The Houston Texans and fantasy football owners were dealt a serious blow when running back Arian Foster went down with a torn ACL this past week. Foster, a top five RB when healthy, will miss the remainder of the season and may not suit up for the Texans ever again.
This leaves owners in a difficult spot in the short-term. How do they replace Foster? ESPN Fantasy insider Eric Karabell offers some suggestions, though he doesn't expect Houston to produce a viable fantasy option at the position.
"Sophomore Alfred Blue, owned in roughly 20 percent of ESPN standard leagues, figures to be next man up, and while he has shown glimpses of promise in his young career, it hasn't come with much consistency. In Week 3, he rambled for 139 yards and a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the other five games this season, he rushed for 95 yards on 29 carries. Frankly, I can't get too excited about Blue mattering week-to-week in fantasy this season. The Texans could also see what Chris Polk and Jonathan Grimes are capable of. But ultimately the Texans - a two-win team with a struggling offensive line and suddenly ghastly defense that places them in deficits - aren't likely to feature a reasonable fantasy option at running back for the rest of 2015."
As Karabell mentions, Blue had his shot to make his mark when Foster sat out the first few weeks of the season. Though he wasn't helped by head coach Bill O'Brien's decision to change quarterbacks so quickly, Blue ultimately did little to set himself apart. Given Houston's ongoing quarterback struggles and offensive line play, it's safe to assume Blue won't suddenly emerge as a dependable running back option in fantasy. Look elsewhere if you need help at the position.