Andre Ellington Is Ready To Be An Elite Running Back
By Robbie Robertson
As a rookie, Andre Ellington was considered a sleeper by most. Not only does he play for a team that gets little national coverage, but he was always in the shadows of a few other talented playmakers on the Arizona Cardinals. In 2014, he is going to get a chance to be a featured player on offense. He is currently being drafted in fantasy football in the 3rd round, but he could produce like a 1st or 2nd rounder by the end of the year.
Rashard Mendenhall surprised a lot of people around the NFL when he decided to retire after the 2013 year. Ellington quickly became the focal point of the running game for Arizona, and they trust him to be successful from the very beginning.
Last year, fantasy football owners liked the way he was able to lead all running backs in the NFL with an average of 5.5 yards per carry. He became the 1st rookie in 25 seasons to lead the NFL in that category. He went from a guy who barely when drafted in the NFL to someone who is now a top 3 round pick in fantasy football.
Arizona was able to win a total of 10 games last year, but they were shut out of the playoffs due to being in the wrong conference. It is going to be very difficult for Arizona to have playoff success again in 2014, basically because the rest of their division if strong as well. That also scares off some fantasy football owners, because he will have to go up against the defenses for Seattle and San Francisco.
There are concerns about his smaller body, but he is young enough that it should be able to hold up. He has always been a pretty good runner who is able to pick up extra yardage after contact anyway. It is hard to find sleepers that early in a fantasy football draft, but he should be picked up as early as the 2nd round due to his potential.