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What to expect from this article
Below, we will dive deep into what we can expect from the Houston Texans' offense in 2023, including thorough fantasy football previews for CJ Stroud, Dameon Pierce, Devin Singletary, Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz.
For the deep leaguers, dynasty leaguers and superflexers, we will also discuss rookies Robert Woods (WR), John Metchie (WR) and Nathaniel "Tank" Dell (WR) at the bottom of this article.
Each player preview will conclude with fantasy football rankings and suggestions for how to approach them in redraft, dynasty and best ball leagues (and superflex leagues for QBs).
2022 Houston Texans: Looking Back
It's been an absolutely brutal 3 years since the Houston Texans made the playoffs with a 10-6 record in 2019, going 11-38-1 with three different head coaches in as many seasons.
2022 was the rotten cherry on top with just 3 wins, the 3rd worst season in Houston's 21 year existence. Their futility predictably showed up in the statistics, finishing:
🔴 30th in scoring
🔴 31st in yards
🟡 14th in passing attempts
🔴 25th in passing yards
🟠 18th in passing TDs
🔴 30th in rushing attempts
🔴 31st in rushing yards
🔴 31st in rushing TDs
It wasn't much prettier at the individual level, where:
🔴 Davis Mills was Houston's best QB but fantasy's QB 21
🔴 Brandin Cooks was Houston's best WR but fantasy's WR 49
🔴 Jordan Akins was Houston's best TE but fantasy's TE 18
Notably the ONLY bright spot in the Texans horrid 2022 campaign was the emergence of 4th round rookie RB Dameon Pierce, who was the RB 21 in PPR points per game (12.8).
Houston's 3-13-1 record led to the dismissal of head coach Lovie Smith.
On the bright side, their dumpster fire of a season also led to the 2nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, where the Texans picked Ohio State QB CJ Stroud, giving the Texans and their fans a reason for hope moving forward.
2023 Fantasy Football Preview: Looking Ahead
It's been a busy offseason for the Texans as they look to climb out of the basement. So far they've:
❌ Fired Head Coach Lovie Smith and Offensive Coordinator Pep Hamilton
❌ Traded WR 1 Brandin Cooks to the Cowboys for a 2023 5th round pick and a 2024 6th round pick
✅ Drafted Ohio State QB CJ Stroud with the 2nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft
✅ Signed free agent RB Devin Singletary to a one-year, $3.75 million contract
✅ Signed free agent WR Robert Woods to a two-year, $15.3 million contract
✅ Drafted Houston WR Nathaniel "Tank" Dell with the 69th nice overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft (3rd round, 6th pick)
✅ Signed free agent TE Dalton Schultz to a one-year, $9 million contract
✅ Hired Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik
A former Defensive Rookie of the Year and two-time pro bowl linebacker for the Texans and Eagles, Ryans comes from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree where he spent the last 6 years as a defensive mind for the 49ers.
After serving as Defensive Quality Control (1 year), Inside Linebackers Coach (3 years) and Defensive Coordinator (2 years) for the Niners, Ryans picked up the Assistant Coach of the year award last season by coordinating the top ranked defense in football (1st in both points allowed and yards allowed).
Ryans brings with him Bobby Slowik, who will take on his 1st ever Offensive Coordinator role after spending the last 4 years as an Offensive Assistant (2 years), Passing Game Specialist (1 year) and Passing Game Coordinator (1 year) with Shanahan's 49ers.
Prior to those last 4 years, Slowik spent 2 years on the defensive side for the 49ers, plus 3 years as a Defensive Assistant with Mike Shanahan/Kyle Shanahan and the Washington Redskins from 2011-2013.
In other words, Slowik has spent each of his 9 years in the NFL studying under the school of Shanahan.
Shanahan, of course, has orchestrated some fantastic, run-heavy offenses during his 15 years as an Offensive Coordinator or Head Coach. Over his last 6 seasons as the head boss in San Francisco, Shanahan's offenses have finished:
🟡 20th, 21st, 2nd, 21st, 13th and 6th in scoring
🟢 12th, 16th, 4th, 15th, 7th and 5th in yards
🟢 22nd, 11th, 2nd, 14th, 5th and 9th in rushing attempts
🟢 21st, 13th, 2nd, 15th, 7th and 8th in rushing yards
🟢 7th, 30th, 1st, 10th, 5th and 5th in rushing TDs
🟠 2nd, 20th, 29th, 16th, 29th and 26th in passing attempts
🟡 9th, 15th, 13th, 12th, 12th and 13th in passing yards
🟡 28th, 17th, 10th, 19th, 14th and 4th in passing TDs
Of course, as I learned the hard way with Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins last season, simply coming from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree doesn't automatically mean a run-heavy approach.
That said, with a defensive minded Head Coach, a rookie QB, a 2nd year RB who was terrific last year, a second RB with 1000+ scrimmage yards in 2 of 4 seasons, and a barren pass-catching crew, it shouldn't surprise anyone of Houston tries to be one of the most run-heavy teams in football in 2023.
Of course, with an over/under of just 6.5 wins (+116 over, -142 under) which implies they'll be losing frequently, it remains to be seen how dedicated Houston can stay to running the ball.
Houston has the worst odds to win the AFC South (+1000) and is the 2nd most likely team in the entire NFL to miss the playoffs according to Fanduel Sportsbook (-800).
For fantasy football purposes, Houston will be mostly a team to avoid in 2023.
👇 With that all being said, let's do a thorough 2023 fantasy football preview of each and every fantasy-relevant player on the Houston Texans! 👇
Houston Texans Quarterbacks
Fantasy Football Rankings and Preview
🟡 QB CJ Stroud (rookie)
Wit the 2nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans selected Ohio State's CJ Stroud.
Stroud dominated the Big Ten, passing for 8,123 yards and 85 TDs but just 12 interceptions in only 2 seasons. He was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2022, finishing top 4 in Heisman voting both years.
As a prospect, Stroud is arguably (easily?) the best pure thrower of the football in this draft class. He's accurate at every level of the field, throws with a feathery touch, and is a "quick processor from the pocket with anticipation throws all over his tape" per film guru John Chapman.
While fellow rookie QB Anthony Richardson carries the biggest fantasy football ceiling and Bryce Young offers the "safer floor," Stroud may very well prove to be the best QB of the 2023 draft class.
For now, though, fantasy managers shouldn't expect much in year. Playing for a defensive minded Head Coach and an Offensive Coordinator that comes from a run-heavy background—not to mention a barren pass catching crew to throw to—Stroud will likely be asked to take care of the football and hand it to Dameon Pierce is often as possible.
For what it's worth, Fanduel Sportsbook currently gives Stroud the 3rd best odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (+900) with over/under 17.5 TD passes (-112) and over/under 3075.5 passing yards (-112).
With no one to throw to in what will likely be a run-first offense, Stroud is best approached as a lower end QB 2 during his first campaign.
Dynasty Leagues: 🟢 CJ Stroud is currently #16 overall in my 1QB dynasty rookie rankings, and #4 overall in my 2QB dynasty rookie rankings.
Redraft Leagues: 🔴 CJ Stroud could offer the occasional streamer week in 2023 redraft leagues, but he should not be drafted on "normal" sized rosters (8-12 team leagues, 15ish roster spots).
Stroud is currently #173 overall in my 2023 Draft Rankings.
Superflex Leagues: 🟡 Stroud is a low-end QB 2 who's better treated as a QB 3 option for superflex players.
Best Ball Leagues: 🟠 CJ Stroud is currently being drafted as the QB 26 around pick 194 overall (early 17th round) in Underdog best ball drafts.
He's best approached as your 3rd QB, but could be a bottom barrel QB 2 if you drafted Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts or Patrick Mahomes.
Max best ball exposure: 10%
Houston Texans Running Backs
Fantasy Football Rankings and Preview
🟡 RB Dameon Pierce
The most encouraging story of the Houston Texans' 2022 season was the emergence of 4th round rookie Dameon Pierce.
Despite playing for one of the worst offenses in football, the Florida Gator running back handled 250 touches—including 30 catches on 39 targets—for 1104 scrimmage yards and 5 TDs in just 13 games. In other words, he averaged:
⚫ 12.8 PPR points per game
⚫ 19.2 touches per game
⚫ 2.3 catches on 3 targets per game
⚫ 84.9 scrimmage yards per game
⚫ 0.4 TDs per game (5 total)
He scored 11 or more PPR points in 9 of those 13 games (a nice 69%) with 4 games over 15 PPR points, including 2 games over 20 with a career high of 25.9.
Working against Pierce in 2023 is that, this offseason, Houston signed free agent RB Devin Singletary to a one-year, $3.75 million contract. Singletary has 1,000+ scrimmage yards in 2 of 4 professional seasons and is likely to be involved—not just a backup.
Singletary will likely handle passing down work as a 3rd down back after Rex Burkhead and Dare Ogunbowale combined for 57 catches on 77 targets last season.
It's also not encouraging that Houston is projected for over/under just 6.5 wins, implying they'll be losing often which could threaten them into pass-heavy game scripts that create fantasy football duds for Pierce from time to time.
On the bright side, Pierce will work in a much-improved, CJ Stroud led offense under a defensive minded Head Coach and an Offensive Coordinator that comes from the run-first school of Kyle Shanahan, so Pierce should theoretically get as much work as he can handle in 2023.
For what it's worth, FanDuel Sportsbook has Pierce projected for over/under 850.5 rushing yards (-112)—which would actually be nearly 100 fewer than last year's injury-shortened season—and over/under 4.5 rushing TDs (-118 over, 108 under).
In 2023, Pierce is best approached as an RB 2 who's upside will be tied to voluminous games and scoring opportunities with Singletary handling receiving work. Pierce will have his fair share of strong fantasy performances, but there will be some duds as well.
Dynasty Leagues: 🟢 Just 23 years old, Pierce is a strong "hold" for dynasty managers.
Redraft Leagues: 🟠 Dameon Pierce is currently being drafted as fantasy's RB 19 around pick 49 overall (early 5th round) in 2023 PPR drafts.
He's a fade for me at that cost when I can instead draft TJ Hockenson, Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen, Miles Sanders, Justin Fields, Justin Herbert, Calvin Ridley, Terry McLaurin, DeAndre Hopkins, DJ Moore or others near the Pierce draft spot.
Pierce is currently #66 overall in my 2023 Draft Rankings—17-18 spots later than his current ADP.
Best Ball Leagues: 🟡 Dameon Pierce is currently drafted as the RB 22 around very nice pick 69 overall (late 6th round) in Underdog best ball drafts.
If you went WR heavy out of the gate and need RB help, Pierce is a solid option at this cost, though I personally would still aim for Miles Sanders or Cam Akers (or even wait for David Montgomery, D'Andre Swift and James Conner who come after Pierce).
If you already have 2-3 strong RBs by thos point, instead consider opting for Tyler Lockett, Michael Pittman, Mike Evans, Gabe Davis, Jahan Dotson, Dallas Goedert, Kyle Pitts or more.
Max best ball exposure: 15%
🟠 RB Devin Singletary
On March 20th, 2023, the Houston Texans signed Buffalo Bills castoff Devin Singletary to a one-year, $3.75 million contract.
The Bills' 2019 3rd round pick from Florida Atlantic is coming off a solid 2022 campaign where he handled 215 touches—including 38 catches on a career-high 52 targets—for a career-high 1099 scrimmage yards plus 6 TDs from scrimmage.
Playing with a rookie QB—who has no receivers—and for a defensive-minded Head Coach plus a disciple of the run-first school of Kyle Shanahan, Singletary will likely form a committee with 2022 standout Dameon Pierce.
More specifically, Singletary is likely to serve as the team's primary receiving back while occasionally spelling Pierce on early downs.
In 27 career regular season games where Singletary has handled between 8-14 touches—a fair expectation when Pierce is healthy—he's averaged:
⚫ 9.1 PPR points per game
⚫ 11 touches per game
⚫ 2.4 catches on 3.3 targets per game
⚫ 56.1 scrimmage yards per game
⚫ 0.2 TDs from scrimmage per game (6 total)
⚫ 0.1 lost fumbles per game (3 total)
Singletary scored fewer than 10 PPR points in 16 of those 27 games (59%), hitting 15 PPR points just 3 times in 27 tries (11%).
As long as Pierce is healthy, Singletary's fantasy football upside will be limited to his work in the receiving game, where Rex Burkhead and Dare Ogunbowale combined for 57 catches on 77 targets last season.
He does have some PPR specific flex appeal heading into 2023 with the Houston projected for just 6.5 wins, which indicates they'll be losing often and forced to throw in order to keep up with—or catch up to—their opponent.
Of course if anything did happen to Pierce, Singletary would be an instant RB 2 who's proven capable of performing with greater volume.
In 25 career games where he's handled at least 15 touches, Singletary has averaged:
⚫ 14.6 PPR points per game
⚫ 18.6 touches per game
⚫ 2.6 catches on 3.4 targets per game
⚫ 92.2 scrimmage yards per game
⚫ 0.5 TDs from scrimmage per game (12 total)
⚫ 0.1 lost fumbles per game (2 total)
He scored 16 or more PPR points in 12 of those 25 games (48%), including 4 games over 23 PPR points (16%).
Heading into his age 26 season, Singletary is best approached as an unexciting RB 4 in PPR leagues, but one that would be a popular pickup if anything happened to Dameon Pierce. Singletary is a strong "Zero RB" selection in the late rounds.
Dynasty Leagues: 🟠 Entering his age 26 campaign, Devin Singletary's dynasty value is fading fast. He's merely a "hold" at this stage.
Redraft Leagues: 🟠 Devin Singletary is currently drafted as fantasy's RB 43 around pick 148 overall (early 13th round) in 2023 PPR drafts.
He's a solid late-round "zero RB" or "hero RB" target for those that went WR heavy in the early rounds.
Singletary is currently #145 overall in my 2023 Draft Rankings—right near his current ADP.
Best Ball Leagues: 🟠 Devin Singletary is currently drafted as the RB 49 around pick 155 overall (late 13th round) in Underdog best ball drafts.
He's a solid late-round "zero RB" or "hero RB" target for those that went WR heavy in the early rounds.
Houston Texans Wide Receivers
Fantasy Football Rankings and Preview
🟡 WR Nico Collins
With Brandin Cooks (93 targets last season) shipped to Dallas, Chris Moore (74) off to the Titans, Jordan Akins (54) in Cleveland, Rex Burkhead (51) in the free agent pool and Phillip Dorsett (40) in Las Vegas, there are 300+ targets up for grabs in a revamped Texans offense.
Nico Collins—the Texans' 2021 3rd round pick from Michigan—will enter the season as Houston's de facto "WR 1" with Robert Woods, John Metchie, Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz not far behind for targets.
After 24 career regular season games as the Texans WR 2/3, Collins is averaging:
⚫ 7.5 PPR points per game
⚫ 5.3 targets per game
⚫ 2.9 catches per game
⚫ 38.6 yards per game
⚫ 0.1 TDs per game (3 total)
Collins has just one career game over 15 PPR points (15.9 to be exact) and has scored fewer than 10 PPR points in 17 of 24 career games (71%).
Of course, Collins was 2nd or 3rd in line for Davis Mills targets in offenses that finished 30th and 30th in scoring, and 31st and 32nd in yards.
Pretty hard to shine when you're buried in a black hole.
2023 undoubtedly presents the best week 1 opportunity of Collins' still-young career, and he is fantasy relevant heading into the season.
But it's hard to truly get excited about anyone in the Texans' receiving core with a rookie QB—albeit a great one—a defensive-minded head coach, an offensive coordinator that comes from the run-first academy of Kyle Shanahan, and several similarly-tiered receiving options with no true alpha WR 1 in place.
In other words, Houston will likely keep the ball on the ground as much as possible in CJ Stroud's first professional season.
Collins' 2023 situation reminds a lot of Darnell Mooney's 2022 situation; a WR 2/3 caliber player shoehorned into a WR 1 role on a run-first offense.
Working in Collins' favor is that the Texans are projected for just 6.5 wins, implying they'll be losing often and might need to throw more than they'd like in order to keep up with—or catch up to—their opponent.
Translation; there's certainly a foreseeable world where the 24 year old fills his box score in pass-heavy garbage time.
Collins is best approached as a mediocre WR 4 in 2023 fantasy football.
Dynasty Leagues: 🟡 Entering his age 24 season and not a true WR 1, Nico Collins is a "sell high" candidate if dynasty managers can cash in on his "WR 1" status.
Redraft Leagues: 🟢 Nico Collins is currently being drafted as fantasy's WR 60 around pick 175 overall (mid 15th round) in 2023 PPR drafts.
I'm not dying to get Collins on any of my fantasy teams, but WR 60 in the 15th round is too low for the presumed WR 1 in an offense that should be better than last year. He's a low-upside selection, but Collins is somehow a value in 2023 fantasy football leagues.
Collins is currently #139th overall in my 2023 Draft Rankings, a whopping 36 spots ahead of his current ADP.
Best Ball Leagues: 🟠 Nico Collins is currently drafted as fantasy's WR 54 around pick 115 overall (mid 10th round) in Underdog best ball drafts.
Whereas Collins is a value in redraft leagues, he's much more expensive in best ball leagues. A low upside option, I personally would rather spend this pick on David Njoku, Pat Freiermuth, Samaje Perine, Odell Beckham, Kirk Cousins, JuJu Smith-Schuster, De'Von Achane, Damien Harris, Elijah Mitchell, Khalil Herbert, Aaron Rodgers and more.
Max best ball exposure: 5%
NOTE: See the bottom of this article for analysis on Robert Woods, John Metchie and rookie Nathaniel "Tank" Dell.
Houston Texans Tight Ends
Fantasy Football Rankings and Preview
🟢 TE Dalton Schultz
Out is Brandin Cooks (93 targets last season), Chris Moore (74), Jordan Akins (54), Rex Burkhead (51), Phillip Dorsett (40) and more, freeing up a whopping 300+ targets in the Houston Texans' offense.
In is 27-year-old TE Dalton Schultz, a 2018 4th round pick from Stanford who spent the last 5 years catching passes for the inter-state rival Dallas Cowboys.
After finishing as a top 12 TE in each of the last 3 years with the Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, Schultz signed a one-year, $9 million contract to catch safety blanket catches from rookie QB CJ Stroud.
With no true alpha WR 1—that role will be assumed by Nico Collins or Robert Woods—Schultz is a solid darkhorse to bet to lead the Texans in targets and catches in 2023.
In 48 regular season games over the last 3 seasons, Schultz has averaged:
⚫ 10.3 PPR points per game
⚫ 5.9 targets per game
⚫ 4.1 catches per game
⚫ 41.7 yards per game
⚫ 0.4 TDs per game (17 total)
Schultz has been able to score 10 or more PPR points in 22 of 48 games (46%), including 10 games over 17 PPR points (21%), 5 of which crossed 20 PPR points (10%).
Of course, all of that damage was done in a Dallas offense that routinely finished at or near the top of the league in scoring, yards and/or passing attempts.
On the flip side, Schultz was also competing for targets with Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, much stiffer competition than Nico Collins, John Metchie and Tank Dell.
With a rookie QB, a defensive-minded head coach and an offensive coordinator that comes for the run-first school of Kyle Shanahan, the Texans aren't likely to be a team that's near the top of the league in scoring, yards or especially pass attempts.
Still, with the Texans projected for just 6.5 wins, they'll likely be losing often and forced to throw more than they'd like to in order to keep up with—or catch up to—their opponent.
And with an opportunity to lead the team in targets, that makes Schultz an intriguing late round TE target, particularly in PPR leagues.
Dynasty Leagues: 🟡 Dalton Schultz is a "hold" in dynasty leagues.
Redraft Leagues: 🟡 Dalton Schultz is currently being drafted as fantasy's TE 11 around pick 115 overall (mid 10th round) in 2023 PPR drafts.
He's an intriguing late-round dart only if you have not yet selected a TE.
It's also ok to just pass on him and stream the TE position all year (if you're in a "normal" sized league; 12ish teams and 15ish roster spots). BBFF will help you stream!
Schultz is currently #123rd overall in my 2023 Draft Rankings.
Best Ball Leagues: 🟢 Dalton Schultz is currently drafted as fantasy's TE 13 around pick 137 overall (mid 12th round) in Underdog best ball drafts.
He's a strong 2nd or even 3rd for drafters who missed on Travis Kelce.
Max best ball exposure: 25%
Other Names to Know
For the deep-leaguers, dynasty leaguers and superflexers, see below for analysis on:
⚫ WR Robert Woods
⚫ WR Nathaniel "Tank" Dell (rookie)
⚫ WR John Metchie
🟠 WR Robert Woods
Out is Brandin Cooks (93 targets last season), Chris Moore (74), Jordan Akins (54), Rex Burkhead (51), Phillip Dorsett (40) and more, freeing up a whopping 300+ targets in the Houston Texans' offense.
In is 31 year old Robert Woods, a 10-year veteran who spent 4 years with the Bills, 5 years with the Rams, and last season with the Titans.
Woods signed a two-year, $15.3 million contract—including $10 million guaranteed—with the Texans in March, a contract that indicates he'll get significant run with the 1st team offense and challenge 2021 3rd round pick Nico Collins for the "WR 1" role in Houston.
Of course, Woods has just 2 professional seasons with more than 950 yards, and his last one was with Sean McVay and the Rams back in 2019.
It's been a downward spiral ever since as Woods has watched his yardage (936, 556 and 527) and TD (6, 4 and 2) outputs decrease every year.
After 142 career regular season games, the former Bills 2nd round pick (2013) from USC is averaging:
⚫ 11.8 PPR points per game
⚫ 6.9 nice targets per game
⚫ 4.4 catches per game
⚫ 53.5 yards per game
⚫ 0.3 TDs per game (37 total)
Woods has scored 10 or fewer PPR points in a not-so-nice 69 of 142 career games (49%), hitting 15 or more PPR points in just 43 of 142 contests (30%).
To be fair, he does have 20 career games over 20 PPR points (14%), 4 of which went for 30+ (3%), including a career high of 37.1 PPR points against—ironically enough—the Houston Texans in week 10 of 2017.
Still Woods has finished as fantasy's WR 45 or worse in 6 of 10 professional campaigns, including each of the last 2.
He had a terrific run with the Rams where he finished as a top 32 WR in 4 straight years between 2017-2020, including 3 finishes in the top 14.
But those were in high-octane Sean McVay offenses that routinely finished near the top of the league in points, yards and passing attempts.
Woods will have every opportunity to operate as the Texans' WR 1 or 2, making him plenty viable as a fantasy football option.
But Nico Collins, Tank Dell, John Metchie and Dalton Schultz are all in the running for limited CJ Stroud targets as well.
Working in Woods' favor is that the Texans are projected for just 6.5 wins, implying they'll be losing often and might need to throw more than they'd like in order to keep up with—or catch up to—their opponent.
So there's a believable path to volume for Woods, even if it is in garbage time.
Still, it's hard to truly get excited about anyone in the Texans' receiving core with a rookie QB—albeit a great one—a defensive-minded head coach, an offensive coordinator that comes from the run-first academy of Kyle Shanahan, and several similarly-tiered receiving options with no true alpha WR 1 in place.
In other words, Houston will likely keep the ball on the ground as much as possible in CJ Stroud's first professional season.
Entering his age 31 season on a rebuilding team, Woods is best approached as an unexciting WR 5.
Dynasty Leagues: 🔴 Entering his age 31 season, the end is near for Robert Woods.
Redraft Leagues: 🔴 Robert Woods is currently free in 2023 PPR drafts. While he doesn't belong on rosters in "normal" sized redraft leagues (8-12 teams, 15 ish roster spots), he should at least be on your radar as a possible pickup if Nico Collins falters in the WR 1 role.
Woods is currently #185 overall in my 2023 Draft Rankings.
Best Ball Leagues: 🟡 Robert Woods is currently drafted as fantasy's WR 87 around pick 209 overall (mid 18th round) in Underdog best ball drafts.
He's a perfectly fine flier that late considering his opportunity in an unsettled WR room, but I personally tend to opt instead for higher upside darts like Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Mecole Hardman, Chase Claypool Kareem Hunt and more.
Max best ball exposure: 5%
🟡 WR Nathaniel "Tank" Dell (rookie)
With the nice 69th overall pick (3rd round, 6th pick) in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans selected Houston WR Nathaniel "Tank" Dell.
Dell is a diminutive (5'8," 165 pounds) receiver with terrific short-area acceleration and separation skills. His small frame will almost certainly force him into the slot, limiting big play opportunities and somewhat capping fantasy football upside outside of reception volume.
That said, the 23 year old (24 in October) landed in a wide open Texans offense that just drafted CJ Stroud—who reportedly asked the Texans to draft Dell—and vacated more than 300 targets with the departures of Brandin Cooks, Chris Moore, Phillip Dorsett and more.
Considering there's no true, established WR 1 on the Texans' roster, Dell will have an immediate opportunity to vie for targets with Nico Collins (an unproven 3rd round pick from a different coaching staff in 2018), Robert Woods (a 31-year-old vet who hasn't done anything noteworthy in 3 years) and John Metchie (who's never played a game after battling cancer during the entire 2022 season).
With a wide open WR room and an opportunity to serve as his buddy CJ Stroud's slot option safety blanket, Dell has a chance to make some PPR noise as early as 2023.
Dell doesn't belong on "normal" sized redraft rosters (8-12 teams, 15ish roster spots), but he's #28 overall in my dynasty rookie rankings.
🟡 WR John Metchie
The 44th overall pick in last year's draft, John Metchie, spent his entire rookie season battling leukemia after leading Alabama to 96 catches, 1142 yards and 8 TDs as a Junior in 2021.
A heartwarming story, Metchie is fully active for Texans training camp and appears ready to roll for 2023 (well...despite a minor hamstring injury).
Candidly, Metchie was not one of my favorite 2022 prospects, and it's unclear how effective he will be after such a scary battle in 2022.
But there's no denying his opportunity in a rebuilding offense with no short or long term answers at the WR position.
A mid-2nd round pick last year, Metchie will get a chance to steal targets away from 2020 3rd rounder Nico Collins, 31-year-old Robert Woods and 2023 3rd round rookie Nathaniel "Tank" Dell. With no alpha WR 1, Metchie has the opportunity to seize that role as the season goes on.
Then again, Dell, Collins and Woods have the same opportunity, and they'll all compete for attention in what should be a run-heavy Texans' offense.
Metchie does not belong on "normal" sized fantasy football rosters (8-12 teams, 15ish roster spots), but he should be on your "watch" list and he's a fine dynasty stash at still just 23 years old.
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