6 Bold Predictions About the 2014 Fantasy Football Season

2. Alfred Blue Will Be a Top-20 Running Back in Weeks 9 Through 17

By Sean Wirth

Admittedly, this is more or less a gut feeling. It's also contingent on Arian Foster missing some time due to injury, which seems more likely than not. But I do have some methods behind my madness.

My first argument was going to be that Blue's only competition for the back up role was going to be lowly Andre Brown. Well, the Houston Texans released Brown yesterday (literally as I was writing this), making my argument that much easier. So, with that out of the way, let's move along!

6'2", 223 pounds, mid-4.6 second 40-yard dash

6'1", 226 pounds, mid-4.6 second 40-yard dash

These numbers are almost identical (insert My Cousin Vinny reference), wouldn't you say? The first line is Alfred Blue's measurables entering the NFL draft. The second line is Arian Foster's.

If you've watched video of the two, you would see that the two runners' frames and running styles are strikingly similar. Both runners run in a more up-right style. Neither runner is ever going to be the quickest or most elusive player on the field. But both runners are very instinctive with great vision, a big reason Blue averaged six yards per carry during his four years at LSU. As I said, neither player is the quickest, but when each runner gets to their full, long stride, it's off to the races.

Long story short, when I watch Alfred Blue run, I see a younger Arian Foster. If he wins the second-string duties by preseason's end, which looks like it can happen at this point, he's definitely worthy of a late-round flier with higher considerations in keeper and dynasty leagues.