Arian Foster Week 4: Why Texans' Star RB Should Be on Your Bench This Week

After an incredible 2010 season that saw him rush for over 1,600 yards, make 66 catches for 604 yards and score 18 total touchdowns, Houston Texans running back Arian Foster was a hot commodity entering 2011.

He was regarded as a top-three pick in essentially every fantasy format and looked to be in line for another huge year. A preseason hamstring injury forced him to miss Week 1, however, and he re-injured it in Week 2. Foster missed another game last weekend, but is expected to start on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It is understandable that fantasy owners will want to get their stud in the lineup as quickly as possible, but Foster owners may want to pump the breaks a bit. Here are three reasons why Foster should be on your bench for one more week.

Risk of Further Injury

Hamstring injuries can be very tricky at times, as Foster has already proven. He was reportedly ready and raring to go in Week 2, but he had to leave the game after just 10 carries. There is no guarantee that such a thing will happen again in Week 4, but why take the chance?

With so much scoring in the NFL and fantasy football currently, every point is vital. Against a defense as tough as Pittsburgh's Foster is sure to take his share of hits, so re-aggravating his injury is a real possibility. You would be best off leaving him on the bench for another week and seeing if he proves himself to be 100 percent.

Ben Tate's Presence

When Foster is completely healthy, there is little doubt that he is Houston's workhorse. That isn't the case, though, and second-year back Ben Tate has played extremely well in his absence. In fact, Tate has averaged just over 100 yards per game so far and has scored a touchdown.

Because of Foster's current state, I would expect more of a timeshare on Sunday rather than Foster receiving the bulk of the work. Splitting the load may work out for the Texans, but that type of situation rarely works out for fantasy owners. I wouldn't consider either back to be a particularly good play this weekend as they will affect each other's potential output. 

Pittsburgh Steelers' Defense

In all honesty, even if Foster was at his best in terms of health and level of play, I wouldn't be too high on his prospects against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers boasted the league's best run defense by a large margin last season, and they continue to be stiff in that regard in 2011.

The Baltimore Ravens were able to beat Pittsburgh through the air in Week 1, and I expect the Texans to take a page out of Baltimore's book. Houston has great aerial attack in its own right with quarterback Matt Schaub and wide receiver Andre Johnson, so passing may be their best bet. The only way I see Foster contributing much is on screens and swing passes.