The Texans have placed LB Christian Harris on IR to open the season because of a nagging calf strain. Harris missed a significant stretch of camp with the initial injury and then aggravated it upon his return. He has been designated to return, which means he's eligible to return as soon as Week 5 against the Bills.
Texans Wire's Cole Thompson: "The Texans believe Harris could be in for a breakout year similar to All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner. A former third-round pick out of BYU, Warner went from a quality starter to a consistent standout in Year 2 under DeMeco Ryans’ teaching."
More from Thompson: "In his place, the Texans will rely on a combination of Henry To’oTo’o and Jake Hansen next to veteran Azeez Al-Shaair. To’oTo’o, Harris’ former teammate at Alabama, has seen most first-team reps and looks more comfortable heading into his second season playing in space."
Harris should regain a full-time role next to free-agent import Azeez Al-Shaair once healthy. That makes him stashable in deeper IDP leagues but tough to draft if you don't have the roster space to carry a dead spot for at least the first month.
Hansen might wind up the direct positional fill-in for Harris, but it sounds like To'oTo'o will be the better bet for playing time in September.
I'd recommend trying not to use either in Week 1 while we wait to see exactly how Houston sorts the position.
As for the position overall, it's worth remembering that Houston gave Al-Shaair $34 million on a three-year deal -- with $21.5 million guaranteed. The Texans did so while letting 2023 breakthrough Blake Cashman walk to Minnesota for $22.5 million over three years.
So the team pretty clearly expects Al-Shaair to be its top LB for 2024 (and likely beyond).
Harris has one more year on his rookie contract and likely needs to continue ascending to secure a starting role for 2025 (as well as a potential extension).
We'll see how soon the strained calf allows him to get going.
Jaylen Waddle has disappointed dynasty managers this season. But what is the problem? Can it be fixed? Let's dive into the film to see if there is any hope.
Read More »
A quick look at the most important matchup data to consider when making Week 12 start/sit decisions, including implied points, projected plays, WR/CB matchups, and adjusted fantasy points allowed.
Read More »
J.K. Dobbins is just one of four fresh RBs to hit this week's fantasy football trade targets. Let's discuss what you should do with him and a host of others.
Read More »
Search
