Do Arian Foster’s recent woes change his draft status?
Dorian “The Trashman” Colbert, Rosterwatch.com

The forecast is cloudy for Texans RB Arian Foster’s Week 1 availability. His lingering back injury still requires injections (likely of the epidural variety) and he continues to feel pain in his legs. The league’s hardest-worked running back for the past three years has been lame since May, and he’s now in danger of missing the entire preseason.

Foster’s response, or lack thereof, to “minor” injuries is disconcerting, and begs one to ask whether he’s worth a first-round pick in fantasy leagues where one wrong move can disable an entire fantasy season. Many fantasy prognosticators have done so.

Similar apprehension has come with drafting fellow ball runner Maurice Jones-Drew for years, as he is notoriously overused by the Jaguars. But, until last season, those who have taken the plunge with MJD were handsomely rewarded for their faith. He’s finished with over 1,300 yds and 7 tds in three of the last four years. That fourth year hurt though. Just 414 yds and 2 tds, and the running back position is too shallow this season to fudge.

To answer the query at hand, whether you downgrade Foster out of the top round in fantasy drafts, the answer is no. As always, refer to the free cheat sheet for final decisions.

Only Adrian Peterson, C.J. Spiller, and Doug Martin offer upside like Foster in the running game, and Foster is on the best team. Jamaal Charles also has a shot, but he’s not without injury concerns either. Yes, there’s potential Foster could re-injure himself, but no player in the NFL is immune from those concerns. Peterson is the number one consensus pick in fantasy leagues worldwide, and he’s not that far removed from an injury that many believed would end his career.

So, go ahead and roll with Foster early, but it is absolutely necessary that you handcuff him with Ben Tate. This coming from a trashy, trashy man who is usually not a proponent of taking a handcuff, as what it usually does is just hold a roster spot hostage for the season. But in this case, it’s a must. Tate could be the go to back in the first game of the season, and he will fill in admirably should Foster miss more time. To me, a roster space relegated to a backup is worth the possibility of rolling with the league’s top running back come season’s end.