Rashard Mendenhall, Andre Ellington both struggle for fantasy owners
Neither Cardinals running back has been able to distinguish himself from the other this season, and that continued Thursday. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Arizona Cardinals running backs Rashard Mendenhall and Andre Ellington were both basically shut down Thursday by a strong Seattle Seahawks defense. The two combined for 25 rushing yards as the Cardinals fell to the Seahawks 34-22. Mendenhall salvaged his value partially with a rushing touchdown.
Mendenhall ran the ball 13 times for 22 yards, averaging 1.7 yards per carry, scoring his touchdown on a three-yard run in the second quarter. Ellington, meanwhile, had three yards on only three carries, adding ten receiving yards on two receptions.
Fantasy impact: Due in part to the ineffectiveness of Mendenhall so far this year, the rookie Ellington had seen his offensive attention increase steadily over the past six games. That attention went almost completely away Thursday, as the Cardinals fell behind early and had to throw the ball for most of the game.
Mendenhall has had between 21 and 66 rushing yards in all seven Arizona games this season. While this game was a bad one for him, rushing-wise, it wasn’t markedly so. No, Mendenhall basically did what Mendenhall does, and that’s all the more reason why he isn’t worth much of a fantasy gig going forward.
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