Alfred Blue, Chris Polk's Fantasy Outlook After Arian Foster's Injury

The injury bug bit Houston Texans running back Arian Foster yet again in the team’s 44-26 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 8.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported he was carted off the field with a "non-contact leg injury" shortly before the Texans announced he had suffered an Achilles injury. Foster was playing in his fourth game after missing the first three weeks to a groin injury suffered on the first day of training camp that required surgery.

One of the top fantasy backs when healthy, Foster has missed 14 games since 2013, becoming a sideline regular, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports noted:

Given his instability, the Texans signed Alfred Blue and Chris Polk in consecutive seasons to account for their heavy run game.

However, the team generally split duties between the two during Foster’s absence in the first three games, which doesn’t bode well for fantasy owners.  

Blue is listed as the team’s No. 2 running back and had a breakout 139 yards and a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 16th-ranked run defense in Week 3. Polk, meanwhile, posted a mediocre season-high 38 yards the week prior against the Carolina Panthers.

If his injury is season-ending, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle speculated, Foster owners looking to salvage running back depth may want to look elsewhere, perhaps via trade or waiver wire. The Texans are 2-5 and shouldn’t see much improvement—particularly with Blue and Polk as the primary backfield options.

All fantasy stats via ESPN standard leagues.