Arian Foster Injury: Ben Tate's Emergence Will Doom Fantasy Owners

It’s every fantasy football player’s worst nightmare.

The daunting running back-by-committee.

Sorry Arian Foster owners, but that’s where we’re heading with the Houston Texans.

You wanted to be part of “Arian Nation” so badly, and it’ll cost you. Your first-round pick has been officially crippled by “anti-awesomeness.” His hamstring injury could linger for weeks, and he won’t receive feature-back touches for the rest of the season.

Ben State and Derrick Ward both shredded the Indianapolis Colts and solidified themselves as playmakers in this offense.

Tate rumbled for 116 yards on 24 carries including a two-yard touchdown. So that’s what we were missing all of last year?

Ward also proved he can punch it in at the goal line with a one-yard score.

Foster owners would have preferred to see them stuffed at the goal line to at least have some sort of saving grace for when their stud returns, but we can effectively toss that out the window too.

Ward was banged up, but insists that he left the game as a mere precaution since the Texans were already up 34 points, accord to Ward per the Houston Chronicle’s Dale Robertson.

No longer will Gary Kubiak and the Texans have to worry about the job not getting done without Foster. Instead, he can now rotate all three men throughout a contest to keep them all fresh for the entire season.

Kubiak knows his job is on the line. He may have entered the season on the hottest seat of any NFL coach this year.

His Texans consistently crumbled down the stretch in years past. Now that the AFC South is wide open due to Peyton Manning’s injury, Kubiak is expected to get his team to the playoffs or else he’ll probably lose his job.

In order for the Texans to finally get into the postseason for the first time in franchise history, they need to have a strong rushing attack every week.

Given the history of injuries to star Texans running backs—Domanick Davis, Steve Slaton and now Foster—the only way to ensure that is to keep a committee the rest of the season.

Fantasy owners can kiss goodbye Foster’s 1,616-yard and 16-touchdown encore.

He won’t vie for the league rushing title.

He won’t be one of the top-five receivers among all running backs.

His stats are going to be diminished significantly with Tate and Ward stealing touches each week—especially Tate. Tate more than earned those carries with his fantastic Week 1 performance.

Tate is a powerful downhill runner, similar to Foster, and will eat away at potential touchdown opportunities for Foster. Ward is a seasoned veteran who is great in pass-protection and as a receiver out of the backfield, which will eat away at Foster's reception total. 

The worst part for Foster owners is that the Texans aren’t just justified in employing a committee, but it is essential to the progression of the franchise.

You thought you were going to root for the Texans to make their postseason debut led by another dominant season from Foster. Instead, you’ll be left sick to your stomach because your first-round all-purpose workhorse won’t come close to fulfilling his potential in this offense.