Arian Foster, Alfred Blue's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 7

Houston Texans running backs Arian Foster and Alfred Blue started Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7 with a bang.

Fantasy owners, of course, know how closely the veteran and rookie are intertwined.

On a 94-yard drive to start the game, Foster handled the ball five times and gained an impressive 59 yards. Blue had one carry for just three yards but capped off the drive with an 11-yard reception that ended in the end zone, good for the first touchdown of his career.

The production from Blue, who is owned in just 2.1 percent of leagues, is a welcome surprise, as his seven points after the first drive were eerily close to his season-high of eight.

Of course, the early-game numbers from Foster were right on course for a back many owners took a serious gamble on after an injury-laden season last year. The final numbers, as expected, worked out in his favor:

	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD	TGTS	Fantasy Pts.
A. Foster	20	102	5.1	0	4	13	1	6	15
A. Blue	5	14	2.8	0	1	11	1	1	8

Foster had three games of 20 or more points entering Monday, so he remains a top-tier RB1 regardless of matchup when healthy. He did post two games in single digits entering Monday, but they came against the Buffalo Bills and Washington—teams that rank in the top four against backs this season.

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Blue is a tad trickier. Monday's display is proof enough that owners should scoop up the sixth-round rookie as a stash option. His season-high of eight points entering Monday by no coincidence came in Week 3, which Foster missed due to injury.

He typically does not see notable snaps, so unless this strong production with Foster becomes a serious trend, he is nothing more than a stash, albeit a very good one.

Now is not the time to sell on Foster, if ever. At such a shaky position, Foster is good for production akin to clockwork when healthy. When not, well, that is what Blue is for—but only for owners who win the race to the wire. 

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.