The 2022 Houston Texans were not a Fantasy gold mine. Davis Mills ended the season as QB21. Jordan Adkins was TE16. Brandin Cooks finished as a WR48 but only had two games over 80 yards and scored only three TDs. One nugget was Dameon Pierce. He managed double-digit Fantasy points from Week 3 through Week 10. Then the production really fell off and a season-ending ankle injury dropped him from a ROY candidate to an RB29.
Houston Texans Fantasy Football Preview
Key Subtractions and Additions
Key Subtractions: Jordan Akins (TE), Brandin Cooks (WR), Chris Moore (WR), O.J. Howard (TE), Rex Burkhead (RB), Jeff Driskel (QB), Kyle Allen (QB), Royce Freeman (RB), Phillip Dorsett (WR)
Key Additions: Devin Singletary (RB), Dalton Schultz (TE), Mike Boone (RB), Case Keenum (QB), Noah Brown (WR), E.J. Perry (QB), Robert Woods (WR), New Coaching Staff
Positional Preview
Quarterback
C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills, Case Keenum, E.J Perry
Last year Bobby Slowik held the position of passing-game coordinator for the 49ers. He was a big part of turning the last pick of the 2022 draft into a QB that got them to the NFC Championship game. This year, as the new Texans’ offensive coordinator, he gets to work with the number two pick overall, C.J. Stroud. If only he could have just brought the 49ers receivers with him.
With no established, elite pass-catchers on this team, the yardage probably won’t be there on a week-to-week basis for Stroud. He isn’t a Justin Fields or Lamar Jackson that will get you a ton of Fantasy points with his legs.
I would not use a draft pick on Stroud if you are in a redraft league. In early drafts, he will probably be ranked somewhere in the QB25 – QB30 range and will likely be someone that you can get off the waiver wire after your draft. If you are in a dynasty league though, this a QB that I would be drafting to hold.
There is no Fantasy value for Davis Mills or Case Keenum unless Stroud gets hurt.
Running Back
Dameon Pierce, Devin Singletary, Mike Boone, Dare Ogunbowale
Pierce is in a great position to become a Fantasy star this year. Last year it took a couple of weeks to get going but when he did, he averaged over 14 Fantasy points between the third week and the 10th. He was an RB1 for three of those weeks and RB2 for four.
With the addition of Singletary, Houston now has a very nice one-two punch in the backfield. On some teams that could be a mess. In this case, I think it will actually help Pierce. With the added help and his rookie season out of the way, he could become more productive. If Singletary takes a few more carries each week Pierce should be fresher later in the season than he was in 2022. With a rookie QB and a new coaching staff, this should be a team that will be running more than they pass so there should be Fantasy points for both.
Look for Pierce to go off the board near the RB20-RB25 spot. Add Singletary to your watch list and pounce if anything happens to Pierce.
Wide Receiver
Robert Woods, Nico Collins, John Metchie, Noah Brown, Nathaniel Dell, Xavier Hutchinson.
When your projected No. 1 wide receiver is someone that only caught 53 balls for 527 yards last year and only had 556 yards the year before, I think there might be a problem with this unit. Woods is a veteran presence though and could be a nice security blanket for the rookie QB. He might surprise as a player that is being drafted as a WR4 if he and Stroud can find some early chemistry.
Nathaniel (Tank) Dell is a very intriguing player that you should draft ahead of Woods if you are in a dynasty league. Houston liked him so much they traded up to get him. If you watch any video of him you don’t need me to tell you he is fast. Really fast. He has excellent separation skills and his run after the catch is off the charts. Since the new coaching staff is another branch off the San Francisco tree, separation and RAC are two things that make this type of offense work. His only downside is his size.
One wide receiver I will be rooting for is John Metchie. He is a very speedy receiver that was Houston’s second-round pick last year. Metchie missed the entire season battling a form of leukemia. He is back practicing with the team now and has a chance to play this year. His Fantasy value is completely unknown at this time. He could be worth stashing in a deep dynasty league.
Noah Brown was able to carve out 555 yards as the Cowboys’ No. 2 receiver last year. Nico Collins only managed 481 yards. Except for deeper leagues, I think at the end of your draft you will find both players on the waiver wire.
Tight End
Dalton Schultz, Teagan Quitoriano, Brevin Jordan
Schultz played for the Cowboys last year and hauled in 577 yards. He moves across the state and signs a one-year contract. Schultz should be on a mission to prove that his last year’s stats were just a blip. With no real competition, he should be expected to get closer to the 2021 numbers which ranked him as the fourth-best tight end in the league. My prediction is he will fall somewhere between and end up as the sixth-best in the league which would make him a steal since he is currently being drafted as the 10th TE.
Defense/Special Teams
In Fantasy Leagues, defense and special teams scoring is combined into one category. Too bad for the Texans.
One of the coaches retained by Ryan was Frank Ross the special teams coach. Special teams was the one unit that excelled last year. If special teams was a category by itself then Houston would be drafted near the top.
The problem comes when you add in the defense. They ranked near the bottom in the league and it will take time to turn that around. With a new coaching staff, and some better personnel there should be an improvement but for Fantasy drafts, this is not a defense you want in your draft queue.
What’s your take on the 2023 Houston Texans? Share your thoughts in the comments below and then check out the rest of our 2023 Fantasy Football Team Previews.