Week 11 at Houston Texans
Andre Ellington only had 2 carries for 4 yards last week against the Seahawks, but he did score a touchdown and he was targeted 6 times in the passing game, showing he’s still an active part of the Cardinals’ third-down plans. Ellington is a risky option, but if you’re desperate and in a PPR league, he has some upside against the Texans this week. Houston has allowed 37 receptions and 3 receiving touchdowns to opposing running backs this year.
Week 10 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Andre Ellington was only targeted 3 times in the passing game last week against the Colts, catching 2 balls for 14 yards. He was on the field for 18% of the snaps, however, and should continue to be the primary pass-catching back, giving him some upside in PPR formats.
However, this is probably not the right week to gamble on Ellington. The Seahawks have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the running back position this year, and have only allowed 1 receiving touchdown to a running back. Ellington is a desperation option in PPR leagues only.
Week 9 at San Francisco 49ers
Andre Ellington is supposed to come back this week, so there’s a chance he posts decent numbers in PPR formats. With Drew Stanton at quarterback, it’s possible he’ll check down a lot against a vulnerable 49ers defense giving up more points per game than any team outside of Indianapolis this year. That being said, coming off an injury with a backup quarterback at the helm, it might be best to sit on Ellington for another week until we see he’s healthy and still being used heavily in the passing game.
Week 7 at Rams (game in London)
Andre Ellington had a big goose egg last week against the Bucs, concerning for a player that was featured so heavily in the passing game during the preceding weeks. With how well Adrian Peterson played in his first game as a Cardinal, it’s hard to imagine Ellington getting a lot of work in the run game, limiting his potential. He still has long-term PPR value, as the Bucs game should be an outlier and he’s a better receiving option than Peterson, but he’s too risky to count on right now.
Week 6 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Andre Ellington only had one carry last week, but he caught 9 passes for 65 yards and tied for the team lead with 10 targets on the day. Ellington should remain the primary pass-catching option out of the backfield, but with the Cardinals acquiring Adrian Peterson in a trade this week, it’s unlikely he’ll get two-down work, limiting his overall upside.
This week, we have Ellington as a low-end RB3 option, at best, in a matchup with the Bucs, who have been much better against the run than the pass. The Bucs did allow 9 catches to Patriots RBs last week, though, which means Ellington has some deep sleeper value in PPR formats.
Week 5 at Philadelphia Eagles
Andre Ellington only had 5 carries for 18 yards last week against the 49ers, but he was targeted 14 times in the passing game, catching a team-high 9 passes for 86 yards. Ellington is getting more and more active each week as the Cardinals try to recover from the loss of David Johnson, and he’s now had two straight weeks with at least 80 yards.
This week, Ellington has a lot of PPR upside against an Eagles defense that has given up 7 touchdown passes and more passing yards per game than anyone other than the Bucs and Patriots. Ellington has limited value due to a number of touches he’s likely to get, but for fantasy owners needing some bye week or injury relief in PPR leagues, Ellington should be a good option.
Week 4 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Andre Ellington only had 5 carries for 22 yards in the running game, but he was very active in the passing game last week, with 5 receptions for 59 receiving yards. Ellington should continue to take the brunt of the third-down work with David Johnson injured, while Chris Johnson takes the carries on first and second down.
Ellington has some sleeper upside as a low-end RB2/RB3 option in PPR leagues this week against a 49ers team that allowed 5 catches and 1 touchdown to Todd Gurley last week and that has given up 6 touchdown passes this year.
Week 3 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Andre Ellington led the Cardinals RBs in targets last week with 5 and seems to be the primary pass-catching option out of the backfield. While he’s worth rostering in large PPR leagues in case his role increases, the Arizona backfield is far too crowded to get excited about any of them. Hopefully, you have better options this week.
Week 2 at Indianapolis Colts
Andre Ellington has struggled with injuries and inconsistency over the past two seasons, but in 2014, he caught 46 passes and had 1,055 total yards from scrimmage. He caught 2-of-3 balls thrown his way last week for 35 yards, but David Johnson was targeted 9 times prior to his injury.
It’s too risky to trust Ellington at this point, but I’m adding him in PPR leagues. He has a nice matchup this week and it’ll be interesting to see how active he is in the passing game with Johnson on the shelf. Someone from Arizona is going to put up viable fantasy numbers, and Ellington seems like the most talented option catching the ball.
Fantasy Upside
Earlier this offseason, the Cardinals said they planned to use Andre Ellington mostly at wide receiver this season. But plans can change. Head coach Bruce Arians subsequently announced Ellington was back to being a running back and added that the Cardinals will be challenging Ellington to run tougher and not get tackled easily.
Fantasy Downside
Ellington will be working behind David Johnson and Chris Johnson, which means Ellington won’t get a lot of touches because Arians said he wants to use Johnson (David) as a workhorse back.
2017 Bottom Line
The move to wide receiver was a way to get Ellington on the field at the same time as Johnson, but that apparently won’t be happening now. Ellington has 398 carries for 1,697 yards and 112 catches for 999 receiving yards in his career, but midway through August and it appears he doesn't have the third-down role completely locked up.
