Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington aggravated his left foot in practice on Thursday and could miss time because of it. According to Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910, Ellington has undergone and MRI and could be out for an extended period of time. For fantasy football purposes, Jonathan Dwyer is the running back to add.
Ellington is one of the more popular breakout candidates for the 2014 season, but his size and injury history make him a major risk. The former Clemson star battled injuries in college, missing almost half of his sophomore year and undergoing surgery to repair a ligament in his foot after the season. He then played through an ankle injury his junior year and had another surgery in the offseason.
[Previously: Jason Babin rips off Andre Ellington’s dreadlocks, holds them up]
As of now, it sounds like Dwyer would handle the bulk of the carries for the Cardinals if Ellington misses time. The fifth-year veteran would likely work in a committee with second-year back Stepfan Taylor. Dwyer, who has never carried the ball more than 156 times in a season and has averaged 4.2 yards per carry during his career, would likely get the goal line carries.
The situation is worth monitoring, as the Cardinals have not announced anything yet. But whether Ellington’s latest foot injury is serious or not, fantasy owners need to get Dwyer and/or Taylor on their rosters as handcuffs. Ellington is extremely fragile.
