Well, the experts at ESPN seem to think so.
They recently published their top 300 list for this upcoming season, and Foster is sandwiched between AP and Chris Johnson for second overall. The rankings can be found here.
I must say I'm a little shocked, and it seems as if Foster is taking over the NFL by storm. After his stellar sophomore campaign last year, he has been nominated for three ESPY awards and has entered the conversation for best running back in the league. Although some experts worry about the "one-hit wonder" problem with Foster, they didn't have a problem placing him in front of Chris Johnson.
Chris Johnson has big-play potential every time he touches the ball (especially against the Texans), but you can't deny that Foster won the rushing title for yardage and touchdowns. We can be sure about one thing: the AFC South is loaded with talented running backs. When you throw MJD into the mix, it's safe to say that the Texans' division is home to three of the top five running backs in the NFL.
Christopher Harris had this to say about the matter:
"Our ESPN panel of experts had no compunction rating Arian Foster No. 2 overall, and I guess I understand it. He was unbelievably dominant from start to finish last year, winning the rushing yardage and TD titles, and finishing tops in receiving yards by a RB. Clearly, though, there's a bit of a "one-year wonder" worry when it comes to Foster. While the other guys at the top of our list have done it over multiple seasons, Foster hasn't. He won't sneak up on anyone in '11, and opposing defenses may decide to change their focus from stopping Matt Schaub to stopping Foster. How have unexpectedly massive RB fantasy point producers typically fared in their follow-up seasons lately? Larry Johnson held up well from '05 to '06. DeAngelo Williams dropped off significantly from '08 to '09. And Chris Johnson was somewhere in-between from '09 to '10. Myself, I'd probably take CJ2K second overall, because I trust his track record a bit more. He's also still the game's premier home run hitter and produced well (No. 5 in RB fantasy points last year) despite a lingering thigh issue. But I understand if you prefer Foster. …"