Lamar Miller is getting acclimated more than just the Houston heat, a relatively easy transition for the Miami native, during training camp. After three days of full pads, the Texans starting running back is also finding his rhythm in the ground game.
“No question, he’s getting a rhythm into the run,” head coach Bill O’Brien said Thursday. “You don’t run the ball at all in the offseason because it’s no pads and it’s a passing camp so it does take a while to get back in the rhythm of playing in pads at any position. He’s definitely back in the rhythm of playing in full pads.”
Miller, who signed with the Texans in March, had a successful four-year career for the Dolphins. Over the past two seasons (2014-15), he ranked fourth in the league in total rushing yardage (1,971) and was only one of two players to score 8-or-more rushing touchdowns in each year. However, Miller starts fresh with the Texans, learning a new playbook and adjusting to a different offensive line, the story said. Miller shoots all the way up our rankings to second so far through midsummer.
Miller finished #9 and #5 in the last two seasons in PPR formats, but was underutilized in Miami, which is one reason he signed with the Texans. Consider this: Miller only saw 18-plus carries in three of his 16 games in 2015, while Arian Foster carried the ball 18-plus times in 13 of his last 17 games with the Texans. Foster averaged 22.5 touches per game over that span, and if Miller can maintain the 0.920 FP/touch rate (PPR) from the last two years, he would average around 20.7 FP per game. Last year’s #1 PPR RB (Devonta Freeman) averaged 21.1 FP.