Week 6 at Jacksonville
Arian Foster and Alfred Blue accounted for 25 of the Texans 28 rushing attempts in the loss to the Colts last Thursday. Chris Polk was called on for just a five-yard carry and two catches for 17 yards. Polk is No. 3 on the RB depth chart and should not be taking up a fantasy roster spot.
Week 5 vs. Indianapolis
Even though the Texans were down for the entire game against the Falcons last week, Chris Polk received some garbage time touches and finished with 50 yards and his first TD of the season. Now Arian Foster is healthy, look for Polk to drop to the third RB option for Houston. He should be kept on the bench on Thursday night.
Week 4 at Atlanta
The Texans ground attack controlled the clock (and the game) in the win over the Buccaneers last Sunday, but Chris Polk had just five carries for five yards, as Alfred Blue was the main workhorse. With Arian Foster potentially back in the lineup, there is no reason for Polk to be taking up a roster spot.
Week 3 vs. Tampa Bay
While Ryan Mallett threw the ball 58 times last week in Carolina, the crowded Houston backfield saw Chris Polk lead the way with 14 carries. With the Panthers ahead for most of the contest, Polk ran for 38 yards and also had two grabs totaling nine yards. Right now, none of the Texans RBs are a good fantasy option, even against a Tampa Bay defense that’s allowing 114 rushing yards per game.
Week 2 – Chris Polk vs. Carolina Panthers
Alfred Blue carried the ball nine times in the season opener versus Kansas City, while Chris Polk had five rushes for 22 yards and a nine-yard reception. Neither Blue, Polk nor Jonathan Grimes did anything spectacular, so expect all three of them to again receive carries on Sunday. None of them are worthy of a fantasy start.
Week 1 vs. Kansas City
While Alfred Blue will get the start, don’t be surprised to see Chris Polk sharing time, as the Texans look to get by for at least the first couple weeks without Arian Foster. During the preseason, Houston averaged just 2.8 yards per rushing attempt and struggled on third-and-short opportunities. Right now, none of the RBs make for a good fantasy play.
Fantasy Upside
When Arian Foster went down with a torn groin muscle, Chris Polk happened to be sitting out with a hamstring injury of his own. But he got himself well in a hurry and returned to practice knowing what was at stake for him and his new team. “I just felt bad as a competitor because we’re kind of low on numbers and I was sitting around and playing with my fingers,” said Polk, who spent the last four seasons in Philadelphia. “Now I’m healthy and getting back into it, I’m feeling really good and learning the system and gaining confidence.” According to the Houston Chronicle, Polk was being pegged as a likely third down specialist because of his soft hands when he joined the Texans, but with Foster out indefinitely, any number of roles are open to him.
Fantasy Downside
Health and consistency have been issues since Polk's arrival in the NFL and have limited his production. He carried the ball 57 times for 270 yards and scored seven touchdowns over his last two seasons as a reserve in Philly.
Bottom Line
We've all seen what Alfred Blue can do in relief of Foster and he is clearly the favorite to win the starting job. But it's still a competition and it's not hard to find observers who have gone on record predicting Polk will ultimately be the starter until Foster's return. Does that make Polk worth a late-round flyer? Until we have some certainty surrounding his role, that would only apply in deeper leagues.
Week 10 - Chris Polk vs. Carolina
Chris Polk carried eight times for 50 yards and a TD last week. Polk was unleashed a bit in Week 9 and it could be a good sign going forward that he's going to be used more in the offense. Polk likely won't put up those kind of numbers week-to-week, but may be able to steal a short-yardage TD from time to time, especially since it's an area in which Eagles have really struggled.
Fantasy Upside
In limited time last season Chris Polk showed flashes. It was enough that he passed Bryce Brown on the depth chart and the team eventually traded Brown in the offseason. The thought is Polk would be a guy to get a bulk of the carries should LeSean McCoy go down.
Fantasy Downside
Polk has been diagnosed with a grade 2 partial tear of his hamstring so his status is in doubt. Some of the Eagles backups like Henry Josey and Matthew Tucker have stood out with Polk missing time and the Birds just traded for Carolina's Kenjon Barner, so they could be preparing for life without Polk, or just backing themselves up in case this lingers.
Bottom Line
Polk's only value with McCoy healthy is a possible handcuff, but with the hamstring injury there isn't a lot of value right now. McCoy owners who want to back him up on their roster need to wait this out to see if Polk makes the team.
