Bruce Ellington

Week 14 at Arizona Cardinals

With Matthew Stafford throwing 33 passes last Sunday, Bruce Ellington led the team with 10 targets and seven grabs. However, in the loss to the Rams, he finished with just 35 yards, an average of five yards per catch. In his three games since joining the Lions, Ellington has received 26 looks, leading to 19 receptions, but he’s averaging only 39 total yards per contest and has not been in the end zone. Arizona has limited opponents to 220 passing yards per game, so Ellington is a WR3/flex play.

Week 12 vs. Chicago Bears

With Marvin Jones out due to a sore knee last week versus the Panthers, Bruce Ellington saw nine targets from Matthew Stafford, resulting in six grabs for 52 yards. It's a short week with the Lions playing on Thanksgiving, so Jones is going to miss this week's game too. Still, Ellington is a risky start versus a strong Bears defense.

Fantasy Upside
Ellington played the role of return man and slot receiver last season, though, as Bleacher Report suggested, he received little attention while flanked by DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. Still, Ellington is a veteran talent who coming off a 2017 season in which he had career highs with 29 receptions, 330 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. B/R added: "[Ellington is] fine in zone with solid hands and toughness after the catch." Given all that, he heads into training camp with an edge over oft-injured third-year man Braxton Miller and rookie Keke Coutee. Miller’s production has been underwhelming since being drafted in 2016. In just two seasons, the converted QB has only 34 receptions and a pair of touchdowns.

Fantasy Downside
Also per B/R, when Ellington was the primary target last season, he struggled to beat man coverage and come through as needed. He leans and gives away his routes very early, and defenders often run his routes for him. In addition, Coutee opens his first NFL training camp boasting high-end speed, great hands and the ability to make plays after the catch. Coutee could pose a threat to Ellington and Miller if he progresses quickly.

2018 Bottom Line
Fantasy managers would be hard-pressed to find a reason to draft a Texans receiver beyond Hopkins and Fuller. That said, Deshaun Watson's upside will make whoever the next man up is appealing should either of the front-line wideouts suffer an injury.