Andre Ellington

Ellington is one of the nation’s most dangerous runners, but he’s down this far on the list because he missed most of the second half of last year with a turf toe injury. If he can stay healthy in 2011, though, Ellington is worth ranking higher. There will be more carries available with Jamie Harper gone, but it’s not clear how much of that workload Ellington will be able to carry. He ran for 684 yards and 10 touchdowns in the first eight games of last year, so Ellington’s upside is big.

Ellington is not of the same caliber as departed first-round pick C.J. Spiller, but he does possess excellent speed and big-play potential. Ellington made the most of his limited opportunities last year, rushing for 491 yards and four touchdowns on only 68 carries (7.2 ypc). He won’t make Clemson fans forget about Spiller, but Ellington is a more than adequate replacement and should provide plenty of big plays. He needs to fumble less this year, but he’s looking like a decent RB2 in ACC-only leagues and someone to watch in all other formats, too.