Week 5 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
While the Texans were beating up on the Titans last Sunday, Lamar Miller got in on the act with a season-high 75 rushing yards and 56 receiving yards. He scored both on the ground and via the air for his first touchdowns of the season. Pretty much everything was clicking on offense with Deshaun Watson at the helm, which helped Miller post a season-high 23 touches. Kansas City’s run defense has been nearly comparable to Tennessee’s in yards allowed, meaning you should start Miller.
Week 4 vs. Tennessee Titans
While Deshaun Watson was throwing for over 300 yards last Sunday against the Patriots, Lamar Miller ran the ball 14 times for 56 yards and also caught a 7-yard pass. In the first three games of 2017, Miller has been a bit of a fantasy disappointment, with just 182 yards on the ground and 64 more through the air. He is averaging only 3.7 yards per carry and has yet to find the end zone. As Watson learns more of the offense, and the Texans are able to establish more of a true running game, Miller’s productivity should increase. However, this doesn’t look like the week that will happen, as Tennessee is giving up less than 100 rushing yards per game.
Week 3 at New England Patriots
With Deshaun Watson making his first career start last Thursday at Cincinnati, Lamar Miller and the Texans ran the ball 35 times. While Watson had the highlight of the win with his 49-yard score, Miller received a team-high 18 carries for 61 yards and also caught 3 passes for 26 yards. Rookie D’Onta Foreman rushed 12 times for 40 yards, which is a bit of a concern for Miller owners. Since the veteran is more of a threat in the passing game, he will continue to be the lead back, but Foreman will be given his chances, too. The Patriots are allowing 133 yards on the ground and Houston will need to be effective at running the ball to keep some pressure off of Watson, so this looks like a good week to start Miller.
Week 2 at Cincinnati Bengals
With Tom Savage struggling, and the Texans finding themselves down big at halftime to the Jaguars last Sunday, the ground attack became secondary. On the afternoon, Lamar Miller ran for 65 yards on 17 rushes and also caught 2 passes for 31 additional yards. The Texans offense was stymied for much of the game, which may remain a consistent theme regardless who’s under center on Thursday night. Miller will again be fed the ball often against a defense that just allowed 157 rushing yards to the Ravens, but yards could be scarce as the Bengals defense can concentrate on stopping the run.
Week 1 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
In his first season with Houston, Lamar Miller posted a career-high 268 rushing attempts, leading to over 1,000 yards and 5 TDs. He’s also a weapon in the passing game, averaging 38 grabs over the past three seasons. The Texans like to run the ball and control the clock, which is just what Miller owners like to see. In the two wins over Jacksonville last season, he tallied 146 yards on the ground with a score. Miller should definitely be started in the regular season opener.
Fantasy Upside
Lamar Miller wanted to be a workhorse back when he left Miami for Houston last offseason. He got his wish, carrying the ball 93 times in the first four games of 2016. Miller had a season-high 28 carries in the opening week of the season and earned 24-plus carries four times last season. His 268 total carries (in 14 games) last year were 52 more than his previous career-high during his four seasons in Miami.
Fantasy Downside
Throughout the season Miller dealt with an array of nagging injuries before finally being sidelined the final two games. In hindsight, head coach Bill O'Brien said he leaned on Miller a bit too much. "We were very, very dependent on him because he's that type of player," O'Brien explained. "But I think 30 carries in a couple games, that's probably a little bit too much." O'Brien also mentioned the team's stable of versatile backs behind Miller -- rookie D'Onta Foreman, Alfred Blue, Tyler Ervin and Akeem Hunt -- as being part of the solution.
2017 Bottom Line
Miller will continue to get the bulk of the workload, but Foreman could be a factor at the goal line. So even though Miller remains a front-line fantasy RB, sharing the workload has to be a concern given his RB11 ADP.
Divisional Round at New England
With the Texans jumping out to an early lead on the Raiders last Saturday, Lamar Miller was given the ball 31 times. He finished with 73 yards and a touchdown. The conservative game plan worked at home, but likely won’t be a recipe for a victory at New England. In Week 3 versus the Patriots, Lamar was the team’s lone bright spot, totaling 107 yards. However, Saturday may be Houston’s final game of the season.
Wild Card Round vs. Oakland
After being held out the past two weeks with an ankle injury, Lamar Miller will start in the playoffs versus the Raiders. In the regular season, Lamar rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored six total touchdowns. In November against Oakland, he ran for 104 yards and a score and will definitely give the Texans’ offense a lift. However, the most games Houston has remaining is two, as the Patriots would likely be up next.
Week 17 at Tennessee
Lamar Miller missed last week’s division-clinching win over Cincinnati with a sore ankle. With nothing to play for this week, there’s a good chance Lamar will be held out again. If he does play, Miller ran for 82 yards and also caught three passes for 26 yards in the Week 4 win against Tennessee.
Week 16 vs. Cincinnati
Before leaving in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury, Lamar Miller ran for 63 yards on 22 carries and the game-winning touchdown versus Jacksonville. The Texans are in a heated playoff battle, so Lamar will do everything he can to be on the field versus the Bengals. If he’s healthy enough to play, go ahead and start Miller against the seventh worst run defense.
