool, he would certainly be someone I’d consider more strongly. I could see Mafah becoming a 3rd or 4th round rookie pick in Dynasty Superflex leagues, but that’s about it. It’s not likely he’ll be stepping into a starting role as an NFL rookie, but he’s still a player I’m keeping an eye on as we head into the 2024 season.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
