David Johnson 2015 Fantasy Outlook After Chris Johnson, Andre Ellington Injuries

The Arizona Cardinals outlasted the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, 19-13, but they lost their two main running backs to injuries in the process.

Andre Ellington suffered a foot injury, and Chris Johnson walked to the locker room in the third quarter after suffering a knee injury. Neither returned, and head coach Bruce Arians said he wasn’t sure about the status of either back during a postgame interview with Paul Calvisi of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (via Craig Grialou of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM).

Fortunately for the Cardinals, rookie running back David Johnson scored a touchdown and kept the rushing attack afloat. Here is a look at his final numbers as well as a fantasy reaction for the ball-carrier:

Carries	Rushing Yards	Catches	Receiving Yards	Total Touchdowns	Targets	Fantasy Points
8	21	2	8	1	4	8.9

Considering that the rookie hadn't recorded a single game with more than seven carries before Sunday’s contest, his fantasy value is inextricably tied to the health of Ellington and Chris Johnson moving forward.

David Johnson does have 19 catches this year and three receiving touchdowns, but he is not as consistent in the passing attack as Danny Woodhead and Theo Riddick.

It is worth noting that Ellington has dealt with injuries throughout his career (he missed four games in 2014 and three contests this year after suffering a sprained PCL in Week 1), and Chris Johnson is 30 years old. The Cardinals might need David Johnson for the rest of the season.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee said both Ellington and Chris Johnson were questionable to return during the game, so the injuries may not be serious.

However, it is worth monitoring David Johnson as a potential waiver-wire pickup (he was owned in 22.7 percent of ESPN.com leagues coming into Sunday’s game). Arizona was ninth in the league in rushing yards per game heading into Sunday’s slate, and Football Outsiders ranked its offensive line as the fifth-best run-blocking group in the NFL.

The offensive line is a major reason why Chris Johnson has rejuvenated his career at 30 years old, which is the dreaded age when production typically begins to decline for running backs.

David Johnson doesn’t have an established track record to fall back on for fantasy purposes, but he is a high-upside rookie who could quickly rack up impressive numbers behind Arizona's offensive front. That alone makes him a valuable target on a waiver wire that is particularly thin at this point in the season.