RADIO
The Houston Texans have had a lot of bad luck lately when it comes to their running backs. Start Arian Foster hasn’t been able to stay healthy for years, and this season has been no exception. And now backup Alfred Blue is banged up as well. Blue is reportedly dealing with a sore back and was limited in practice on Wednesday.
Blue had a nice week in Week 12 against the Saints when he totaled 81 yards and had a touchdown. But even if he’s 100 percent healthy, he’ll have a much harder time finding running room against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Although Blue is limited in practice, he should be fine to play. However, I wouldn’t consider him anything more than a RB3 due to his matchup.
Blue has only rushed for 430 yards on 123 carries for an average of 3.5 yards per carry. He has two touchdowns on the ground. He also has 13 receptions for 102 yards and another touchdown in the receiving game.
Blue’s teammate, and the best player on the Texans’ offense, DeAndre Hopkins was also listed as limited in practice on Wednesday. Hopkins is dealing with a sore hamstring, but isn’t expected to miss Sunday’s game.
Hopkins has become one of the top receivers in the entire league and is a must start regardless of matchup. The Bills will likely do everything they can to slow Hopkins down, but he should still be slotted in as a WR1.
Hopkins has recorded 81 receptions for 1081 yards and nine touchdowns thus far this season. Just imagine what the 23-year-old could accomplish with a decent quarterback! The only reason Hopkins isn’t widely regarded as one of the best receivers in the game is because of where he plays and who his quarterback is. But make no mistake about it, Hopkins is a stud.
In other wide receiver news, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Greg Olson has admitted that it is highly unlikely that Allen Hurns will suit up in Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans. Hurns didn’t practice on Wednesday and is nowhere close to being cleared after suffering a concussion last week.
With Hurns out of action, that means quarterback Blake Bortles will target Allen Robinson and tight end Julius Thomas even more than usual. I would consider Robinson a WR1 for Week 13 and Thomas a TE1.
Marquise Lee should see an increase in playing time, but he’s not worth starting.
