Houston Texans Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Bengals HC Zac Taylor has been impressed by how quickly TE Irv Smith has settled into the offense. "Forget about the talent. He's a talented guy. We knew that's what we've seen on tape so that didn't surprise me in anyway," Taylor said. "But I think just how quickly he's integrated himself has been really impressive. That's the most impressive thing about Irv is how quickly he's picked everything up and even taken on the nuances." Smith has a clear path to the starting job in Cincinnati, with only Drew Sample and Devin Asiasi as "competition." The former second-round pick has disappointed through three NFL seasons but turns just 25 in August. The Bengals' high-scoring offense gives Smith a good shot to jumpstart his career. He's an intriguing upside TE2 target late in fantasy drafts.

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.

Dolphins beat writer Chris Perkins believes WR Braxton Berrios “will almost certainly” be the starting slot receiver. Berrios inked a one-year deal with $3 million guaranteed early in free agency. While he brings value as a returner, the 27-year-old totaled just 18 catches (in 17 games) last year with the Jets. Berrios also brings the speed (4.44 forty-time) that HC Mike McDaniel covets. He’ll be on the DFS/deep league spot-start radar if one of Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle miss time.

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 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.

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.

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.

The Texans selected Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud with the second pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Stroud racked up huge numbers as a two-year starter at Ohio State: 8,123 yards (9.8 YPA), 85 TDs, and only 12 INTs. Playing alongside elite talents like Garret Wilson, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Jaxon-Smith-Njigba certainly helped. Stroud still showed NFL ability, proving accurate in all areas of the field. But can he adjust to muddier pockets in the pros? And can he use his legs more often? Those answers will be vital in determining his dynasty fantasy value. For year one, though, Stroud’s unlikely to be more than a deep league spot starter. Houston’s currently rolling out Nico Collins, Robert Woods, and John Metchie at WR.

TE Irv Smith has agreed to a 1-year deal with the Bengals. The 50th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft posted a promising 36-311-2 line as a rookie -- but then missed 3 games in 2020, the entire 2021 season with a torn meniscus in his knee and then half of this past year with a high-ankle sprain. Smith was an intriguing prospect coming out of Alabama: a catch-first TE who broke out for 710 yards and 7 TDs on 16.1 yards per catch as a junior. And this is about as strong a landing spot as we could have hoped for. The Bengals are looking to replace TE Hayden Hurst, who averaged 5.5 targets, 4.2 catches and 36 yards across 15 healthy games last season (including playoffs). He ranked 18th among TEs in PPR points per game and 16th in expected PPR points per game. That's a fair expectation level for Smith. Consider him a TE2 with spike-week potential in early best-ball drafts.

The Texans have agreed to a one-year deal with TE Dalton Schultz worth "up to $9 million," according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. It has to be a disappointing contract for a guy Dallas franchise-tagged just last offseason. But it sounds like about the same contract Mike Gesicki is getting from the Patriots. Schultz opened his career with two quiet seasons (13 total catches) in Dallas, before breaking out in 2020. He then averaged 4.1 receptions and 41.7 yards per game over the past three years. Bet on the Houston offense being worse than the Cowboys unit Schultz is leaving. But Houston's top three pass-catchers currently look like WR Robert Woods, WR Nico Collins, and WR John Metchie. So there's target-share opportunity. Of course, we'll also see who the new starting QB will be. The Texans figure to select that guy early in the NFL Draft. We're not excited about Schultz at his current TE12 best ball ADP. He could become more interesting, though, if he drops significantly below that.

QB C.J. Stroud measured in at 6’3, 214 pounds at the NFL Combine. With 10-inch hands (right on the mark for an NFL QB) and a throw velocity of 59 MPH (among the highest in this class), Stroud simply solidified his top-10 stock. He also showed impressive accuracy in the on-field drills. In fact, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah called Stroud’s performance “one of the best throwing sessions I’ve seen at the Combine.”

The Athletic's Jay Morrison writes that the Bengals cutting RB Joe Mixon "feels closer to a certainty than a mere possibility." The move would save Cincinnati $7.3 million against the 2023 salary cap. "The Bengals envisioned this scenario coming into play when they signed Mixon to a four-year, $48 million contract in 2020, and structured the deal so that they could get out of it two years early without much of a hit," Morrison adds. Mixon averaged just 58 rushing yards per game on 3.9 yards per carry last year. He ranked 47th among 51 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus' Elusive Rating and 27th in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. Mixon was also accused of pointing a gun at a woman in downtown Cincinnati in January. We'll see if the Bengals send him packing before the start of free agency in mid-March. RB Samaje Perine is set to hit the open market then, leaving Chris Evans as Cincinnati's only other RB signed for 2023. Expect the Bengals to make a significant addition to the backfield -- via free agency or the draft -- if they do cut Mixon.

The Texans are expected to hire Bobby Slowik as their new OC, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Slowik will become the latest Kyle Shanahan disciple to take over an offense. The 35-year-old has spent the past 6 seasons under Shanahan in San Francisco, actually starting out as a defensive quality control coach before moving to the offensive side of the ball in 2019. He served as an offensive assistant for 2 seasons before being promoted to passing game specialist in 2021 and then passing game coordinator last year. Slowik also worked under HC Mike Shanahan in Washington from 2011 to 2013 and spent a few years in between NFL jobs as an analyst at Pro Football Focus. It appears to be a forward-thinking hire by the Texans, although Slowik doesn't have experience calling plays at any level. The Texans are fully expected to take a QB with the 2nd overall pick of this spring's draft.