Houston Texans Suddenly Have a Lot of Running Backs

The Houston offense became a fantasy powerhouse the last few seasons on the backs of quarterback Matt Schaub and wide receiver Andre Johnson. But what about the running game?

Other than a fantastic rookie campaign from Steve Slaton two years ago, Houston's running game has left much to be desired. Especially from a team that plays on a fast track.

Long gone are the days of Dominic Davis, once considered a fantasy stud in his own right until leg injuries derailed his career. Houston fans and fantasy owners thought that Slaton would be the answer for years to come, but a sophomore year marred by inconsistency, turnovers, and injuries has soured the taste buds of fantasy owners on his potential.

A new era, however, is being ushered in by the coaching staff in Houston. Slaton returns, flanked by last year's rookie Arian Foster (the starter heading into training camp) and this year's rookie Ben Tate. All three figure to factor significantly in the running game this year, making this yet another running-back-by-committee.

For fantasy owners hoping to see Slaton return to fantasy glory this year, this quote should curb any enthusiasm:

"The Texans won't ask Slaton to gain 1,658 yards from scrimmage again like he did as a rookie, but they'd love to see his 4.8 yards-per-carry come back.  Instead of being The Guy, Steve Slaton looks slated to be a backup and passing down specialist.  He's also worked on kick returns in practice."

 Sounds like, as of right now, fantasy owners should expect Steve Slaton to complement Foster in the offense. Something to keep an eye on during the Texans' first preseason game, for sure.

Here are today's great reads:

If you really want to win your fantasy league this year, I suggest you skip on the top quarterbacks on your cheat sheet. Never been a fan of taking a quarterback early. Especially when there is a ton of quarterback value to be had in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.

We do not cover individual defensive player leagues often here on The Hazean (although it has been suggested by a few readers), so I try to make up for it by linking to IDP stories. For those of you playing in IDP leagues with upcoming drafts, peep these IDP rankings.

Fantasy owners are salivating to get their first look at this year's crop of rookies. Read this primer on fantasy rookies (runners and passers) before heading into fantasy draft day. Your best bet when it comes to rookies, obviously, are the running backs.

Many fantasy owners are banking on second-year Jets running back Shonn Greene leading them to a fantasy championship this year. Buyer beware on Greene, however, according to some fantasy experts. The presence of LaDainian Tomlinson is a little disconcerting, although LT2 has not been that effective near the goal line recently.

While few are bear-ish on Greene, many more are bull-ish on the fact that Tomlinson is washed up at this point and could be one of the biggest busts of the 2010 fantasy football season. Included on this list is the Broncos defense, which lost its best player (Elvis Dumervil) for four months last week.