The Arizona Cardinals have Andre Ellington out with an injury and for fantasy football owners, Chris Johnson and David Johnson are the best fantasy football pickups to replace him. The team has Michael Floyd, John Brown, Darren Fells and Larry Fitzgerald as starter options for this week for quarterback Carson Palmer against the Bears.
The Cardinals got a win over the Saints in Week 1 of the season, but the team lost Ellington to an injury and now he will be out for a stretch. The injury appeared to be a serious one, but the Cardinals were happy to find out that Ellington did not suffer any long term damage. According to ESPN.com, Josina Anderson reports that Ellington suffered a posterior collateral ligament sprain in his knee, but did not suffer a tear or any other damage.
Last season Ellington dealt with injuries and missed some time with a foot issue and now he will be out for at least a couple weeks. The Cardinals drafted David Johnson and added Chris Johnson as a free agent this summer as backups for Ellington. Ellington left the game and both Johnson's got some carries and made an impact in the win against the Saints. Head coach Bruce Arians said that Chris Johnson would be the "lead dog" if Ellington missed time, but David Johnson also should get some work on Sunday.
The Cardinals offense has Carson Palmer back after his injury last season and the passing game is deep and has some solid talent if the Johnson boys can't get things going. Ellington showed some versatility last season and the Cardinals are hoping he is only out for a few weeks. Last season Ellington had 660 rushing yards in 12 games and also added a career high 46 catches for 395 yards and he will remain a big part of the offense when he returns. Michael Floyd, John Brown, Darren Fells and Larry Fitzgerald are all worth starting and John Brown could be a sleeper going forward for this season.
For fantasy owners, Chris Johnson is likely the better option for now, as he had more touches in Week 1 and was on the field for more plays. It may develop into more of a split role over the next couple weeks, but to start things off, the older Johnson is the better option to go after. David Johnson could swipe some goal line situations and in deeper leagues he is worth starting. Last season Johnson put up career low numbers with the Jets, but he has the chance to bounce back in Arizona, as they have a high powered offense that should continue to put up points.
The Bears have a new defensive coordinator, but the unit last year was one of the worst against the run and that could be a nice matchup for the Johnson boys. Johnson had 10 rushed for 37 yards in the game on Sunday and he is going to be the starter for Week 2 for Bruce Arians. David Johnson showed his skills on Sunday, scoring on his lone touch on a 55-yard reception.