For years, Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan was hated by fantasy owners for the way he constantly rotated running backs, giving them each little value because of the unpredictability of their playing time. Now, one of his proteges, Texans head coach Gary Kubiak, is drawing equal ire for his actions on Sunday.

That's because Kubiak chose this day to send a message to RB Steve Slaton, whom fantasy owners had excitedly started in anticipation of his terrific matchup with the league's worst run defense in Buffalo. After Slaton lost a fumble on his first carry of the game, Kubiak sent him to the bench, where he remained for the rest of the contest. On a day which looked so promising, Slaton finished with 11 yards from scrimmage.

To make matters worse, his replacement, Ryan Moats, proceeded to have a monster outing, gashing the Bills for 126 yards and three TDs on 23 carries. A more powerful runner, Moats did more on the ground than Slaton had all season, likely earning himself at least a share of the workload going forward. But will the upstart Moats be more than just a change of pace for Slaton?

That's the concern that Slaton owners will be dealing with all this week. After all, their guy has done little to show that he deserves the featured role in the Houston offense. Following an incredible rookie campaign in which he had 268-1,282-9 rushing (4.8 YPC) and another 50-377-1 receiving, Slaton has taken a significant step back in 2009. This year, he's gaining a scant 3.1 YPC, hasn't topped 76 rushing yards in a game and has been a fumbling machine, coughing the ball up seven times, five of which were recovered by the opposition.

Slaton's saving grace has been his improvement as a pass catcher. Halfway through the season, he already has 29 catches for 314 yards and three TDs, very nice totals from a RB. These solid receiving stats have been the only thing keeping Slaton a viable fantasy play, but is this what Kubiak wants out of his No. 1 back? If anything, Slaton is turning into a Reggie Bush-type player, and we all know that guys like that don't make for quality every-down backs in real life.

Slaton is talented enough to get another chance as the Texans' featured runner, but the leash is going to be very short. If his struggles on the ground continue or if he keeps coughing up the rock, he's going to find himself back on the bench. As it is, Moats and/or Chris Brown are going to handle the short-yardage/goal-line duties. Slaton owners just have to hope that's where their roles end.