Fantasy Footnotes: Foster finished; Gurley untouchable?
Every gameday during the regular season, theScore's fantasy editors recap the most important news and notes from around the league.
Arian Foster's season is over.
Are the title hopes of his fantasy owners dashed, too?
Foster suffered a torn Achilles late in the Houston Texans' loss Sunday. He's expected to undergo surgery and should be able to return in time for the start of the 2016 season, his age-30 campaign.
Foster follows Jamaal Charles as the second locked-in RB1 whose season comes to a premature end. His injury likely hurts his owners a little less than Charles', as preseason surgery pushed Foster from the first round of fantasy drafts to an average draft position in the late fourth round.
But it still hurts. A lot.
Owners seeking answers to the question of how to replace Foster in their lineups aren't likely to find any satisfying solutions. The Texans simply don't have a backup runner on the roster capable of stepping into Foster's role and producing like a reasonable facsimile of him.
Alfred Blue is expected to get first crack at starting, but Chris Polk and Jonathan Grimes should also get some carries. None of the three is an exciting talent and the end result will probably be a timeshare and saps the fantasy value of the trio.
Frankly, outside of DeAndre Hopkins, the Texans' offense has the look of a fantasy wasteland.
Gurley the Great
Todd Gurley, untouchable fantasy asset?
On the heels of his third straight game with at least 159 yards from scrimmage, Gurley joined the ranks of fantasy's elite players.
Rob Gronkowski, Le'Veon Bell, Gurley.
Those are perhaps the only three players who should be considered untradeable in both redraft and (especially) dynasty leagues.
Premature? Perhaps, but one look at the way Gurley knifes through defenses, alternating between speed and power with perfect precision, and it's clear he's a player of the rarest quality.
And he's just getting started.
If you snagged him with your fourth-round pick, and your first few picks didn't bust, you could be set up to cruise to a fantasy championship.
Notable Fantasy Lines
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Dolphins
282 yards passing, 4 TDs
Are the revived Dolphins ready to go on a charge?
Andrew Luck, QB, Colts
333 yards passing, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 27 yards rushing
Luck salvaged strong final numbers after a terrible start. At halftime, he had 79 yards passing and two interceptions.
Lamar Miller, RB, Dolphins
175 yards rushing, 61 yards receiving, 2 TDs
The firing of Joe Philbin could wind up being one of 2015's biggest fantasy stories.
Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons
116 yards rushing, 14 yards receiving
No touchdowns this week, but it's another strong outing from the breakout player of the season.
Charcandrick West, RB, Chiefs
110 yards rushing, 19 yards receiving, TD
Maybe owners will get some return on their waiver wire investment after all.
Darren McFadden, RB, Cowboys
152 yards rushing, 10 yards receiving, TD
McFadden thrived in an expanded role.
Christine Michael, RB, Cowboys
18 yards rushing, 2 yards receiving
So much for the idea Michael would be the Cowboys' new lead back.
T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts
150 yards receiving, 2 TDs
Delvin Breaux fell down twice, allowing Hilton to score two long touchdowns.
Jarvis Landry, WR, Dolphins
83 yards receiving, 5 yards rushing, 2 TDs
It was a fantasy bonanza for the Dolphins.
Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers
164 yards receiving, TD
There's the Evans we fell in love with last season. Let's see some more of this.
Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders
133 yards receiving, TD
Stud.
Stefon Diggs, WR, Vikings
108 yards receiving, TD
He's for real. That touchdown grab was absurd.
Brandon LaFell, WR, Patriots
25 yards receiving
LaFell had six drops in his 2015 debut. That's more that some receivers have in a season.
Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins
72 yards receiving, 2 TDs
Reed's second touchdown was a game-winner.
Ladarius Green, TE, Chargers
45 yards receiving, TD, 2-PT
Antonio Gates was inactive, opening the door for Green's big day.
Injury Ward
Arian Foster, RB, Texans
Achilles tears typically require six-to-eight months of rehab time. Foster will turn 30 before next season kicks off. It's fair to question whether he'll ever be the same player again.
Chris Ivory, RB, Jets
Ivory was in and out of Sunday's game as he battled what appeared to be a tight hamstring. It could slow him down moving forward.
Joseph Randle, RB, Cowboys
Randle left Sunday's game with a back strain and did not return. His prognosis is unclear.
Vincent Jackson, WR, Buccaneers
Jackson left in the third quarter with a knee injury and didn't return. If he misses time, Mike Evans could see a huge volume of targets.
Waiver Wire Targets
Alfred Blue, RB, Texans
Blue should be first in line to take over as the Texans' new starter, but a timeshare is probably inevitable.
Chris Polk, RB, Texans
Polk is rumored to be highly thought of in the Texans' organization.
Darren McFadden, RB, Cowboys
McFadden got increased playing time with Joseph Randle injured and looked very good.
Orleans Darkwa, RB, Giants
The little-used Darkwa showed off fresh legs on a first-half touchdown drive in which he did most of the heavy lifting. Sometimes that's all it takes to earn a role on offense.
Robert Woods, WR, Bills
Woods put up nine catches for 84 yards and a touchdown as the Bills' No. 1 wideout Sunday. Sammy Watkins will eventually return, but it sounds like Percy Harvin may not. Woods should hold on to a significant role.