Arizona Cardinals rookie running back Andre Ellington looked sensational in his first start against the Atlanta Falcons, but the team has decided to move back to veteran Rashard Mendenhall for the start. Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians made the announcement on Friday, but he also let us know that Ellington will still be heavily involved in the rushing attack.
If you are an Ellington fantasy owner, you can expect at least 20 touches for the young back.
From the Cardinals official website:
"Coach Bruce Arians has said he would like to get rookie running back Andre Ellington around 20 touches a game. He had 17 in his most recent game against Atlanta — 15 carries, two receptions — and Arians said the uptick, in his mind, might be best suited as a receiver to get Ellington into space."
If that number is what the Cardinals can actually make happen, their offense will be rolling.
You need to either have the lead or get your running back very involved in the passing game if you want to bring in that number of touches, so it is very clear the Cardinals plan to take advantage of Ellington’s versatility moving forward.