We didn’t even make it out of the first week of NFL training camps without our first major injury.

Houston Texans star Arian Foster suffered a significant groin injury on during the club’s first practice with pads. Word is that he’ll need surgery and will end up on the IR/designated to return, meaning he’ll be out until at least Week 10.

Foster—who had, on average, been going No. 7 overall in early drafts—suddenly becomes undraftable in all but the deepest leagues. He’ll miss over two-thirds of the fantasy regular season, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be healthy or effective after that.

So, who’s going to carry the load for the Texans this year?

None of the other running backs in camp are anything special.

  • Alfred Blue averaged a measly 3.1 yards per carry last year as the No. 2 back and while filling in for Foster. He’s the top in-house option, but he’d be nothing more than an uninspiring dart toss late in your draft.
  • Jonathan Grimes has flashed some talent, particularly as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, but he seems ill-equipped to carry the load. Don’t bother wasting a pick.
  • Chris Polk actually looked serviceable in spot work for the Eagles last year, but he’s already nursing a hamstring injury in camp. He’s power-running approach might be intriguing if he could carve out a steady role, but he’s not worth drafting at this point.
  • Kenny Hilliard, a seventh-round pick out of LSU in this year’s draft, is a power back who only carried the ball 90 times as a senior. He’ll likely be relegated to special teams, so he has absolutely no fantasy value.

Therefore, it seems likely that the Texans lead ball carrier for 2015 isn’t even on the roster yet.

Here are a few options:

  • Pierre Thomas – He was the first player that came to mind for me and, sure enough, he’s scheduled to visit the Texans on Wednesday. He can still be a significant contributor in the passing game, and he’s a serviceable, albeit unspectacular, option on the ground, too. The ninth-year NFL vet has averaged more than 4.4 yards per carry in limited work over the past four seasons. Still, he’d likely only be one piece of a committee and nothing more than a late-round flier for fantasy purposes.
  • Ray Rice – On the surface, he may seem like the best on-field fit, but I see very little chance of this happening. Texans head coach Bill O’Brien has stated that he has a “zero tolerance” policy for domestic abuse, and I can’t see this club taking on the negative publicity of adding Rice—especially not when they’re scheduled to be featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” this year.
  • Chris Johnson – Another popular Internet target for the Texans, but this seems as far-fetched as Rice. Bill O’Brien favors a power-running attack, and there’s no way he would put up with a contact-avoiding prima donna like CJ0k.
  • Zac Stacy – Probably a long shot at this point, but the Jets may find themselves with a surplus at running back behind starter Chris Ivory. And it’s worth noting that new Jets GM Mike Maccagnan previously served as the Texans’ director of college scouting under GM Rick Smith, so it certainly seems feasible that the former colleagues could work something out. The Jets only gave up a seventh-round pick for Stacy, so perhaps they’d flip him for a sixth.
  • Christine Michael – This is another ultra-long shot, but Michael has some talent and has been rumored to be on the roster bubble in Seattle. There are plenty of fantasy players who would salivate over this possibility after waiting in vain for C-Mike to get any work behind Marshawn Lynch.
  • Knowshon Moreno – He had actually looked pretty good the past couple of years before getting hurt just three games into the 2014 season. That said, he seems too similar to what Pierre Thomas has to offer.
  • Steven Jackson – Yet another past-his-prime retread option. The former Rams star carried the ball 190 times for 707 yards and six touchdowns last season in Atlanta, and he’s a shell of his former self. There isn’t much left in the tank.