Andre Ellington's Fantasy Outlook After Reportedly Signing with Texans

Following an underwhelming first half of the 2017 season, Andre Ellington will have an opportunity to start anew with the Houston Texans after the Texans claimed him off waivers Tuesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported. 

A move to Houston could help revive Ellington's rapidly dwindling fantasy football value.

The 28-year-old will fill the void left by rookie running back D'Onta Foreman, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Houston's Week 11 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

In his first eight games for the Cardinals, Ellington ran for 53 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He also caught 33 passes for 297 yards.

Ellington's pass-catching ability could make him a waiver-wire target in the weeks to come, but it remains to be seen whether joining the Texans will result in a noticeable bump in his numbers.

For one, Ellington will have to compete with Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue for opportunities even without Foreman in the equation. Miller is a solid receiver as well, so Ellington doesn't have a significant advantage over the competition in that regard, either.

The Texans' quarterback situation is a big variable as well since so much of Ellington's fantasy value is tied to his receiving. Tom Savage threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinals, but one good performance doesn't outweigh his past struggles as a starter.

Ellington's injury history is another concern. Only once in his previous four years did Ellington play a full season.

It's difficult to find much help at running back on the waiver wire at this point in the season. For that reason, Ellington is worth following over the next few weeks.

The questions around his role in the Texans offense and Houston's passing game cast too much doubt on Ellington right now, but he could prove to be an impact player over the final few months of the 2017 campaign.