According to Adam Schefter, Cardinals running back Andre Ellington is out today against the St. Louis Rams and is likely to miss their game on Thursday against the Minnesota Vikings. With Ellington out and Chris Johnson on injured reserve, rookie running back David Johnson will step into the starting role and will likely see plenty of touches with not much behind him on the depth chart. Johnson has had an impressive start to his career when he has played with 8 touchdowns on 50 career touches.
According to Adam Schefter, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense will be without Gerald McCoy due to a hand injury. With Jacques Smith also out, the Buccaneers will likely struggle to find a pass rush against the division rival Atlanta Falcons. Even though Matt Ryan has struggled lately, he should be able to have a big day with Julio Jones against their sub par secondary with little to no pass rush. According Ian Rapaport, both Bears tight ends Zach Miller and Martellus Bennett will play today against the 49ers despite rib injuries.
With Bennett playing, Miller is no longer startable and it is a plus for Jay Cutler. Marquess Wilson was ruled out with a foot injury earlier in the week, so I expect to see plenty of targets to both Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett. This is a great matchup for Jeffery as he faces a 49ers defense that has allowed the 10th most fantasy points to wide receivers, but the 49ers have been okay at defending the tight end, allowing the 12th fewest fantasy points to tight ends. According to Ian Rapaport, Jim Irsay believes Andrew Luck will be back for the Colts week 15 matchup against the Houston Texans.
So, if Andrew Luck has been dropped in your fantasy league, picking up Luck may be a wise move if you are playoff bound. If you have been holding Andrew Luck, this definitely means you should continue to hold. This is also a plus for wide receivers TY Hilton and Donte Moncrief as they could produce big numbers when Luck returns. Coby Fleener could also be a nice preemptive add if you are streaming tight end in the playoffs.