Fantasy Football: Is Arian Foster a No. 2 pick?
Aug 25, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) watches the game against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Reliant Stadium. The Saints won 31-23. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports
Being big into fantasy football (I have three dynasty leagues and two redraft leagues), it seems in preparing for the upcoming drafts, two questions come to mind … Would I draft Arian Foster if he were available, and is Foster worth the No. 2 overall pick in a draft this year?
In one of my dynasty leagues (in which a team of individual offensive and defensive players are kept until traded with no yearly draft, except for incoming rookies) this spring, I traded Foster and a first-round pick in ’14 for Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs.
It was a tough decision to make because I respect Foster a lot, but I really like Charles as well, and I felt there was more value with him in the long run.
They both have history with injuries that cost them starts, and I’m not feeling as wary of the trade I made for Charles with the way things have turned out this preseason with Foster, as I’m not 100-percent sure how productive he’ll be at the start of the season.
Don’t get me wrong … Foster, when healthy, is a Top 3 fantasy football running back – that we all know – but doesn’t his current health scare you off just a little bit for this season? Plus, his workload of over 300 carries last year has to slow him down some, right?
OK, I’ll let you make the decision. If you are reading this, you have the No. 2 draft choice in a fantasy redraft league. Peterson is off the board … of these three running backs for the ’13 season, who do you draft … Foster, Doug Martin or Marshawn Lynch? I’ll even throw in Ray Rice, Charles and Trent Richardson.
Be honest, who are you drafting of those six players?
I can say in another draft where I have the third overall pick, if Foster is available with Martin or Charles left on the board, I’m not taking Foster this season.