Lamar Miller, Alfred Blue Post-Week 7 Fantasy Advice

The Houston Texans were overwhelmed on Monday during a 27-9 loss to the Denver Broncos, and fantasy owners watched them turn away from the running game as they played from behind.

Quarterback Brock Osweiler finished with 41 passing attempts in the failed comeback effort, which left just 11 carries each for Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue. Those who were hoping for a late boost from Houston's backfield to win their Week 7 matchups were likely disappointed.

Here is a look at the final tallies and a breakdown for each running back.

Lamar Miller

Carries	Rushing Yards	Rushing TDs	Catches	Targets	Receiving Yards	TD Catches
11	61	0	3	4	6	0

Miller is supposed to be the workhorse in the Texans backfield, but he finished with the same number of carries as Blue. That was not by design, though, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle noted the running back suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter and was "in and out of the lineup."

That limited his production, even if he did post a solid 5.5 yards per carry.

Still, the inconsistency is likely maddening for fantasy owners at this point with Miller. He ran for a season-high 149 yards with two total touchdowns last time out but tallied just 20 yards the game before that against the stout Minnesota Vikings defense. His two touchdowns in Week 6 are his only two scores of the year.

It is still far too early to panic and remove Miller from your lineup, especially since he has 19 or more carries in five of his team's seven games. That doesn't change the fact he hasn't been the fantasy star many hoped for during his first season in Houston. 

Alfred Blue

Carries	Rushing Yards	Rushing TDs	Catches	Targets	Receiving Yards	TD Catches	Lost Fumbles
11	63	0	0	3	0	0	1

If it's too early to panic about Miller, it's certainly too early to insert Blue into your lineup.

He notched a solid 11 carries on Monday (and 5.7 yards per attempt), but it was his first game all season with more than six rushes and 39 yards on the ground. He also has one catch all year, so he isn't a factor in the aerial attack as a change-of-pace back.

Blue lost a critical fumble in the second half against Denver, which didn't do much to inspire confidence moving forward from the coaching staff.

Fantasy owners can stash Blue on the bench as injury insurance in case Miller suffers a setback, but there is no reason to start him even as a flex option.