Arian Foster Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Texans HC Gary Kubiak reiterated on Saturday that RBs Arian Foster and Ben Tate will share carries against the Chargers in Week 1.  “We’re going to rotate,” Kubiak said. “First off, I think Arian’s condition is excellent. His practice this week has been just excellent. He’s a worker — that’s why he plays well — and I’ve been impressed by how he’s held up. But I think it’s early in the season; I don’t know how warm it’s going to be up there. But I think we’re smart to play them both and obviously we’ll see how Arian holds up from that standpoint. But I don’t think we’re looking at the majority load that we maybe look at when he’s rolling.”  We're expecting 15-18 total touches for Foster.  That'd likely leave 12-15 for Tate in a game the Texans should control.  Both Houston RBs are worth getting into fantasy lineups.

Chargers LB Manti T'eo (foot) has been ruled out for Monday night's game against the Texans.  Some dude named Bront Bird will start in his place.  It's great news for RBs Arian Foster and Ben Tate, who could both post top-25 numbers this week.

Texans RB Arian Foster (back) practiced all week and is ready to go for Monday night’s opener against the Chargers.  “I’ll tell you what, he looks really good,” HC Gary Kubiak said after Thursday’s practice. “He’s come a long way. I’ve been impressed with his wind, his conditioning.”  The Texans are expected to limit Foster’s workload this week, but he should still see 15+ touches.  Get him into fantasy lineups. 

Texans HC Gary Kubiak confirmed that RB Arian Foster's workload will be monitored in Week 1.  "Obviously I don't think Arian's going to be a 30-carry guy on opening night," Kubiak said.  We actually don't expect Foster to see 30 carries in any games this season.  He's done it 6 times over the past 3 years, but the Texans seem cognizant of the fact that he's been overworked.  Ideally, Foster would average around 20 touches per game this season, with RB Ben Tate seeing 10-12.  Foster will be just a RB2 to open the year, while Tate will be a viable RB3 or flex option.  Houston opens against the Chargers on Monday Night Football.

Texans RB Arian Foster believes being sidelined all offseason might actually help him this season.  “My body feels great. I actually think all this time [off] might help," he said.  "Over the past couple of months I had the chance to just train and rehab and work on my body and didn’t have all those carries in training camp. Even during camp I got a long rest. It’s usually a grind. Now I feel fresh. I feel rejuvenated.”  Foster certainly needed the time off after carrying 956 times over the past 3 seasons.  Of course, the rest came because of calf and (the more-worrisome) back issues.  Foster will have just a couple weeks of practice under his belt heading into Week 1.  We're expecting his role to be scaled back early on.  And Houston might even elect to limit his touches all season in order to keep him fresh for the stretch run.

The Texans are "pleased" with RB Arian Foster's progress, according to insider Jason La Canfora.  Foster put in his most extensive work of the offseason on Friday, "and the general consensus was he looked good."  But La Canfora doesn't believe Foster will be ready for a full workload by Week 1.  We're on board with that.  The guy will be entering the season with just a couple weeks of practice under his belt.  We'd bet on 12-15 carries for at least the first few games, with RB Ben Tate picking up the slack.  We'll continue to keep a close eye on Foster's progress between now and Week 1.

Texans RB Arian Foster and HC Gary Kubiak gave differing answers Wednesday when asked if Foster will be ready for Week 1.  "Yeah, I'll be ready," Foster said.  Kubiak was far less committal: "Is it a must for him to be ready to go against San Diego and help his team win?  No, I don't think it is."  Kubiak clearly has the bigger picture in mind and isn't going to let Foster rush back from his calf and back injuries.  We'd still bet on Foster playing in Week 1 if he doesn't suffer a setback between now and then, but it's not a lock.

The Texans have activated RB Arian Foster from the PUP list.  It's the 1st shred of good news we've heard about him since he went down with a calf strain in June.  Foster has been sidelined since then, although it's his back that's become a bigger concern.  He's been dealing with back pain that spread into his legs.  He received an injection about 2 weeks ago to help alleviate the pain.  We'll see how much work Foster gets in at practice this week.  He's unlikely to play in Houston's 3rd preseason game.  We're tentatively expecting Foster to be on the field for the regular season opener, although he'll likely be on a touch count.  He remains the riskiest 1st-round pick in fantasy drafts.

Texans HC Gary Kubiak is still expecting RB Arian Foster to play Week 1. “I am, because I watch him work,” Kubiak said. “I’ve been watching him — he’s basically going through practice or has been since we’ve been in camp on his own with (head trainer) Geoff (Kaplan). And, obviously, there’s been a little setback as we try to get the soreness out of him. But from what I’ve seen, yes, because it’s not like he’s been standing around for the last three weeks.”  The optimism is nice, but it doesn't mean much until we see Foster get back on the practice field and make tangible improvement. Kubiak admitted that there's no timetable for Foster's return.  

Texans RB Arian Foster's return to the practice field has been delayed once again. HC Gary Kubiak announced that Foster received an injection in his back "to alleviate pain" back on August 9th.  Doctors tell the team that Foster isn't ready to resume practicing yet.  Kubiak also revealed that Foster's back pain has spread into his legs.  This has officially gone from a minor concern to a significant one.  Foster hasn't practiced since June, and it doesn't sound like he'll play this preseason.  Even if Foster is ready for Week 1, it's fair to question what kind of shape he'll be in.  He'll also be a significant injury risk after sitting out all or most of the summer.  Fantasy owners selecting him in the 1st round are making a major gamble.

Texans RB Arian Foster remains on the PUP list with the season opener just 3-and-a-half weeks away.  His back is a bigger problem than the calf now.  "I think his calf is fine, but his back’s bothering him a little," HC Gary Kubiak said. "There’s some tightness in his back, and we’re trying to find the right moment to get started in the process. The question is always when do you (take) him off PUP?"  There's little doubt that Foster will be available for Week 1.  But he's becoming an even bigger injury-risk after sitting out virtually the entire offseason.  We're curious to see what kind of shape he's in when he finally gets back on the field.

Texans RB Arian Foster was supposed to make his training camp debut on Sunday.  It didn't happen.  He's now dealing with a back injury after missing spring workouts with a shin issue.  The injury problems are starting to pile up for Foster now.  It's not completely surprising considering his 956 carries over the past 3 seasons.  We'll see if he's able to get on the field sometime this week.  Houston's preseason opener is Friday night.

Texans HC Gary Kubiak is "hoping" RB Arian Foster will get back on the practice field Sunday.  He's been sidelined since straining his calf in June. If he's out much past this weekend, we'll start knocking him down our RB rankings.  Foster remains a risky 1st-round fantasy pick.

Texans RB Arian Foster (calf) has been placed on the PUP list to start training camp.  It's a bit surprising since he was expected to be ready by now.  We haven't heard much on his status since he went down with a strained calf in June.  We'll obviously be keeping a close eye on a guy going inside the top 3 picks of most fantasy drafts.  It'll become a major concern if Foster is still sidelined in mid-August.  Regardless, we think Foster carries far too much risk in 2013 to select that high.

Texans RB Arian Foster (calf) says he'll "more than likely" be ready for the start of training camp in late July.  We'd like to hear him fully confident in his availability, but we'd be surprised if he wasn't out there.  The calf strain happened a couple weeks ago and wasn't considered serious.  “Yeah, it’s going good man,” Foster said. “It’s just a small calf strain. News is dry in the offseason, so it made headlines.”  The calf shouldn't be an issue this season.  But we'll have Foster under a microscope when camp opens.  With 1,243 total touches over the past 3 seasons, he's at risk of hitting the wall in 2013.

Texans RB Arian Foster will be sidelined until training camp with the calf injury he suffered yesterday.  Foster is currently on crutches with what HC Gary Kubiak called a "pretty good calf strain."  Kubiak isn't concerned about Foster's availability for training camp, though.  "He's going to be fine," Kubiak said of his stud back.  The calf injury by itself isn't much of a concern for Foster's 2013 fantasy outlook.  But this is a guy who's amassed 1,243 total touches over the past 3 seasons, including playoff games.  He played in all 16 games last year but appeared on the injury report with knee and hamstring injuries.  Foster still carries top-3 upside in 2013 fantasy drafts, but he should be considered a significant injury risk.  Backup RB Ben Tate is a must-have handcuff.

Texans RB Arian Foster suffered a calf injury in Tuesday's OTA session.  He reportedly limped off the field under his own power and was getting iced the rest of practice.  HC Gary Kubiak classified the injury as a strain.  "It's always concerning," Kubiak said. "We'll see what's wrong, see what happens."  We'll keep our eyes on the situation, but it's unlikely to turn into anything that will impact Foster's 2013 fantasy outlook.  It's worth mentioning, though, because we already had Foster red-flagged as an injury-risk this year.  He's racked up a whopping 1,243 total touches over the past 3 seasons, including playoff games.

Most RBs would consider 1,424 rushing yards and a league-leading 17 TDs a career year.  Texans RB Arian Foster was disappointed with those 2012 numbers.  "I just want to bounce back. I didn’t feel like I had the best season last year," Foster said. "I think this has probably (been) one of my most intense training offseasons I’ve had since I’ve been in the NFL. (I’ve) just refocused and rededicated myself to another level, and hopefully it shows."  Foster's work ethic has never been questioned.  He also remains the feature back on a run-heavy offense.  The concern heading into 2013 is that he's compiled 1,061 carries over the past 3 years.  It seemed to catch up with him this past season, with Foster averaging a career-low 4.1 yards per carry.  The workload and history of production keep Foster in RB1 range this year, but he'll come with more risk than usual.

Texans RB Arian Foster refuted this morning's story that he'll undergo heart surgery this offseason.  "I have not nor do I plan, anytime in the near future, to have conversations with my doctors about any surgery," Foster stated in plain terms.  The original report came from NFL Network's Alex Flanagan, who isn't known as a newsbreaker.  Foster did admit that he had a "casual conversation with a reporter" about his irregular heartbeat, but it sounds like Flanagan jumped the gun on the surgery report.  Even though Foster continues to downplay the situation, though, we maintain that it's a situation worth monitoring.  There's no such thing as a "minor" heart issue -- especially with a pro athlete.

Texans RB Arian Foster is reportedly planning on undergoing heart surgery in about a month.  The procedure is called a heart ablation and will use catheters inserted through Foster's groin, neck, or forearm and threaded up to his heart to destroy tissue that causes abnormal heart rhythms.  It's a relatively minor procedure that comes with a recovery time of just a few days.  Foster says he's been dealing with an irregular heartbeat since he was 12 years old.  This past December was the first time it's happened during a game though.  While neither Foster nor the Texans have expressed much concern about the situation, it's definitely something to monitor this offseason and beyond.