2012 Fantasy Football Busts: Arizona Cardinals RB Beanie Wells

Arizona Cardinals‘ running back Beanie Wells started training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, but Wells was cleared to practice with the team on Tuesday, August 7.

In the offseason, Wells underwent surgery to fix soreness problems in his knee. Even with knee issues, it was still a solid year for Wells who finished as a top 15 fantasy running back. Since being drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft Wells shared carries with Tim Hightower until he left for the Washington Redskins in 2011.

The Cardinals then, surprisingly to some, drafted Ryan Williams to compete with Wells in the backfield. Williams injured his patellar tendon in the preseason so the starting job went to Wells. In 2011, he rushed for 1,097 yards and 10 touchdowns, two more touchdowns than he recorded in his first two seasons combined.

Kevin Kolb leads what looks to be a balanced offensive attack for Arizona. Keep in mind, the Cardinals have receiving targets that could limit their rushing attempts. Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Roberts, Early Doucet, along with Michael Floyd, who was recently drafted 13th overall, lead the Cardinal receiving core.

From a fantasy standpont Wells is a solid No. 2 running back for fantasy owners, but that knee has to be a cause for concern. It’s a good idea to also target Wells’ back-up Ryan Williams, who’s coming off knee surgery of his own. It should be noted, Cardinal running backs don’t have a very productive fantasy track record. Since 2000, Arizona’s 90.4 yards per game rushing is dead last in the NFL. There’s certainly a high risk in drafting Beanie Wells, which is why he could be in the group of Fantasy Football Busts in 2012.