The Texans' air attack was subpar in 2022 as quarterback Davis
Mills threw 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions -- tied for the
most in the NFL. Houston aided their passing game in the offseason,
by selecting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud No. 2 overall
in the 2023 NFL Draft. Stroud is known for his strong arm and
accuracy at all three levels of the gridiron.
Stroud, who finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2021
and third in 2022, threw for 8,123 yards, 85 touchdowns and just
12 interceptions during his two years as the Buckeyes’ starter.
However, he’s going from one of the best receiving corps
in college football to one of, if not the worst group of pass
catchers in the NFL.
If Stroud could find a way to alter his receivers’ reputation,
he may be recognized for more than just the offensive rookie of
the year award. Until then, he’ll start the season as a
late-round to undrafted quarterback in fantasy football drafts.
However, should he succeed with his strong arm and accuracy, the
21-year-old may be able to offers some spot starts for your fantasy
team late in the season.
Pierce was Houston's main offensive catalyst as he finished his
rookie season with the eighth-most rushing yards per game (72.2),
despite averaging 4.3 yards per carry (30th in the league). He
finished his rookie campaign fifth in yards after contact (506),
fourth in broken tackles (27) and he broke a tackle every eight
rushing attempts (second-best in the NFL). He was one of just
three players to average more yards after contact (2.3) than before
(2.0).
The only reason Pierce wasn't higher in these categories is because
he was sidelined in the final four games of the season due to
a foot injury. He finished the fantasy football season with the
25th-most fantasy points (170.4) among running backs, but averaged
13.1 fantasy points per game, the 21st-most at his position. His
biggest fantasy flaw is finding the endzone, as he only scored
five times.
If Pierce sticks to the same formula he used last season, he'll
only continue to improve. He’s expected to be a key figure
in the Texans offensive so topping his 250 touches from last season
isn’t out of the question. The angry runner will start the
fantasy football season as an RB2, but he has the potential to
finish as a lower-end RB1 if touchdown variance goes his way.
Houston signed former Bills’ RB Devin Singletary this off-season
to back-up Dameon Pierce. Singletary held his own in Buffalo’s
pass-heavy offense, finishing as the 23rd best running back in
fantasy football. However, Pierce is expected to be the main man
behind/beside Stroud keeping Singletary in a pure backup role
as opposed to a 1A, 1B situation.
With that being said, should Pierce be sidelined, Singletary
has proven to be among the best backups in the league due to his
starting experience at Buffalo. The soon-to-be 26-year-old rushed
for 819 yards and five touchdowns, averaging a very solid 4.6
yards per carry in 16 games last season. Singletary got involved
in quarterback Josh Allen’s passing attack as well, collecting
38 receptions for 280 yards (7.4 yards per catch) and a touchdown.
Singletary won’t be drafted high in fantasy football leagues,
but he’s definitely a good handcuff option in 2023. Since
Pierce isn’t much of a receiver, Singletary may get snaps
on the field during obvious passing situations.
WR Robert Woods
(2022 WR Rank – No.56, 6.9 FPts/G)
Woods’ lone season with the Tennessee Titans in 2022 was
the worst of his career as he recorded just 53 receptions for
527 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games (15 as a starter). The
player who was once labeled extremely consistent had the 56th-most
fantasy points last season with 117.7.
The 31-year-old hopes to return to the standard he saw with the
Rams from 2017-2020 (before a season-ending injury derailed his
2021 season), averaging 80.5 receptions for 1017.5 yards and 4.8
touchdowns per year during that span. The Texans have arguably
the worst wide receiver corps in the league. Can we expect a rookie
quarterback to turn Woods back into the player he used to be?
Perhaps, but until we see it, Woods will likely start the season
as a late-round or undrafted fantasy football player.
After being selected with the 44th overall pick in the 2022 NFL
Draft, Houston Texans receiver John Metchie hoped to make an immediate
impact, despite tearing his ACL in the SEC Championship game a
few months before. However, on July 24, just days before training
camp, Metchie was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia,
sidelining him for his entire rookie campaign. Thankfully, Metchie's
condition has immensely improved and he has participated in Houston's
voluntary minicamp in late April and is expected to start in 2023.
Metchie hauled in 96 receptions for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns
during his final year at Alabama, finishing in the top 10 among
SEC receivers in each category. The Crimson Tide product’s
route-running abilities are top tier as he’s proficient
at getting open on all three levels. However, it can be argued
that Metchie's best assets are his hands. The soon-to-be 23-year-old
(July 18) had just 15 drops on 171 targets throughout his collegiate
career and excelled at hauling in passes when under heavy pressure.
Working out of the slot, Metchie can have some value in PPR leagues,
but will start out as a late-round pick in fantasy football drafts
and probably won’t see much time starting in your lineups.
However, if you give him a year or two, the cancer survivor could
be on the rise due to his route running and inability to drop
the ball.
Entering his third season, Collins has yet to make a big impact
in the NFL. In 2022, he recorded 481 receiving yards and two touchdowns
in 10 games. His 97.1 fantasy points ranked 77th among receivers.
However, he has one advantage very few receivers in the NFL have:
height.
Standing at a 6-foot-4, Collins towers over cornerbacks, yet
hasn’t taken the “moss-ing” advantage like he
did in college. His 4.4-second 40-yard dash is also eye-opening
as he possesses the ability to zoom through defensive backs. However,
until we see some better quarterback play and the Texans offensive
system utilizing his unique physique, he’ll remain a late-round
or even undrafted fantasy football wide receiver.
In addition to signing Singletary and Woods this offseason, the
Texans signed former Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz. Schultz
is considered to be among the top 10 players at his position,
both through the eye test and in fantasy numbers.
Schultz hauled in 57 receptions for 577 yards and five touchdowns
in 15 games last season, totaling 144.7 fantasy points—the
ninth-most at his position. The year before, Schultz was third
in fantasy points among tight ends with 206.8.
The soon-to-be 27-year-old (July 11), is expected to be slightly
worse than the past couple of seasons due to his new team and
rookie quarterback. However, new head coach DeMeco Ryans hopes
to change the Texans narrative, but that might take a couple of
years.
Tight end is arguably the scarcest position when it comes to
fantasy football. The top three at the position are light years
ahead of No. 7-10. Schultz still falls into the TE1 spot in fantasy
lineups, but he’s towards the lower end of the group. If
Ryans transforms Houston quicker than expected, Schultz may have
a shot at rising into the No. 4-6 tier, but that would be his
ceiling.
