Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington sat out of practice this week and while it's likely he is just getting some rest, fantasy football owners would be wise to pick up his handcuffs in leagues if they are available, as Jonathan Dwyer and Stepfan Taylor are behind him on the depth chart and this comes after Ellington was a game time decision and had 53 yards rushing last week.
UPDATE: Jonathan Dwyer has been deactivated by the Cardinals after being arrested on domestic violence charges.
According to Pro Football Talk, Ellington sat out of practice on Thursday and while that doesn't mean he will be out this weekend, fantasy owners should take note. Ellington is looking like one of the best sleeper options in football this year and he comes in after dealing with a foot injury at the end of the preseason and that is why he was sidelined a bit. The injury did not keep him from featuring in week 1 and he had a strong game, going for over 70 combined yards in the win against the Chargers.
Fantasy owners with Ellington should use Dwyer as the main handcuff option and Stepfan Taylor is another player to keep an eye on in deeper leagues. Ellington has blazing speed and he also can catch the ball out of the backfield, which makes him a strong pick in PPR leagues. Ellington has been dealing with the foot injury for a little while, but head coach Bruce Arians said he was pleased with how he played Monday night and how the injury looked afterwards.
Ellington sat out practice, but that likely was to keep his foot as good as possible heading into the weekend showdown with the Giants in NY. In the first game Ellington was a game time decision and he ended up rushing the ball 13 times for 53 yards and he also caught five balls for 27 yards and looked good doing it. The foot did not seem to bother him and now he should be ready for Sunday afternoon.
Ellington averaged over four yards per carry in that game and he came into this season after going for 652 yards last year as a rookie. Ellington also added 39 catches for 371 yards and averaged over five yards per carry and he likely will best both of those numbers as long as he remains healthy. Dwyer is the main backup over Taylor and if anything happens in the future with Ellington, he likely will take over as the starting back.
Dwyer comes in after rushing for 20 yards last week on seven carries and he also had two catches for eight yards. Last season Dwyer did not play much despite appearing in 15 games for the Steelers, rushing for just 197 yards. The previous season he had his best year with career highs of 623 rushing yards, 18 catches and 106 receiving yards and he could be called into duty if an injury comes down. Taylor had just one carry for five yards and added three catches for 21 yards and he is a solid option in deeper leagues, but likely will not be a major factor for the Cardinals for the time being and not on Sunday.
