Texans WR John Metchie has been cleared for the start of training camp, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Metchie missed his entire rookie season after being diagnosed with leukemia and was sidelined for much of the spring with a hamstring injury. If healthy, the 2022 second-round pick has a real shot to win a top-three role in Houston's WR corps.
New Texans TE Dalton Schultz has thrived on target volume over the past three seasons. He racked up the fifth most PPR points among TEs as Dallas' starter over the past three years, while ranking fourth in targets, seventh in yards, ninth in yards per game and 27th in yards per catch (among 27 TEs with 50+ receptions over that span). Schultz ranked 27th, seventh and 17th among TEs in Pro Football Focus receiving grade in those three seasons, among players with 40+ targets by season. Schultz landed in a Houston offense with no defined target hierarchy. But he also managed just a one-year, $6.25 million deal on the open market ahead of his age-27 season. All told, he doesn't look like a player to bet strongly on or against in fantasy football drafts. Schultz's TE14 ADP helps the case for drafting him by minimizing the risk. See where he sits in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.
The Bengals and RB Joe Mixon have agreed to a restructured contract that will keep him with the team through 2023. There have been rumors all off-season of Cincinnati dumping Mixon’s big contract, but the restructure saves the team cap space. It also locks him in as the continued backfield leader and a value in fantasy football drafts. Mixon has sat high in our fantasy football rankings the whole time.
Texans beat writer Aaron Wilson believes QB C.J. Stroud is off to a “fast start” in Houston. Per Wilson, Stroud has enjoyed “a smooth experience while absorbing offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s 49ers-centric playbook, building timing, and chemistry with his receivers.” Barring a major surprise, the second-overall pick will start Week 1 at Baltimore. Still, Stroud should only factor into your superflex strategy on draft day.
Texans WR Nico Collins was QB C.J. Stroud's "favorite target throughout the spring," ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime writes. Collins finished just 53rd among WRs in PPR points per game last year. But he took tangible steps forward from his 2021 rookie campaign in target share (13.4% to 20.1%) and yards per route (1.24 to 1.68). Collins is a candidate for another leap in year three. And Stroud should be a big boost to Houston's passing game. For more on Collins, check out 2023 Fantasy Football Sleepers.
Texans WR Robert Woods endured easily his worst NFL season in 2022. He tallied his fewest receptions per game (3.1) since he was a 2013 rookie. He posted career lows in yards per catch, yards per target, and yards per route. He earned his lowest Pro Football Focus receiving grade since 2015. But it's also worth remembering that Woods was coming off a November ACL tear. He signed a two-year deal with the Texans that includes $10 million guaranteed and a $7.6 million annual average. Woods has finished among the top 40 WRs in target share every year since he left Buffalo. That included top-30 rankings in all five Rams seasons (with highs inside the top 15). He'll compete for roles with an unproven WR corps that includes Nico Collins, John Metchie, and third-round rookie Tank Dell. Woods had already seen his average depth of target shorted in recent years (before the injury) while still running more than half his routes from outside. That could make him a nice complement to Collins, who tends to work deeper downfield. And Houston should get a QB upgrade, from Davis Mills to rookie C.J. Stroud. No one's expecting big things from Woods in 2023, but that's what makes him most interesting for best ball drafts. His ADP sits outside the top 80 among WRs, despite a path to leading Houston in targets. There's no risk -- but at least decent upside -- to mixing in some Woods late in drafts, especially in full-PPR formats. See how his spot in our 2023 fantasy football rankings compares with that ADP.
Texans RB Dameon Pierce became a workhorse as a 2022 rookie, taking 74.3% of the team's rushing attempts over his 13 games. For the year, he ranked 10th among all RBs in opportunity share (carries plus targets). Pierce's rushing-efficiency stats provided mixed messages. He tied for 12th in yards after contact per attempt and ranked second in elusive rating, according to Pro Football Focus. But Pierce finished just 37th in Football Outsiders' rushing DYAR and DVOA, among 42 qualifying RBs. He also sat 19th or lower in points per game across fantasy formats. A weak O-line and poor passing offense certainly didn't help. We're betting on more efficiency from Pierce in Year 2. But you should also expect the team to lighten his workload after importing RB Devin Singletary. See where both players sit in our 2023 RB rankings.
Bengals RB Joe Mixon regressed in many statistical categories in 2022. He recorded 270 touches, 1,255 total yards, and 9 total TDs with 17.1 PPR points per game, all down from the 334-1,519-16 line he posted the season prior. There are definitely reasons to be nervous about a 27-year-old RB coming off a down year, but don't forget about how effective he was as a receiver last year. He saw a career-high in targets (75), receptions (60), and receiving yards (441) in 2022, ranking within the top-6 at the position in each category. Moreover, Mixon ranked seventh in PFF receiving grade among RBs who received at least 40 targets last year. He finished 18th in this same measure in 2021. We anticipate he'll be a valuable piece of the Bengals' passing game again in 2023. Mixon is a sneaky good value this year in PPR drafts. See how many catches we have him projected for in our current RB rankings.
The Athletic’s Paul Dehner believes the NFL could still suspend RB Joe Mixon. The veteran back is facing a charge of aggravated menacing. On the positive side, Dehner writes that Mixon was “involved, saying the right things, doing the right things and looked every bit a core part of the offense for 2023 during the offseason program.” Mixon cracks the top-10 of our updated RB rankings.
Bills WR Stefon Diggs took part in the team’s mandatory minicamp on Wednesday. His absence lasted only one day. This should be a non-issue moving forward, so continue drafting Diggs as a mid-tier WR1.
Bills WR Stefon Diggs' absence from this week's mandatory minicamp is not contract related, his agent told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. QB Josh Allen shed some additional light on the situation this afternoon: "I know, internally, we’re working on some things not football related, but Stef, he’s my guy. Excuse my [language], I f---cking love him. He's a brother of mine. This does not work, what we're doing here, without him. We wish he was in here today and was out there on the field with us and that's not the case, but I've got his back no matter what. And again, I've got no doubt that we will figure out what's going on." Allen added that the situation is related to "teamwork" and "communication" and that part of the solution is "getting him the ball or getting more involved in the game plan." It sure sounds like Diggs wants more targets. He saw 154 of them last year, fifth-most among WRs. But he sunk from 11.0 per game over the first nine games of the season to 8.2 over the final nine (including playoffs). Diggs and the team figure to ultimately work this out. And if it leads to just a few more targets for Diggs this season, it'd certainly be good news for his fantasy value.
Bills HC Sean McDermott said Tuesday morning that WR Stefon Diggs was not attending the team's mandatory minicamp and that he was "very concerned" about the situation. Diggs' agent told ESPN's Adam Schefter about an hour later that Diggs would be there for the minicamp. The team has since said that Diggs was present on Monday and on Tuesday morning but left before the start of Tuesday's practice. We'll continue to keep you updated on the situation. For now, Diggs isn't moving in the 2023 WR Rankings.
Texans RB Dameon Pierce has improved his pass protection ability this offseason, according to RBs coach Danny Barrett. "He can now see the big picture and can identify things quicker to get to his pickups," Barrett said. "That's going to help us out tremendously. When he is in the game, teams think we are going to just run the football. But his ability to pass protect, he understands what is needed in our passing game from him." QB C.J. Stroud has also been impressed by Pierce's pass pro skills, Sports Illustrated's Coty M. Davis writes. As a rookie last year, Pierce ranked 73rd among 81 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking grades, allowing a pressure on 21.3% of opportunities. That was part of the reason he averaged a just-ok 3.0 targets and 2.3 catches per game. It sounds like Pierce is a candidate to take on a bigger role in the passing game this year, although he'll need to fend off free-agent addition Devin Singletary. We'll be keeping a close eye on Houston's backfield all summer.
Texans WR John Metchie is missing OTAs with a strained hamstring, HC Demeco Ryans said. Metchie is on the "right path" and should be ready for training camp, Ryans added. Still, the missed reps aren't ideal after Metchie missed his entire rookie season with leukemia. We'll see when he's able to get back on the field.
Bills WR Stefon Diggs is not attending this week's OTAs. He also skipped April's minicamp. These are "voluntary" workouts -- and Diggs is an eight-year veteran. But it's a noteworthy no-show after Diggs got in QB Josh Allen's face near the end of the playoff loss to the Bengals. We'll see if Diggs shows up to next month's mandatory minicamp. For now, we're not moving him in the 2023 WR Rankings.
A day after finishing the NFL Draft with only fifth-round pick Chase Brown added to the backfield, Bengals HC Zac Taylor gave RB Joe Mixon a vote of confidence. "His future is here with the team," Taylor said, according to WKRC in Cincinnati. "I like Joe Mixon as our starting running back." Mixon remains just RB26 in Underdog ADP, making him a strong best ball value. He sits much higher in our fantasy football RB rankings. Brown, meanwhile, figures to compete with Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans for the No. 2 job.
Texans WR John Metchie was a full participant in Phase 1 of OTAs, GM Nick Caserio said. Metchie is working his way back from last year's acute promyelocytic leukemia diagnosis and seems to be on track to play this season. The 2022 second-rounder is certainly capable of carving out a significant role in Houston if healthy. He'll battle for snaps with WRs Nico Collins, Robert Woods, Noah Brown, Amari Rodgers, and rookies Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson.
The Texans selected Iowa State WR Xavier Hutchinson in Round 6 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Hutchinson opened his college career at Blinn (JUCO) before transferring to Iowa State. He led the Cyclones in receiving yards each of the past 3 seasons, capped by a 107-catch, 1,171-yard 2022 campaign. Hutchinson drew 34.1% of his team’s targets last year, accounting for 37.3% of the receiving yards and 31.6% of the TDs. He has decent size at 6’2, 203 pounds but tested as an average athlete at the Combine. Hutchinson projects as a short-range target at the next level and will likely need big volume to be a real fantasy asset. He joins a relatively wide-open WR corps in Houston alongside Nico Collins, Robert Woods, Noah Brown, Amari Rodgers, and fellow rookie Tank Dell.
The Texans selected Houston WR Tank Dell in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Dell is a fun watch: lightning-quick with explosive burst and plenty of long speed. He put up massive numbers the past 2 seasons: 1,329 yards and 12 TDs in 2021 and 1,398 yards and 17 TDs this past year. The problem? He’s 5’8 and 165 pounds. DeVonta Smith is the only sub-170-pound WR to reach 700 receiving yards since 2000. Dell can certainly be a useful weapon for the Texans. But we doubt he’ll handle enough volume to be a reliable fantasy option. Don't bet on 2023 fantasy football value either. Houston has Nico Collins, Robert Woods, and 2022 second-round pick John Metchie at the position. That's not a terrific group, which means Dell could compete for a role. But it's enough that the Texans don't need to push him.
The Texans chose Edge Will Anderson Jr. with the third pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They gave up quite a bit to get to that spot, including a 2024 first-rounder. So they clearly wanted the former Alabama pass rusher. Anderson became an immediate starter at Alabama, tallying 10.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks as a true freshman. He then exploded for 31.0 TFLs and 17.5 sacks as a sophomore, winning his first of two SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Anderson is the first player to ever win that award in consecutive seasons. Anderson currently leads our IDP rookie rankings and will likely stay there.
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