Week 9 – Alfred Blue vs. Philadelphia Eagles
With the Texans ahead 27-3 in the fourth quarter last week in Tennessee, Arian Foster was given the rest of the afternoon off, allowing Alfred Blue to receive some carries. Blue finished with 14 rushes for 42 yards and a 22-yard reception. While Houston doesn’t want to overuse Arian, he’ll receive the bulk of the playing time in close affairs. Blue has 221 rushing yards during his rookie season, but there’s no reason to start him as long as Foster is healthy.
Week 8 – Alfred Blue vs. Tennessee Titans
Arian Foster continues to receive the majority of the rushing attempts for Houston, but Alfred Blue scored on an 11 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick last Monday in Pittsburgh. Alfred’s best run (seven yards) came on a fake punt, as he finished with just 14 yards on five rushes. Despite the TD last week, Blue should only be on your roster as a handcuff to Foster.
Week 7 – Alfred Blue vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
With Arian Foster rushing for over 100 yards on 20 carries last week versus the Colts, Alfred Blue backed him up with 22 yards on three rushes. He had a nice, 17 yard run in the fourth quarter, but just isn’t getting enough playing time now that Foster is healthy. Blue should only be on your roster as a handcuff or possibly in keeper leagues as a potential long-term RB.
Week 6 – Alfred Blue vs. Indianapolis Colts
Arian Foster looked pretty healthy last Sunday against Dallas, running for 157 yards. Alfred Blue received just five rushing attempts for 16 yards in the overtime loss. Blue will continue to receive at least a handful of touches as he spells Foster, but there’s no reason for him to be in your starting lineup as this is Arian’s team.
Week 5 – Alfred Blue vs. Dallas Cowboys
Arian Foster was able to go last week against the Bills, but the Houston ground attack was pretty much non-existent. Foster ran for only eight yards, while Alfred Blue had just nine yards on nine rushes. Blue did have 16 receiving yards in the comeback victory. Foster’s hamstring appears to be better,meaning he’ll receive the bulk of the carries moving forward. Blue may have some value as the season wears on and the Texans limit Arian’s touches, but for now keep him on your bench. He's a solid handcuff given Foster's propensity for injury.
Week 4 – Alfred Blue vs. Buffalo Bills
With Arian Foster out last week due to a hamstring injury, Alfred Blue was given the starting nod and ran for 78 yards on 13 carries against the Giants. He exploded for a 46-yard scamper in the third quarter and also caught a 10-yard pass off of a fake punt in the loss. Blue is definitely the Texans No. 2 RB behind Arian, when healthy, and should continue to receive around 10 touches per game to help keep Foster’s workload down. If Arian is out this week, go ahead and start the rookie, as he will receive plenty of playing time.
Week 3 – Alfred Blue vs. New York Giants
As the Texans were beating up on the Raiders last week, Alfred Blue got in the act with 11 carries for 40 yards. Backing up Arian Foster, the rookie got to be a part of Houston’s 46 rushing attempts that kept the ball for over 38 minutes. Blue is a nice handcuff to Foster, but should not be started, even against a bad Giants defense.
Week 2 – Alfred Blue vs. Oakland Raiders
Making his NFL regular season debut last Sunday versus Washington, Alfred Blue had only one carry for no gain, but made his impact on special teams with a blocked punt and five-yard return for a TD. Blue will see more action as the season goes on, but he’s not worth a fantasy start as Arian Foster is back and in full control of the Houston running attack.
Week 1 – Alfred Blue vs. Washington Redskins
The rookie from LSU had an impressive preseason and could start the regular season as Houston’s No. 2 RB behind Arian Foster. Alfred Blue is big at 6’2” and 220 pounds, similarly built to Foster. While Arian is the featured back and will receive most of the carries, Blue has earned playing time and should receive around 10 touches in the opener; however, that’s not enough to warrant a fantasy start.
Fantasy Upside
According to NFL.com's draft profile, Alfred Blue has great size and musculature. He's got the ability to run both inside and outside with good vision, instincts and patience. He has playmaking ability -- although it's not something he has demonstrated on a regular basis. He also has plenty of tread on his tires after averaging just 52 carries per season in LSU's pro-style offense. It currently appears he'll open the regular season at No. 3 on the depth chart behind Arian Foster and Jonathan Grimes.
Fantasy Downside
Blue lacks speed and burst, which wouldn't be as apparent to some watching him run behind LSU's line as it will be in an NFL camp.
Bottom Line
Based on Foster's recent injury history and age, anybody in the mix behind him is of some fantasy interest. But at this point, it appears a best-case scenario would have Blue contributing in a committee with Grimes should something happen to Foster.
