Houston Texans
AFC South | 0-3-1
Avg PTS
18.25
Rank: 28th
Avg Yds
322
Rank: 26th
Avg PYds
227
Rank: 21st
Avg RYds
95
Rank: 24th
Posted 9/30/2022 9:15 pm GMT
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce (hip) fully participated in practice Friday, Sept. 30, and is not on the injury report for Week 4.
Huddle Up: Pierce has taken over the starting running back job for the Texans and will see plenty of touches in Week 4. He can be a No. 2 running back or flex option in fantasy leagues.
Posted 9/29/2022 10:42 pm GMT
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce (hip) practiced in full on Thursday, Sept. 29.
Huddle Up: Pierce's participation was an upgrade from the day before, putting him on track to play in Week 4. The rookie has seen his touches go up each week, with his best showing coming in Week 3 when he tallied career-highs in carries (20), rushing yards (80), targets (two), catches (two) and receiving yards (21), and he scored the first touchdown of his career. Most importantly, Rex Burkhead has been nowhere to be found the last two weeks. Pierce is a high-end flex play who is working his way into the RB2 conversation.
Posted 9/29/2022 10:37 pm GMT
Houston Texans WR Brandin Cooks (rest) returned to practice on Thursday, Sept. 29.
Huddle Up: Cooks received a rest day on Wednesday so there was never any concern. What is concerning is Cooks' production, which has gotten worse every week, and he has yet to find the end zone in 2022. He's remains a flex play going into Week 4, but that's more for what he has done in the past rather than what he has done this season.
Posted 9/28/2022 11:01 pm GMT
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce (hip) was limited during practice Wednesday, Sept. 28.
Huddle Up: Pierce seems to have taken over as the starting running back job, but fantasy players will need to keep an eye on the situation to see if he will be available for Week 4. He can be a No. 2 back or flex option if he is active.
Posted 9/28/2022 10:56 pm GMT
Houston Texans WR Brandin Cooks (non-injury) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Sept. 28.
Huddle Up: Cooks is coming off a quiet Week 3 game but is still one of the main targets in the passing game for the Texans. He can be at least a flex option in fantasy leagues.
Posted 9/23/2022 9:55 pm GMT
Houston Texans TE Brevin Jordan (ankle) did not practice on Friday, Sept. 23, and has been ruled out for Week 3.
Huddle Up: Jordan wasn't a viable fantasy option anyway, as he has just three catches for eight yards in two games.
Posted 9/23/2022 9:45 pm GMT
Houston Texans QB Davis Mills (thumb) practiced in full on Friday, Sept. 23, and carries no designation into Sunday.
Huddle Up: Mills will face the Bears in Week 3, which is one of the better matchups he'll get all season long. However, he's only viable in two quarterback leagues, and even then it's dicey with the way Houston's offense has looked.
Posted 9/22/2022 8:36 pm GMT
Houston Texans QB Davis Mills (thumb) fully participated in practice Thursday, Sept. 22.
Huddle Up: Mills should not have any limitations in the Week 3 game despite the injury but probably is only a starting option in two-quarterback leagues.
Posted 9/21/2022 8:36 pm GMT
Houston Texans QB Davis Mills (thumb) fully participated in practice Wednesday, Sept. 21.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: It seems like Mills is dealing with a minor injury and is in no danger of missing the Week 3 game. He was held to under 200 yards in the last game and can be avoided in most leagues.
Posted 9/19/2022 1:02 am GMT
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce rushed 15 times for 69 yards and caught one pass for eight yards in a 16-9 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 2.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: The coaching staff promised more touches for Pearce coming into the game, and he was responsible for all but three of Houston's rushing attempts. If Pearce continues to handle this type of workload, he will be a RB2 candidate.
Posted 9/15/2022 9:20 pm GMT
Houston Texans TE Brevin Jordan (ankle) is expected to play in Week 2, offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said on Thursday, Sept. 15.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: The Texans' depth chart got a bit deeper at tight end with O.J. Howard shining in Week 1. Meanwhile, Jordan posted just one catch for five yards. Jordan could emerge as Houston's top option in 2022, but he isn't a viable fantasy option until he does.
Posted 9/13/2022 6:36 pm GMT
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce played a meager 20 of 70 offensive snaps in Week 1, but head coach Lovie Smith intends to get him playing time moving forward.
"Some of the other things we did in the game, looking on the offensive side of the football, I understand how many plays Dameon Pierce played. The plan of course was for him to get more. You get into the game and situations make you go a little bit different direction. You learn from those mistakes like that, mistakes of those situations that you look at the day after," Smith said.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: Houston was either tied or leading from halfway through the second quarter through overtime, so Smith's assertion that situations played a role in Pierce's lack of playing time is ridiculous. Expect the Texans to overcompensate over the next week or two, but Week 1 is unlikely to be the only time they forget about Pierce. Until further notice, the rookie will remain a low-end RB2 at best and better suited as a flex option.
Posted 9/12/2022 4:44 pm GMT
Updating a previous report, Houston Texans RB Rex Burkhead played on 71 percent of the snaps in Week 1.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: He played 30 more snaps than Dameon Pierce, which could mean the rookie is having trouble with the playbook or blitz pickups. That also means Burkhead should be owned universally, especially in PPR leagues, as a low-end RB2 or high-end RB3.
Posted 9/08/2022 5:41 pm GMT
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce has "earned the right to line up there with the (starters)," according to head coach Lovie Smith.
"As a rookie, he's come into the building, and asked 'What do I need to do coach?' First day, 'What do I need to do?', and then gone to work, doing it, showing up, hasn't missed anything, hasn't worried about practice squad. ... He's earned an opportunity to lead us. It was asked, is he our starting running back? He's earned the right to line up there with the one's, the first snap and I'm anxious to see him play," Smith told the team's website on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: Fantasy managers were sitting on pins and needles waiting for this endorsement, especially after the team cut Marlon Mack. In all seriousness, Pierce ran very well during exhibition play and should be in line for a heavy workload this year - at least on early downs. It remains to be seen if he can wrestle away significant passing-down work from Rex Burkhead, which will ultimately determine if he will be a solid fantasy RB2 or RB3 since Houston figures to be working in negative game script a fair amount in 2022.
Posted 9/06/2022 11:52 pm GMT
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce is listed as the starter on the team's depth chart going into Week 1.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: This was expected and deserved after Pierce shined in the preseason and the Texans cut Marlon Mack. While the cast around Pierce is a cause for concern, the rookie will get enough volume to justify starting him in the flex spot in Week 1. However, he draws a difficult matchup against a stout Indianapolis Colts defense that finished as a top-10 unit against the run in 2021.
Posted 9/02/2022 3:04 am GMT
Houston Texans WR Brandin Cooks and QB Davis Mills have worked well together during practice, according to head coach Lovie Smith. "The chemistry that I've seen throughout, it's been really good," Smith said. "They like playing together, and that's gonna lead to positive results."
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: Cooks is quietly coming off another 1,000-yard campaign that also saw him notch a career-high 90 receptions. Mills will likely lean on Cooks early and often again this season, making him a potential steal as a WR2.
Posted 8/31/2022 1:42 pm GMT
Free-agent TE O.J. Howard (Bills) is visiting the Cincinnati Bengals Wednesday, Aug. 31, and he's expected to sign.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: Howard will have a chance to return to fantasy relevance with Hayden Hurst all that's ahead of him. Keep Howard on your watch list.
Posted 8/30/2022 1:30 pm GMT
Buffalo Bills TE O.J. Howard was released Tuesday, Aug. 30.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: The emergence of Quintin Morris made him expendable. He should be an attractive player around the league to take a chance on.
Posted 8/29/2022 5:12 pm GMT
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce was not publicly announced as the team's starting running back by head coach Lovie Smith on Monday, Aug. 29. Smith would only tell reporters that Pierce "has done a great job throughout (training) camp and the preseason," according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: Pierce may not be on the field for the first play of Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts, but he will almost certainly be the most influential member of the team's backfield. Pierce's fantasy draft stock has skyrocketed - for good reason - over the last month; he should be considered a quality RB3 option. The rookie's biggest obstacle right now is the likelihood that Rex Burkhead will serve as the team's primary option on passing downs, which removes some of Pierce's luster on a team that figures to face plenty of negative game script situations this year.
Posted 8/26/2022 2:35 am GMT
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce rushed six times for 37 yards and a touchdown vs. the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, Aug. 25. He was not targeted in the passing game.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: The runaway freight train that is Pierce's fantasy hype will be at full speed this week. Following head coach Lovie Smith professing his satisfaction with what he had seen from the rookie after sitting him in Week 2 of the preseason, Pierce returned for a banger in limited work. It's tough to see RB Marlon Mack having any legit shot of being the Week 1 starter at this time, helping make Pierce a risk-reward RB3 in fantasy drafts.
Posted 8/24/2022 2:17 pm GMT
Buffalo Bills TE Quintin Morris was one of Buffalo's most improved players this offseason, according to a source. Morris received the start in TE Dawson Knox's absence, not TE O.J. Howard, in the preseason Week 2 matchup. The Bills would save $2.25 million if they traded or released Howard.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: If you're looking for a deep sleeper in a deeper or dynasty league, keep Morris on your watch list.
Posted 8/21/2022 4:14 am GMT
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce was held out of the preseason Week 2 game vs. the Los Angeles Rams, according to HoustonTexans.com's Deepi Sidhu. The Houston Chronicle writer Aaron Wilson alluded to the Texans being comfortable with what Pierce has shown them and may not have needed further evaluation. "Team loved what he did last week. When you get the evaluation you want, you don't necessarily have to double down in preseason," he said on Twitter. Head coach Lovie Smith told the media he wanted to get a better look at the other running backs when asked about Pierce's absence.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: Pierce's fantasy stock has been soaring of late, and he appears to have unseated veteran Marlon Mack as the starting running back. If that ultimately holds true, the rookie rusher is a low-end RB3 or a great fourth back in most conventional scoring formats.
Posted 8/20/2022 5:33 pm GMT
Houston Texans WR Nico Collins had a strong showing in preseason Week 2, totaling four catches on six targets for 48 yards and one touchdown. "Nico's a big target with a lot of talent," said Texans head coach Lovie Smith after the game on Friday, Aug. 19. "If we run the ball well, we'll get more one-on-one situations for Nico. As I say, he's got length, he can catch the ball. It's a big play by him there. He's capable of making a lot of plays like that."
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: Collins enters the 2022 campaign as No. 2 in the pecking order in Houston behind Brandin Cooks. We'll pencil him in as a WR3/flex with upside for now.
Posted 8/14/2022 9:35 pm GMT
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce totaled 49 yards on five carries (9.8 yards per carry), including a long run of 20 yards, in his preseason debut on Saturday, Aug. 13. Pierce was also targeted once but failed to make the catch.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: Pierce was easily Houston's best back on Saturday and if the Texans are smart, they'll make him their featured back right away. However, this is the Texans, so it isn't out of the question that they bungle things from the jump and have Pierce split time with guys like Marlon Mack and Rex Burkhead. Pierce should eventually settle in as an RB2 in 2022, but when that happens isn't certain. Regardless, the fourth-round pick is an early-round selection in dynasty rookie drafts and should be rostered in all formats.
Posted 8/02/2022 6:32 pm GMT
Houston Texans TE Pharaoh Brown is considered the team's starter over Brevin Jordan at tight end, according to recent comments from head coach Lovie Smith.
"He's our starting tight end and he's a wide tight end. He can block, big body. You see him make catches every day. We'll have a big role for him," Smith said.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: Smith's praise could be nothing more than camp talk to motivate Jordan or an acknowledgment that Brown will technically start because he is a better blocker. It seems highly unlikely Brown is starting to put it together in his fifth season in the NFL. Considering that Brown's career-best marks are his totals from last year - 23 catches and 171 receiving yards - and Jordan impressed when he finally saw some playing time as a rookie, Jordan should remain the preferred fantasy TE2 option in Houston.
Posted 7/24/2022 5:39 pm GMT
Houston Texans WR John Metchie was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia and is expected to miss the entire 2022 season, the rookie said in a statement Sunday, July 24. "I am currently receiving great medical care, am in good spirits and I expect to make a recovery at a later point in time. I will likely not be playing football this season. My main focus will be on my health and recovery," said Metchie.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: First and foremost, we hope for a speedy and healthy recovery for Metchie. The second-round pick was expected to have a sizeable role in the offense behind Brandin Cooks. With Metchie's expected absence, second-year WR Nico Collins should have a more solidified role as the team's WR2 while Phillip Dorsett, Chris Conley, and Jalen Camp are likely the front runners for the WR3 role. None of those three have much fantasy appeal at this point.
Posted 7/22/2022 1:44 am GMT
Houston Texans TE Brevin Jordan averaged 5.0 yards after the catch on 20 receptions in 2021.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: It was a small sample size for Jordan as a rookie, but he began to flash his upside late in the year. Without a lot of weapons in the passing attack, he should take on an even bigger role in 2022. He could be a worth a look as a TE2.
Posted 7/14/2022 8:11 pm GMT
Houston Texans WR John Metchie (knee) can "create his own yards" after the catch and "has good short-area quickness," according to offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.
"He can create his own yards once he gets the ball in his hands. He has good short-area quickness, which will allow him to beat man coverage, and that's what you got to do in the National Football League," Hamilton told the team's website.
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: While Alabama teammate Jameson Williams has grabbed most of the headlines since the college season ended, Metchie was more of the go-to guy in the Crimson Tide's offense in 2021. He is everything Hamilton says, but his Year 1 ceiling figures to be capped by the fact he is still rehabbing a torn ACL and stuck in an offense that already needs to feed Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins. Metchie should have no problem establishing himself as the primary slot option once healthy, however.
Posted 6/27/2022 6:21 pm GMT
Houston Texans WR Nico Collins has a "good grasp of this offense" and "his talent is off the charts," according to quarterback Davis Mills, who added the second-year receiver is a player that Houston needs to "find ways to get the ball."
SOURCE: Not available
Huddle Up: At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds with 4.45 speed and high-level athleticism, Collins has a lot of what he needs physically to be an alpha receiver. It seems likely Brandin Cooks will hold that title in Houston for at least one more year, but there is no question Collins should be able to finish in the 50-to-60 catch range as an NFL sophomore after posting a 33-446-1 line in 14 games as a rookie. Fantasy managers should consider him a WR5 with a fair amount of upside.
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