FANTASY FOOTBALL NFL PLAYERS

Posted: 10/26/2009 8:33pm et

AZCardinals.com reports Arizona Cardinals RB Beanie Wells will not be the team's starting running back Week 8. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt said, "I just don't think Beanie is ready yet." RB Tim Hightower will remain the starter. Whisenhunt praised Wells and acknowledged that Wells will enjoy a huge game with a breakaway run or two, but Wells had another fumble Week 7. Wells now has four fumbles in just 49 attempts, which gives Whisenhunt pause.

The Huddle Take: Until Wells can hold on to the ball much better than he does now, Hightower isn't in any danger of losing his job. Hightower isn't the bruising back the team would like, but he's been doing what needs done and holding on to the rock so far this season. Wells has talent that the team is going to try to get on the field more and more, but losing the football can be too big of a risk and can derail the greatest of talent.

Posted: 10/23/2009 11:57am et

Kent Somers, of The Arizona Republic, reports Cardinals RB Tim Hightower practices kicking field goals at least once a week and could be the kicker in an emergency. "Even though we have fun with it, let's not underestimate the importance of it. If it was a critical extra point and Neil were to get knocked out covering a kick the way he does, it could be something that would be important," head coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

The Huddle Take: Did Hightower get the idea from watching Chad Ochocinco in the preseason? The prospect of picking up an extra point or three somewhere down the road is little more than a bonus for Hightower's fantasy value.

Posted: 9/20/2009 8:09pm et

The Associated Press reports Arizona Cardinals RB Tim Hightower had 15 carries for 72 yards with a rushing touchdown Week 2. He also caught three passes for 12 receiving yards.

The Huddle Take: Hightower has been solid the first two-weeks of the season and is getting the majority of the carries for the Cardinals especially with the rookie Chris Wells having problems fumbling the ball of late. Hightower should be considered a quality No. 2 running back especially since he is on a team that usually gets out in front early in games and then relys on the running game to control the ball.

Posted: 9/14/2009 10:52am et

The Associated Press reports Arizona Cardinals RB Tim Hightower caught 12 passes for 121 yards during the team's Week 1 game. He also carried the ball eight times for 15 yards. Hightower's 12 receptions were the second-most receptions by a running back in team history.

The Huddle Take: The 49ers defense took away Arizona's deep passing game and forced Warner to check down to Hightower. The strategy proved to be effective and may prove to be a blueprint for future Cardinals foes—bad news for Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, and even Larry Fitzgerald.

Posted: 9/7/2009 9:57pm et

The Arizona Republic reports Arizona Cardinals RB Tim Hightower was able to hold off rookie RB Chris Wells during training camp for the team's starting running back duties. However, the two should combine to give the Cardinals the big-play threat at running back they have not had recently.

The Huddle Take: No big surprises here, but it is good to know that indeed Hightower will be the starter heading into the season. The Cardinals are a passing team primarily anyway, so neither back is likely to be a stud of any kind anytime soon.

Posted: 8/10/2009 1:30pm et

AZCardinals.com reports Arizona Cardinals RB Tim Hightower is stretching the distance between himself and RB Chris Wells on the depth chart as the No. 1 running back, as Hightower has been improving during training camp while Wells has been injured.

The Huddle Take: Hightower proved himself worthy of a starting spot last season, so it's no surprise that he's looking like the No. 1 in camp, especially considering the fact Wells has been hurt. In what should once again be an explosive offense, Hightower should post strong numbers this season.

Posted: 6/22/2009 2:47pm et

Darren Urban, of AZCardinals.com, reports Arizona Cardinals rookie RB Chris Wells will probably be brought along slowly because he missed all of the team's OTAs. Second-year RB Tim Hightower is not ready to hand over the starting job, which is assumed to be handled by Wells at some point this year. However, don't look for the Cardinals to hand anything over to Wells, so he is going to have to earn the job.

The Huddle Take: The Cards rolled with Edgerrin James for the first part of last season before transitioning to Hightower. With the passing game the crux of Arizona's offense, they'll likely follow a similar path with Wells. That said, there's a reason the Cards drafted Wells in the first round—and it wasn't to sit on the bench.