- The Cardinals finally allowed Andre Ellington to start and he didn’t disappoint. Ellington had 154 yards on 15 carries and a long touchdown. He added two catches for eight yards. However, the Cardinals still don’t want to give Ellington more than the 12-15 carries he’s been getting since Stepfan Taylor had just as many carries but a 2.7 YPC. There’s no logical reason to not hand the keys over to Ellington but it is what it is.
- Falcons receiver Harry Douglas, filling in for Roddy White and Julio Jones, had 12 catches on 18 targets for 121 yards. Douglas will make a fine option for the rest of 2013 but is already 29 and, unless he goes elsewhere, probably won’t be a dynasty factor.
- Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington had six tackles but added three passes defended and an interception. Washington has been as good as advertised and filled up the stat sheet for the Cardinals.
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Dynasty Recap – Week 7 – Seahawks beat Cardinals, 34-22
- The Cardinals continue to give Rashard Mendenhall carries where he produced 1.7 YPC on 13 carries. Why they don’t see the light and hand over rushing duties to rookie Andre Ellington, I’ll never know. But one thing’s for sure – Ellington is the guy to own in Arizona. He still managed two catches on five targets. If he ever gets full-time duties, watch out.
- Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer had 45 pass attempts but only five were directed towards Larry Fitzgerald. You have to wonder about Fitz’s long-term value with Carson Palmer and that offensive line at the helm.
- In good news, Cardinals receiver Michael Floyd got 10 of those targets and pulled in six catches for 71 yards.
- Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith had the best game of his young career with nine tackles, a sack, two tackles for a loss and a pass defended. Smith is just 24 and is the starting weak-side linebacker in a very good defense so there is long-term potential there.
Dynasty Recap – Week 6 – 49ers beat Cardinals, 32-20
- Arizona rookie running back Andre Ellington continues to show potential with 56 yards on just seven carries. He also added 36 yards on five catches. He’s strung together a couple good games in a row and the 49ers defense is tough.
- The 49ers finally went back to tight end Vernon Davis in the passing game and resulted in 180 yards on eight catches and two touchdowns. This game just showed what Davis is capable of when the 49ers make him a part of the offense. And with fewer tight ends with as high a ceiling as Davis, he should be held in high regard in dynasty circles.
- Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby continues to impress with 11 tackles. a half sack, and three more passes defended. Dansby is 31 but is still filling the state sheet like before. He might be a good value if you can pick him up.
Dynasty Recap – Week 5 – Cardinals beat Panthers, 22-6
- Panthers quarterback Cam Newton passed for 300 yards and three interceptions. He continues to play with a sub-par supporting cast and sub-par coaching, both of which should improve after this year. I suspect it will making Newton a buy-low candidate. It’ll still cost you but Newton is too good to not get a look for your dynasty team.
- Cardinals running back Andre Ellington may be pulling away with the starting job in Arizona. He had 52 yards on just seven carries along with four catches for 31 yards. Now would be the time to make a play for Ellington before it’s too late.
- The Arizona defense had a field day against Carolina, most notably linebacker Daryl Washington who came back from suspension. The 27-year old had nine tackles, two sacks, three tackles for a loss, and a pass defended. He’s an IDP dynasty stud and should be held on to for many years to come.
Dynasty Recap – Week 4 – Cardinals stun Bucs, 13-10
- The debut of rookie quarterback Mike Glennon was uneventful for Tampa Bay. He went 24/43 for 193 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He should get better as the season progresses.
- Bucs running back Doug Martin had a pedestrian day with 27 carries for only 45 yards. Martin’s had a very up and down year but should continue to be relied on with a rookie quarterback.
- For Arizona, rookie running back Andre Ellington continues to provide a spark with a 7.3 YPC on the few carries he had. The better news is he was targeted six times and caught three of those. Ellington appears to be the running back in Arizona to hold in dynasty.
- Arizona wide receiver Michael Floyd made some news with 10 targets and five catches for 87 yards. Those numbers should continue to improve throughout the season. Now, if Arizona could just get an offensive line…
Week 3 Dynasty Recap – Saints shut down Cardinals 31-7
- With only one football to go around, your consistent targets in New Orleans’ offense are Jimmy Graham (15 targets), Marques Colston (8), Darren Sproles (6), Pierre Thomas (6). Anyone other receiver should be avoided in dynasty fantasy circles.
- Saints rookie running back Khiry Robinson took advantage of mop up duty with 38 yards on four carries. He averaged over 4.0 YPC and nine yards per reception in the pre-season. He could get more looks if Mark Ingram continues to struggle.
- Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan tacked on two more sacks against Cardinals statue Carson Palmer. Jordan is legit though and, at just 24, could be your DL1 in dynasty fantasy football for many years.
- Likewise, Saints rookie safety Kenny Vaccaro filled up the stat sheet nicely with seven tackles a pass defended and an interception.
- The Cardinals only ran the ball 16 times after getting behind early. Rashard Mendenhall was the lead back but he isn’t the long-term solution. Andre Ellington and Alfonso Smith had their moments with Ellington being targeted six times in the passing game and Smith scoring the Cardinals only touchdown. Either one could have long-term opportunities in the desert.
Dynasty Rookie Running Backs – Part IV
We’re entering super-sleeper / possibly cut territory with running backs sale. Let’s see what we got.
- Latavius Murray – Drafted out of UCF, Murray initially drew comparisons with fellow Raider Darren McFadden with his size and speed and drew praise from coach Dennis Allen. Now sidelined with a foot issue, Murray might have lost his chance to be the primary backup.
- Kenjon Barner – Drafted out of Oregon, Barner was brought in behind an already crowded backfield on Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams, and Mike Tolbert in Carolina. Nothing special physical-wise, Barner stands at 5′ 9″ and 196 pounds. He’ll be lucky to get on the field and is better suited for special teams.
- Andre Ellington – Drafted 187th out of Clemson, Elllington currently sits 4th on the Cardinals depth chart. However, with Rashard Mendenhall and Ryan Willaims hurting, Ellington suddenly has a shot at some playing time and significant time in pre-season. He knows how to hit his holes and accelerate. Only fellow rookie Stepfan Taylor stands in his way. Ellington might be the best of this bunch.
- Mike James – Pick 189 of Tampa out of the U, James compares to Earnest Graham in size and ability. James has already secured the backup spot to Doug Martin so grab him if you can in deeper leagues.
- Rex Burkhead – Drafted one pick later out of the cornfields of Nebraska, Burkhead is nothing more than a special teams player at this point. His path to fantasy relevance is all but closed thanks to fellow rookie Giovani Bernard. Only draft Burkhead if you plan on keeping Bernard.
- Spencer Ware – Drafted 194th out of LSU, Ware has no shot at running back in Seattle’s crowded (and talent-rich) backfield. Which is why Pete Carroll would like him to learn fullback. It wont’ get him much fantasy stats so you can pass.
- Theo Riddick – With the 199th pick, Riddick went to Detroit to join the competition at running back between Reggie Bush, Mikel Leshoure, and Joique Bell. So far, Riddick is still competing for his roster spot. Nothing to see here.
For Part I click here. For Part II click here. For Part III click here.
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