Fantasy Upside
When Arian Foster went down with a torn groin muscle, Chris Polk happened to be sitting out with a hamstring injury of his own. But he got himself well in a hurry and returned to practice knowing what was at stake for him and his new team. “I just felt bad as a competitor because we’re kind of low on numbers and I was sitting around and playing with my fingers,” said Polk, who spent the last four seasons in Philadelphia. “Now I’m healthy and getting back into it, I’m feeling really good and learning the system and gaining confidence.” According to the Houston Chronicle, Polk was being pegged as a likely third down specialist because of his soft hands when he joined the Texans, but with Foster out indefinitely, any number of roles are open to him.
Fantasy Downside
Health and consistency have been issues since Polk's arrival in the NFL and have limited his production. He carried the ball 57 times for 270 yards and scored seven touchdowns over his last two seasons as a reserve in Philly.
Bottom Line
We've all seen what Alfred Blue can do in relief of Foster and he is clearly the favorite to win the starting job. But it's still a competition and it's not hard to find observers who have gone on record predicting Polk will ultimately be the starter until Foster's return. Does that make Polk worth a late-round flyer? Until we have some certainty surrounding his role, that would only apply in deeper leagues.
