Alfred

Blue

Blue has been on the injured reserve list since September 1 due to a left ankle injury. He signed a one-year, $895,000 contract with $250,000 guaranteed back in March.

It’s unclear if Blue will be able to return once he’s eligible after Week 8. The Jaguars are expected to move forward with rookie Ryquell Armstead as well as newly-signed backs Tyler Ervin and Devine Ozigbo for backfield depth. All signs point towards the Jaguars feeding Leonard Fournette as many snaps and touches as he can handle in 2019.

This sounds day to day, but sprains can come with multi-week timetables. Blue had been running as the Jaguars’ No. 2 back at training camp. The injury opens up reps for Ryquell Armstead and Thomas Rawls.

Blue had numerous opportunities to usurp Lamar Miller as Houston’s lead back as recent as last season but was never able to capitalize, bumbling his way to 150/499/2 and 3.3 YPC in his fifth and final year with the Texans. He’ll join oft-injured veteran Thomas Rawls and second-year seventh-rounder David Williams as the only reserves behind lead horse Leonard Fournette. With a whopping 247 carries (59.3%) currently up for grabs from last season’s production in Jacksonville, Fournette remains perennially underrated and a third-round steal in ongoing Best Ball leagues.

The Jaguars will also host Benny Cunningham this week as they look to fill a sizable roster hole behind Leonard Fournette. Blue was never anything special during his five seasons in Houston, but he had moments as a backup and spot starter. That is all he would be in Jacksonville.

Blue has been one of the league’s least-effective No. 2 running backs five years running. He turns 28 in April and seems unlikely to be back, at least in his current role. The Texans need a total makeover on the ground, including the offensive line.

As expected, Blue took a backseat to Lamar Miller, who led the backfield with 19 touches in his return from a one-week ankle injury. Blue wasn’t a difference-maker during the regular season, struggling to just 3.3 yards per carry with two touchdowns over his 16 appearances. He’ll continue to back up Miller in the postseason.

Blue got the start, but D’Onta Foreman was in the game for Houston’s second possession and saw three more carries on the day. Blue was more effective with the work, but neither could get much going. Blue appeared to suffer an injury late in the game, but he was never announced with an issue. Even if Lamar Miller sits out the season finale, Blue will not be a strong fantasy option.

Lamar Miller (3/8) exited in the second quarter and didn’t return. Even so, Blue faceplanted for a whopping six yards in mop-up duty. It’s the end of the line for Blue as the Texans will inevitably be forced to activate D’Onta Foreman in the very near future. Blue would only be usable if Miller is ruled out and Foreman stays scratched against the Eagles next week.

Blue vultured a three-yard touchdown in the first quarter, his second of the season, but he was otherwise a non-factor. Lamar Miller out-touched him by a commanding 19-6 margin and remains the alpha in Houston’s backfield. Blue will again be fighting for scraps behind Miller when the Texans visit the Jets for a Saturday afternoon game in Week 15.