The Arizona Cardinals may have RB Andre Ellington out on Sunday for Week 14 and if that happens, Marion Grice, Stepfan Taylor and Michael Bush are fantasy football start options for owners at the position, as the Cards are heading towards the playoffs and cannot afford to lose another game after falling to the Falcons.
Ellington comes into this week with a hip pointer and that could be enough to keep him out and that would be a huge loss for the Cards. According to Pro Football Talk, Ellington will not practice this week and while that doesn't mean he will be ruled out Sunday, it doesn't seem likely that he will suit up. Grice came in and took over as the starting back when Ellington had to leave and he looks like the better option right now over Taylor for fantasy owners looking to replace him.
Taylor has been used sparingly and he is only an option in deeper leagues, while Grice could be a nice handcuff for Ellington over the next couple weeks. Taylor is worth a look for 14 team leagues, as he could steal a touchdown like he did last week, scoring a TD and a two point conversion. Michael Bush is also in the mix and while he is not a fantasy option, owners should be aware of him when it comes to evaluating whether to use Grice, Taylor or someone else to replace Ellington in starting lineups.
Adding to Ellington's status is the fact that the team plays on Thursday night football in Week 15 in a divisional game against the Rams. That is big for the Cards if they lose this week, as they are leading the division but have the Seahawks right on their heels. Losing Carson Palmer was huge and while Drew Stanton has played well in his place, the team can't afford to lose Ellington for too long, as he is their best playmaker at RB.
Ellington is having a strong season and he has played in 12 games and has rushed for 660 yards and three touchdowns while adding 46 catches for 395 yards. Last season Ellington had 652 yards as a rookie and he now has the chance to set a new career high if he can get back into action. Ellington has only been over 100 yards once in his career and that was last season, but he has put a solid amount of combined yardage in games this year and he is one of the best dual threats in the league.
Grice has just 29 yards this season, but that came mostly in garbage time in games and he ended up Sunday with 11 carries and three catches in the game. Grice could be a solid option, but it's unlikely he ends up equaling what Ellington usually does. Taylor has 25 carries for 83 yards this season and one TD and he comes in after scoring a three yard TD on a catch on Sunday and scoring a two point conversion. Bush comes in after rushing for 197 yards last season with the Bears and is a marginal fantasy option only in deeper leagues and not in PPR leagues at all.