Tim Hightower/Chris Wells Fantasy News 2010/2011

HacheMan · Aug 2, 2010

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Whisenhunt: Wells' pass-down role could grow </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Chris Wells - RB - ARZ - Aug. 2 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt says Chris Wells has shown major improvement as a pass protector in blitz pickup.
Whiz also called Wells' receiving ability "always ... an underrated part of his game." Tim Hightower isn't going away, but Whisenhunt's comments indicate that Wells could be entrusted as a three-down back in time. Like Adrian Peterson's has, expect Wells' role in passing situations to grow gradually.
Source: azcardinals.com
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HacheMan · Aug 9, 2010

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie Wells carted off field with rib injury </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Chris Wells - RB - ARZ - Aug. 9 - 8:46 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Chris "Beanie" Wells was carted off the Cardinals practice field Monday evening with a rib injury.
Wells took a big hit in 11-on-11s from reserve SS Hamza Abdullah, and "doubled over" afterwards before "gingerly" getting up and walking to a cart. Abdullah admitted that Wells wasn't ready for the hit. Beat writer Darren Urban guesses that "this won't be anything major," but cracked ribs could knock Wells out for the rest of the preseason. An update is expected Tuesday.
Source: azcardinals.com
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HacheMan · Aug 12, 2010

Tim Hightower - RB - Cardinals </TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Coach Ken Whisenhunt explained Wednesday why he continues to list Tim Hightower as No. 1 on the depth chart.</TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>"Tim is versatile, he's tough, and he runs well with the ball," Whisenhunt said. "And we have a lot more information about Tim in different situations than we do with Beanie ... Beanie's got to earn that." Hightower's first-team standing has been overplayed in fantasy circles. His role was already diminishing in the second half of last season, and it will continue to diminish this year as Beanie establishes himself as the feature back.
Aug. 12 - 10:22 a.m. ET</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Source: Arizona Republic</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

HacheMan · Sep 6, 2010

Larry Fitzgerald - WR - Cardinals </TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt confirmed that Larry Fitzgerald (knee) is on track to start Sunday at St. Louis.</TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Fitzgerald is still working on his conditioning, but it's hard to imagine that would ever be a problem for the workout maniac. The Rams are breaking in a new starting safety (Craig Dahl) and will start a cornerback coming off multiple torn knee ligaments (Bradley Fletcher). Fitzgerald will give them fits.
Sep. 6 - 4:31 p.m. ET</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Source: azcardinals.com</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

HacheMan · Sep 8, 2010

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie misses practice, but expected to play </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Beanie Wells - RB - ARZ - Sep. 8 - 4:23 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie Wells (knee) missed Cardinals practice on Wednesday.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt did say after the workout that he anticipates Wells playing Sunday at St. Louis. It's still a situation to monitor closely, as the matchup is highly enticing. Already the favorite for all work in passing situations and on the goal line, Tim Hightower would be a serviceable fill-in should Wells be a surprise scratch. Check back Thursday for an update.
Source: Darren Urban on Twitter
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HacheMan · Sep 9, 2010

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie heading toward game-time decision? </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Beanie Wells - RB - ARZ - Sep. 9 - 4:48 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Coach Ken Whisenhunt suggested that Beanie Wells (knee) could be a game-time decision on Sunday after missing Thursday's practice.
"What concerns me, I don't want this to be something in Week 12, Week 13 or Week 14 that you are having issues with," Whisenhunt explained. "If we feel Beanie has made enough progress by Sunday, he will play. If we don't, like I said, I feel strongly about who we have at the position." It's time to take Wells out of fantasy lineups as a precaution. Last-minute adjustments can be made based on Sunday morning's updates.
Source: AzCardinals.com
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HacheMan · Sep 13, 2010

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Whisenhunt: Beanie Wells due back this week </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Beanie Wells - RB - ARZ - Sep. 13 - 4:04 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt indicated Monday that he expects Beanie Wells (knee) to play in Week 2.
Whisenhunt said Wells is on schedule to practice Wednesday, suggesting he's also on track for a return to game action. Though Tim Hightower was productive from a fantasy standpoint in Week 1, fumbling twice significantly decreased his chances of keeping a feature role. Wells is clearly the superior early-down option, and will be a worthwhile RB2 if he plays at Atlanta.
Source: Darren Urban on Twitter
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HacheMan · Sep 15, 2010

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie Wells 'limited' in return to practice </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Beanie Wells - RB - ARZ - Sep. 15 - 5:12 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie Wells (knee) was limited in his return to practice Wednesday.
The Cards are hopeful Wells will practice fully by Friday. He'll be "tested" on Thursday, at which point the club will have a better idea as to his Week 2 status. It appears Wells will not be 100 percent if he's able to play against Atlanta, however, making him risky to pencil into fantasy lineups.
Source: Darren Urban on Twitter
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HacheMan · Sep 16, 2010

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie limited again, in question for Falcons </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Beanie Wells - RB - ARZ - Sep. 16 - 4:18 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie Wells (knee) was limited again in Thursday's practice.
Wells says he will practice again in Friday's light workout. Beat reporter Kent Somers suggest he's still in danger of being held out on Sunday after failing to put in a full practice. It's clear that Beanie isn't close to 100 percent just yet. Check back on Friday for an official update on his status.
Source: Kent Somers on Twitter
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HacheMan · Sep 17, 2010

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie Wells only does 'a little work' Friday </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Beanie Wells - RB - ARZ - Sep. 17 - 3:20 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie Wells (questionable, knee) did only "a little work" in Cardinals practice Friday, and will be a game-time decision for Week 2.
Beat writer Kent Somers predicts that Wells will not play. The Cards pushed Wells through a fairly heavy practice workload Thursday, and the knee swelled up on him Friday. He'll be "reevaluated" prior to Sunday's 1PM ET game, probably meaning the decision to play Wells will be made in pre-game warmups. He can't be in fantasy lineups, as it appears Wells would be limited even if he played. Owners will just have to stay patient.
Source: Darren Urban on Twitter
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HacheMan · Sep 20, 2010

Beanie Wells - RB - Cardinals </TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said Monday that he is "optimistic" Beanie Wells (knee) will be available for Week 3.</TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Whisenhunt does "want to see him practice first," before committing to Wells' return. A report on the Cardinals' official website Sunday stated that Wells "wasn't even close" to playing in Week 2, which doesn't seem to bode well for his chances of an immediate return to feature back duties. The Cards visit Oakland next Sunday, so another missed game would be a major disappointment. Wells had one of the most favorable early-season schedules of all fantasy backs.
Sep. 20 - 2:48 p.m. ET</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Source: Kent Somers on Twitter</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

HacheMan · Sep 22, 2010

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie practices, says he's ready to play </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Beanie Wells - RB - ARZ - Sep. 22 - 4:33 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie Wells (knee) returned to Cardinals practice Wednesday, and declared himself "ready" to play Sunday against Oakland.
Assuming Wells has no setbacks through the week, Tim Hightower's stint as Arizona's feature back is over. It's been suggested that the Cards always had Week 3 targeted for Wells to make his 2010 debut, and a full practice week would confirm it. Keep an eye on Wells until Friday, but he appears to be ready to play, and would make for a fine RB2 start in the tasty matchup.
Source: Mike Jurecki on Twitter
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HacheMan · Sep 23, 2010

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie to make 2010 debut barring setback </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Beanie Wells - RB - ARZ - Sep. 23 - 4:25 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Coach Ken Whisenhunt confirmed that Beanie Wells (knee) will make his 2010 debut this week barring a setback.
Whiz cautioned that Wells isn't yet in football shape, so he won't be getting 25 carries against the Raiders. While it's a great sign for Beanie owners getting anxious about their RB2 investment, we'd hold off on using him for one more week. Expect Tim Hightower to lead the backfield in touches Sunday.
Source: Darren Urban on Twitter
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HacheMan · Sep 29, 2010

Beanie Wells - RB - Cardinals Beanie Wells (knee) was limited in Cardinals practice Wednesday.
The Cards are smartly easing Wells back in after he received 14 solid carries in his 2010 debut last Sunday. He's ready to play against the Chargers. September 29 - 5:26 p.m. ET
Source: azcardinals.com

HacheMan · Oct 11, 2010

Beanie Wells - RB - Cardinals </TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>When asked if there was a reason Beanie Wells was used so heavily Sunday, coach Ken Whisenhunt said "Not really."</TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Wells complained about his role last week and it paid off. He had 20 carries compared to four for Tim Hightower, although it was not Wells' best performance. He averaged just 1.8 yards per carry and was lucky to retain a fumble in the second half. Whiz obviously sees Wells as the bell cow now, but Beanie will have to produce to maintain such an edge over Hightower. We think he will.
Oct. 11 - 9:17 a.m. ET</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Source: AzCardinals.com</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

bucsfan67 · Oct 11, 2010

wish he would...he's been riding the pine for me all aseason, and god knows i need a decent rb.....addai keeps getting injured, Charles has been pretty good for me, and Bush got hurt, which hurt me.....i had good players at all other sptos, but rb is killing me

HacheMan · Oct 21, 2010

Beanie Wells - RB - Cardinals </TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>The Arizona Republic's Kent Somers expects Beanie Wells to be "the guy" in the Cardinals' backfield coming out of the bye week.</TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Darren Urban of AzCardinals.com also expects Wells to be the primary ball carrier with Tim Hightower remaining a presence on passing downs. Wells has a stiff first test at Seattle's second-ranked run defense, but he should be good for low-end RB2 value going forward. He's been dropped in shallow leagues after an injury-plagued slow start, so pick him up if he's on the wire.
Oct. 21 - 3:15 p.m. ET</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Source: Kent Somers on Twitter</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

HacheMan · Nov 1, 2010

Beanie Wells - RB - Cardinals </TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Beanie Wells is averaging just 2.8 YPC in the three weeks since he asked for more carries.</TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>He's gotten the workload he asked for, carrying the ball 50 times over the last three games, while Tim Hightower has received just 11 totes over that time. But while Beanie does have a touchdown in each of the last two weeks, he's simply not doing much. However, we're confident in him turning it around and he should be a workhorse going forward.
Nov. 1 - 1:53 p.m. ET</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Source: Kent Somers on Twitter</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

HacheMan · Nov 3, 2010

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie Wells' knee becomes a problem again </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Beanie Wells - RB - ARZ - Nov. 3 - 4:54 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie Wells (knee) was limited in Cardinals practice Wednesday.
It's the same knee on which Wells had arthroscopic surgery after going down in the preseason finale. Beat writer Kent Somers calls Thursday's practice "key" for Wells' Week 9 availability. His yards-per-carry average is way down this year, indicating that the knee may have been a problem all along.
Source: Kent Somers on Twitter
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HacheMan · Nov 4, 2010

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Wells: Allergic reaction caused knee swelling </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Beanie Wells - RB - ARZ - Nov. 4 - 4:02 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Beanie Wells revealed Thursday that an allergic reaction to Monday's lubricant injection caused the swelling in his surgically repaired knee.
Beanie hopes put in more work in Friday's practice after being limited again Thursday. He still expects to play Sunday at Minnesota. It's not just the swelling that has us concerned about Wells, however. He is missing holes that he was finding last year, an indication that the knee may be affecting his performance.
Source: Kent Somers on Twitter
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