Arian Foster Injury: Why Fantasy Owners Need to Pick Up Ben Tate

Anyone who had Arian Foster last year knows that you had guaranteed points in every game. He could run the ball very well, he could catch the ball, get yards after the catch, and just plain dominate a game.

He was one of the best running backs to have for fantasy purposes. Then, he suffered a hamstring injury in training camp.

At first, it was thought the injury wasn't serious enough to do any damage to Foster. He healed up during the preseason and was able to play in both the Saints vs. Texans game and the Texans vs. 49ers game. Then, with under a minute to go in the 1st quarter of the Texans vs. 49ers game, Arian Foster hobbled off the field holding the same hamstring that he hurt in camp.

As he walked off the field, you could see pain and anger in his eyes as he knew what had happened.

Fantasy owners have been waiting for news on Foster, and today they got their wish—though it's not good news. Arian Foster is officially out versus the Indianapolis Colts today. For fantasy owners, that's huge.

The good news for fantasy owners is two-fold. First, as Foster sits out, he will rest up and he will likely be able to play in the rest of the season when he will be needed against tougher opponents.

The other good news for fantasy owners is that Ben Tate is on the depth chart.

Ben Tate was the Houston Texans' second-round draft pick in the 2010 NFL draft. He was likely to be a starter or compete for a starter's job until he went down in the first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Since coming back, he's proven that he's ready to be the backup to one of the best running backs in the league. During the preseason, against starters of the Saints and 49ers, he was able to run for almost 150 yards and averaged 7.35 yards per carry during the preseason.

He managed two receptions and had only 20 rushes in the preseason. He is able to make quick one cut runs into the holes that the Texans' zone blocking scheme is able to produce. He can break tackles, and make yards after the catch. Does that sound familiar?

If it wasn't for the fact that Foster came first and is a top-five back, Ben Tate would likely be the starter in Houston. If fantasy owners were quick, they were able to pick him up, or even draft him, quickly. If you have him, start him today. He'll make you very happy, and you'll be glad you did it.