Arian Foster

Arian Foster

37-Year-Old Running BackRB
 Free Agent  
2023 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Arian Foster in 2023. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Dolphins in July of 2016.
Announces retirement
RBFree Agent
October 24, 2016
Foster announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports
ANALYSIS
Foster has decided to call it a career in the middle of his eighth season in the league. The 30-year-old has seen his production dip over the last year and a half while struggling to stay on the field. Foster released a statement declaring he is "walking away with peace," adding that his body no longer can "take the punishment this game asks for." Foster spent his first seven seasons with the Texans before landing with the Dolphins this past offseason. He was an undrafted rookie in 2009 but quickly rose to full-fledged superstardom by 2010 when he led the league in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, scrimmage yards and total touchdowns. Foster was a consistent force when healthy the next four years -- only slowed down by a slew of nagging lower-body injuries. He'll retire with 6,527 rushing yards, 2,346 receiving yards and 68 touchdowns in only 80 career games.
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
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2016
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
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2023 Arian Foster Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Arian Foster's measurables compare to other running backs?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
* All metrics are from his Pro Day (not the combine).
Height
6' 1"
 
Weight
227 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.69 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.53 sec
 
Cone Drill
7.09 sec
 
Vertical Jump
32.0 in
 
Broad Jump
115 in
 
Bench Press
23 reps
 
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
The first thing you do with Foster is get out the laundry list of injuries — he's suffered almost every ailment you could imagine in recent years. Two seasons ago it was groin, hip, knee and hamstring problems; last year it was a blown Achilles that shelved him (after a groin injury held him back in-season). He made it through just 25 of 48 games over his last three year in Houston, and now he's entering his age-30 season. We understand why Foster was unsigned into the month of July. Nonetheless, we have to consider that Foster was still a high-level back as recently as 2014 — a Pro Bowl season for him — and last year's 2.6 YPC crash-landing might not mean much, given it came in four games while Foster dealt with the aforementioned groin problems. After getting a baseline on Foster's recovery from a torn Achilles in late March, the Dolphins' medical staff must have been impressed enough with his recovery on his second go-around this summer to give the front office the thumb's up. Considering his age and the fact he's nine months removed from the devastating injury, he'll more than likely ease into training camp. However, his competition includes two unproven products -- second-year back Jay Ajayi and rookie Kenyan Drake -- which provides a path to relevance for Foster.
Foster had trouble staying healthy for a second straight season in 2014, with groin, hip, knee and multiple hamstring injuries slowing him throughout the year and in August reports surfaced that he would require groin surgery after sustaining a training camp injury. In 2014, Foster still recorded impressive numbers, but after 11 missed games over the last two seasons, it's clear the Texans' hard-nosed, between-the-tackles ground game has taken its toll on Foster. When he plays, he still possesses the vision and burst that made him such a perfect fit for Houston's offense, and his combination of power and elusiveness in close quarters helped him average 2.83 yards after contact, second in the league among running backs behind only Marshawn Lynch. His receiving and pass protection skills also remain strong, and he's worked hard over the years to improve his ball security after developing a reputation as a fumbler in college. Despite all he can still do on a football field, though, the end may be drawing nigh for Foster. Depending on which study you choose to credit, running back performance tends to fall off a cliff at either 1,800 carries or 29 years old, and while Foster's late emergence as a starter has him well short of the former mark, he'll turn 29 just before the Texans' third preseason game, and now he's injured again.
Foster's 2013 was cut short by a ruptured disc in his back that required surgery and essentially limited him to six games, though he took a total of nine snaps in the two other games for which he suited up. However, offseason reports on his back have been quite positive, which bodes well for the elusive, touchdown-hawking back. A big load at 6-1, 227, Foster is more about making people miss than breaking tackles, but he's a multifaceted offensive weapon who had scored 41 touchdowns in three years entering last season. Unfortunately, the Texans – thanks to a combination of QB trouble and a seeming attempt to keep Foster's back healthy by curbing his goal-line usage – only let him carry three times inside the five in the injury-shortened campaign. But now Foster's seemingly healthy, while Ben Tate is out of town. The bigger team-context issue is quarterback – despite a depth chart full of backups, Houston didn't draft a signal-caller until the fourth round. Of course, that could result in a run-heavy approach and a bounce-back season for Foster even if he doesn't hit double-digit touchdowns.
The smooth, long-striding Foster is a perfect fit for the Texans' zone-blocking system, which takes great advantage of Foster's ability to make effortless jump cuts and slip to the second level of a defense. That system has helped him hit at least 1,600 total yards each year as a starter. But what really sets Foster apart are the touchdowns. In three years as a starter Foster has racked up a league-high 47 scores in 45 regular-season games, with no fewer than 12 in any year (Adrian Peterson is a distant second among running backs with 39 over this period). This is a direct result of Houston's heavy preference for rushing inside the red zone and in particular the 10-yard line. Foster led the league for the third consecutive year in red-zone carries with a career-high 80 last year, and his 42 carries inside the 10-yard line were 11 more than the next closest running back's. Foster does not come without risk, however. He piled up 405 carries last season, including the playoffs, and his three-year total of 956 regular-season rushes is 100 more than that of any other back. Moreover, he saw his YPC drop last season to a career-low 4.1, and after consecutive years with 600-plus receiving yards, he totaled only 217 last season. Foster is also dealing with an irregular heartbeat that could flare up at any time, as it did in Week 16 last year. On the plus side, he looks good to go after calf and back issues slowed him in training camp. The Texans also have another capable tailback in Ben Tate -- who likely will pilfer some touches -- but in doing so, the team hopes to keep Foster intact and as fresh as possible as the season rolls along.
Foster got off to a slow start last year, as he suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason that ultimately limited him to just 10 carries over the first three games. He returned with a vengeance after that, as his 1,841 yards from scrimmage was the third most in football, despite him missing 3.5 contests. Foster fumbled five times over the final four games (including another in the playoffs), but there’s little else to question about his skills, and few backs are as active as receivers. He plays in the NFL’s premier run scheme, and with Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson returning to health and an upstart defense that’s suddenly among the best in football, Foster’s situation looks even better entering 2012. Ben Tate has emerged as a more than capable backup, but the Texans tied for the NFL lead with 34.1 rushing attempts per game last season, and there’s little doubt Foster is their workhorse. Moreover, Tate’s presence could be viewed as a positive, as Foster owners who make sure to secure his services in the middle rounds would see little drop off if their top pick went down with a serious injury. Foster’s excellent vision and one-cut ability is a perfect fit for Houston’s zone-blocking scheme, so more big production should be in store.
Foster came seemingly out of nowhere to become the No. 1 fantasy back by a wide margin last year, which shows just how much opportunity and context matter when it comes to running backs. Entering the year with just 54 career carries, Foster led the NFL in rushing yards (1,616), rushing touchdowns (16) and also finished first among RBs with 604 receiving yards. It’s important to note the Texans had one of the best run blocking units in the NFL, which benefitted Foster greatly. His 22 goal-line carries were the second-most in football, though he deserves credit for converting them at a strong rate (45 percent). He broke 49 total tackles, which ranked sixth in the league, but it required a lot of volume, as his per-touch missed tackle percentage (12.5) was well outside the top-15 RBs. While Houston projects to field a strong offense in 2011, the offensive line will have to remain dominant for Foster to reprise anything approaching last year’s massive success. Foster had minor knee surgery in February but is expected to recover for the start of training camp.
Foster didn’t receive his first NFL carry until Week 14 last year, but he made the most of his opportunity, totaling 242 yards with three touchdowns over the final two games of the season. Foster’s an undrafted back with no qualities that stand out, but he was still running with the first team in May minicamp. So even with heavy competition from Steve Slaton and rookie Ben Tate, Foster belongs on the radar. Foster plays in a terrific offensive environment in Houston and has his coaches’ trust, so if another opportunity presents itself, he would fast become a major force.
Texans general manager Rick Smith bypassed taking a running back in the draft, when much pre-draft analysis viewed it a position of need. Smith viewed it that way, too, but opted for what he perceived were better-value value picks, and was left to sign undrafted free agents. After an early injury during training camp, Foster got some looks late in the preseason, but will open the season on the practice squad. He's learned the offense and should be available if injuries hit.
More Fantasy News
Quiet for a second straight week
RBMiami Dolphins
October 23, 2016
Foster only had three rushes for five yards and one reception for four yards Sunday as the Dolphins defeated the Bill 28-25.
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Active for Week 7 versus Bills
RBMiami Dolphins
October 23, 2016
Foster (hamstring) is active for Sunday's Week 7 tilt versus the Bills.
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Practices fully, but listed as questionable
RBMiami Dolphins
Hamstring
October 21, 2016
Despite being listed as a full practice participant all week, Foster (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bills.
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Not 100 percent yet
RBMiami Dolphins
October 21, 2016
Foster was a full participant once again in Thursday's practice, but he still isn't fully recovered from his groin strain, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
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Practices fully
RBMiami Dolphins
October 19, 2016
Foster (hamstring) practiced fully Wednesday.
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