Who can replace Lamar Miller on your fantasy team?

Houston Texans running back Lamar Miller tore his ACL in the team’s preseason loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but fantasy football owners can find an ideal replacement on the AFC South champion’s roster.

Every year, the preseason claims several key players to substantial injuries, and Houston Texans starting running back Lamar Miller is the latest fantasy-relevant player to suffer. The 973-yard rusher tore his ACL in the Texans Week 3 preseason contest against the Dallas Cowboys, with an MRI confirming the season-ending injury.

Miller’s injury is a tough blow to fantasy football owners. While Miller hasn’t quite lived up to the potential he flashed as a seldom-used rusher in Joe Philbin’s anemic Miami Dolphins offense, he has been a quality player for the Texans despite playing behind an offensive line that tapers his explosiveness. Miller has consistently run for over 850 yards in each of his three seasons in Houston, and he’s coming off of his most efficient year yet with 4.6 yards per carry.

Fantasy owners scrambling for a replacement should look no further than the running back the Texans just acquired this offseason. Bill O’Brien paid a steep price to pry Duke Johnson from the Cleveland Browns, who had no real interest in keeping him after controversially signing Kareem Hunt as Nick Chubb’s new partner, but the price could be well-worth it.

Johnson, like Miller, starred with the Miami Hurricanes in college. He is an agile, versatile back who can make more of an impact in the passing game than Miller, which could be a huge key for Deshaun Watson behind an offensive line that is still subpar. Johnson is tougher than he looks, too, and he has the ability to grind out yardage.

The Houston Chronicle’s John McClain reports that Johnson will touch the ball as often as possible, and he has the talent to become a fixture at running back in Houston. It’s entirely possible he Wally Pipps Miller after this season, because while Miller is a capable back, Johnson has legitimate star potential as a three-down rusher. When Cleveland did use him last season, he even showed that he can play as a wide receiver.

There’s no doubt that fantasy owners should value Johnson highly, especially if they need to replace Miller following this torn ACL. The only other Houston running back worth monitoring is UDFA Damarea Crockett. He’s a complete unknown, but the 21-year-old Missouri rookie is a worthwhile sleeper in deep leagues. It’s more likely he replaces D’Onta Foreman as the Texans No. 2 back behind Johnson, but that could still be an intriguing role in deep, running back-starved fantasy leagues.