I mean….the title says it all. Shout-out to ‘Thee HoneyPot’ Arian Foster’s production is undeniable never registering less than 1,200 yards in any season he’s played double-digit games. In fact, Foster has had at least 10 rushing touchdowns in every season he’s played double-digit games. But the problem is he’s only reached double-digit contests in 4 of 6 professional seasons. There were the knee issues at the University of Tennessee, which led to the talented albeit brittle Foster going undrafted. And of course the litany of soft tissue injuries that like the common cold will always stand the test of time as a member of the Texans. And most recently the groin muscle that is DETACHED from the bone which Foster will undergo surgery to re-attach this Friday. OUCH! We told you that he would be a risky selection in fantasy leagues but banged the Foster drum anyway. Well, “Feeno” did you, me, us a favor. Instead of wrestling with the decision of selecting Arian Foster he will be facing a 3-6 month recovery timetable and will likely be placed on Injured Reserved (designated to return). So we should all thank Foster for sparing us from the frustration of combing the Internet for updates on his game-time decision status. We should applaud Foster for sparing us from the despair of unforeseen DNPs and early exits sandwiched between a few 20+ fantasy point outbursts. So we move on….
Looks like the Texans’ backfield is headed towards a dreaded committee. So it will be the collective greatness of: Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes, Kenny Hilliard and Chris Polk that will carry the mail in Foster’s absence. It’ll be interesting to see if any one back distinguishes himself from the pack and proves to be fantasy relevant. Reports suggest that the starting quarterback position is Brian Hoyer’s to lose so I anticipate the Texans will try to run a ball control offense despite a collection of solid-to-good receiving options. Blue did a decent job in Foster’s absence in 2014 and Grimes flashed ability during last preseason. Hilliard. a 2015 seventh round selection has some talent but is a long shot to make an impact this season and Polk who was released by the Philadelphia Eagles has good numbers although in a very small sample size. It should be noted that the Texans’ brass likes Polk. They considered trading for the running back prior to his release so there may be some incentive from the organization’s perspective to give him an extended look. You’ll have to stomach some awful preseason games to see who makes an impression and even then there’s no guarantee as to how head coach Bill O’Brien will divvy up the carries.
As for the Houston Texans’ outlook, I wouldn’t count them out of the AFC Wild Card race just yet. But it won’t be easy. Hoyer…..yawn. Ryan Mallet is intriguing but he’s erratic and doesn’t have the trust of the coaching staff so there’s that. Defensively they will be good, potentially great but if the offense can’t sustain drives they’ll lose the battle of attrition. You know what I change my mind. The Texans are going 8-8 not good enough to make the playoffs in 2015. Thanks a lot Arian!
P.S. If you’re in a league with an IR spot a late round draft pick of Foster isn’t a bad idea. He could potentially help you down the stretch especially if the Texans aren’t mathematically eliminated from the playoffs when he’s slated to return.
