Houston Texans

Will Fuller will not be available for Week 3

Wed, Sep 20th 3:36pm EDT
By Alex Haeussler

Texans head coach Bill O'Brien said to the media Wednesday that Texans wide receiver Will Fuller will not be available to play Week 3 against the Patriots. (Source: Aaron Wilson on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Texans got some encouraging news this week with Fuller returning to practice, but unfortunately he will not be able to suit up against the Patriots. The Texans desperately need some help on offense with their wide receivers and tight ends dropping like flies. It would be a quick recovery if Fuller came back this week as he was slated to miss 2-3 months from the beginning of August. Fuller is an interesting stash as he had a very promising beginning to his season just a year ago, before succumbing to the Texans inconsistent quarterback play. When he returns healthy he should be considered an upside WR4/5 with a very low floor.

Alfred Blue back at practice

Wed, Sep 20th 3:06pm EDT
By Pat Lenihan

Alfred Blue returned to Texans’ practice Wednesday. Blue has been sidelined since late August with a high-ankle sprain that he suffered at the end of training camp. (Source: Aaron Wilson on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Having missed the past couple weeks, it is unlikely that Blue will see many opportunities in Houston’s upcoming matchup at New England in Week3. Due to the injury, Blue is nothing more than the third RB in the Houston backfield behind starter Lamar Miller and rookie D’Onta Foreman.

Jaelen Strong claimed by Jacksonville Jaguars

Tue, Sep 19th 5:04pm EDT
By Jake Krizmanich

After being released by the Houston Texans on Monday, Jaelen Strong has officially been claimed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. (Source: Adam Schefter via Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: The Jaguars are a wide receiver needy team after losing Allen Robinson to a season ending injury in Week 1. Strong wasn't able to make an impact in Houston, but could be forced into an immediate role with his new team. He is worth a speculative add in deeper leagues.

Deshaun Watson mediocre but salvages fantasy day with touchdown run

Fri, Sep 15th 8:17pm EDT
By Dan Harris

Deshaun Watson completed 15 of 24 pass attempts for 125 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, and rushed five times for 67 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's win over the Bengals.

Fantasy Impact: Watson certainly didn't show much in the passing game, though he did lead a pivotal drive in the fourth quarter during which he heavily targeted DeAndre Hopkins. But his brilliant 49-yard scramble for a touchdown at the end of the first half wound up being the difference in the game. Watson's rushing ability should provide a fairly high floor each week for fantasy purposes, but he has a long way to go before he can be considered a reliable option. He'll face the Patriots next week, and New England will surely gameplan around Watson's ability to scramble.

J.J. Watt records five solo tackles in win

Fri, Sep 15th 6:10pm EDT
By Caleb Baggette

J.J. Watt recorded a QB hit and a pass defended on six tackles, five of which being solo tackles in the Texans' Week 2 win over the Bengals.

Fantasy Impact: Watt did a lot better than he did in Week 1 where he recorded only one tackle. You can expect Watt to continue to build back to his old self.

Tyler Ervin plays a small role in Week 2 win

Fri, Sep 15th 9:23am EDT
By Pat Lenihan

Tyler Ervin caught three passes for 16 yards in the Texans' win over the Bengals on Thursday night.

Fantasy Impact: Ervin did not a record a single rushing attempt, but played a small role in the passing game. Ervin tied Lamar Miller for second on the team in receptions with three, trailing only DeAndre Hopkins, who had seven. Ervin is behind Miller and rookie D’Onta Foreman on the Texans depth chart and does not possess much fantasy value in any format.

Texans hold Bengals out of the end zone and register three sacks in Week 2

Fri, Sep 15th 9:03am EDT
By Pat Lenihan

After not registering a single sack against Jacksonville in Week 1, the Texans were able to get to Andy Dalton for three in their 13-9 victory over Cincinnati. Houston held the Bengals offense to only three field goals and was also able to force its first turnover of the 2017 season when Jadeveon Clowney recovered a fumble late in the first quarter.

Fantasy Impact: It wasn’t all good news for the Texans defense as they lost both starting CBs Jonathan Joseph (shoulder) and Kevin Johnson (knee), both of whom did not return to the game. The Texans still possess an elite pass rush, but can ill afford to lose their top coverage corners. The Texans will now get a 10-day mini-bye-week which they will need to heal up and prepare for the Patriots.

D’Onta Foreman receives 12 carries in Week 2

Fri, Sep 15th 9:00am EDT
By Pat Lenihan

D’Onta Foreman rushed 12 times for 40 yards in Houston’s Week 2 win over Cincinnati.

Fantasy Impact: After receiving only one carry last week, Foreman had far more work in Week 2. This coming on the heels of head coach Bill O’Brien saying earlier in the week that he wanted to get Foreman more involved in the offense. Neither veteran starter Lamar Miller nor Foreman looked all that great in what was an ugly game for both teams, but Foreman flashed some of his potential. With Miller entrenched as the lead back and rookie QB Deshaun Watson starting, Houston will likely lean on the run game which should in turn provide Foreman some additional opportunities each week. Unless something drastic happens, Foreman is nothing more than a speculative add in deeper leagues. Foreman and the Texans travel to New England in Week 3.

Lamar Miller totals 87 yards in Week 2 win

Fri, Sep 15th 8:57am EDT
By Pat Lenihan

Lamar Miller rushed 18 times for 61 yards and caught three passes for 26 yards in the Texans' Week 2 win over the Bengals.

Fantasy Impact: Miller provided another uninspiring performance for his fantasy owners on Thursday night. Cincinnati was loading up to stop the run and force rookie QB Deshaun Watson to beat them through the air which didn’t help Miller’s cause, but he was unable to create anything for himself. Even with rookie RB D’Onta Foreman receiving 12 carries last night and likely becoming more involved in the offense as the season progresses, Miller still offers RB2 volume on a weekly basis. Miller and the Texans now have 10 days to prepare for a Week 3 matchup in New England.

Ka'imi Fairbairn hits two field goals in Texans win

Fri, Sep 15th 8:43am EDT
By Alex Haeussler

Ka'imi Fairbairn successfully connected on his two field goal attempts, one from 26 and the other from 42 yards out. He also added an extra point on Deshaun Watson's touchdown run.

Fantasy Impact: Fairbairn will likely only be a streaming option this season, unless the Texans offense can gain some stability. He draws a tough Week 3 matchup with the Texans visiting the Patriots, who the Texans could struggle offensively against.

Braxton Miller plays minimal role in Texans win

Fri, Sep 15th 8:35am EDT
By Alex Haeussler

Braxton Miller caught two of his three targets for 10 yards in the Texans' Week 2 victory over the Bengals.

Fantasy Impact: Miller has been operating as the Texans' number-two receiver for the first two games and has been a total non-factor in both games. He should not be on any fantasy radar.

DeAndre Hopkins targeted 13 times in Texans' Week 2 win

Fri, Sep 15th 8:32am EDT
By Alex Haeussler

DeAndre Hopkins caught 7-of-13 targets for 73 yards in the Texans' Week 2 victory over the Bengals.

Fantasy Impact: Hopkins was peppered with targets yet again. In Week 1, he had 16 and followed that up with 13 in Week 2. This is promising news for fantasy owners as it looks like Deshaun Watson only has eyes for Hopkins. Hopkins will draw a tough matchup against the Patriots next week, where he figures to be shadowed by Malcolm Butler. The Texans desperately need someone to step up to draw attention away from Hopkins for him to continue being successful.

Brian Cushing hit with 10-game PED ban

Wed, Sep 13th 7:40pm EDT
By Pat Lenihan

Texans ILB Brian Cushing received word today from the NFL that he will be suspended 10 games for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. It is the second such violation of the nine-year veteran’s career as he already served four games back in 2010. (Source: Houston Chronicle)

Fantasy Impact: Brian Cushing was already ruled out of Houston’s Week 2 Thursday night matchup against Cincinnati after suffer a concussion on Sunday in the Texans loss to Jacksonville. With the addition of the suspension Cushing will be out of action until Week 13. Houston will now have to look to rookies Zack Cunningham and Dylan Coyle to replace the void at ILB.

C.J. Fiedorowicz placed on IR

Tue, Sep 12th 4:43pm EDT
By Anthony Cervino

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting the Houston Texans are placing tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz (concussion) on the injured reserve list. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: After suffering yet another concussion, Fiedorowicz was placed on the injured reserve list Tuesday, likely ending his season. Although Ryan Griffin is in line to start in Fiedorowicz's absence, he and the Texans' TE3, Stephen Anderson, are both suffering from concussions of their own. They are both considered highly questionable for Thursday night's Week 2 matchup against the Bengals due to the short week. However, once he is cleared and barring a personnel move by Houston to bolster the position, Griffin will likely be the TE from the Texans to roster for fantasy purposes moving forward.

Bruce Ellington expected to miss Week 2

Mon, Sep 11th 10:37pm EDT
By Alex Haeussler

Texans coach Bill O'Brien told the media on Monday that he expects all five of the concussed Texans players to miss the Texans Thursday night matchup against the Bengals.

Fantasy Impact: This is not entirely a surprise given that Ellington is in the concussion protocol, which is tough to pass on a short week. Ellington should remain off fantasy radars for now as he will not see enough opportunities in this sub-par Texans offense.

Tom Savage struggles in opener against the Jaguars

Mon, Sep 11th 9:50am EDT
By Richard King

Tom Savage completed 7 of his 13 attempts for 62 yards, fumbling twice before being replaced by Deshaun Watson.

Fantasy Impact: With Tom Savage being benched during the game for the rookie Deshaun Watson, expect Tom Savage to go back to being a backup with very limited fantasy relevance.

Stephen Anderson limited against the Jacksonville Jaguars

Mon, Sep 11th 8:25am EDT
By Richard King

Stephen Anderson hauled in two receptions for 14 yards in the Texans' loss against the Jaguars.

Fantasy Impact: Anderson's fantasy relevance will be limited by the ability of C.J. Fiedorowicz to return to the field, as well as the ability of the offense to progress and become more productive. He's not a fantasy-relevant option at this point.

Wendall Williams broke his collarbone during the Texans third preseason game against the Saints.

Fantasy Impact: Wendall Williams was vying for a spot on the Texans 53 man roster, especially with the injury to Will Fuller, as he is a deep threat. He is set to miss 4-6 weeks and will likely be put on the injured reserve.

Texans OT Derek Newton officially out for 2017 season

Fri, May 12th 6:38pm EDT
By Vincent Davis

Texans OT Derek Newton has been officially ruled out for the 2017 season after being placed on reserve/PUP. In 2016 Newton tore his patellar tendons in both of his knees against the Broncos. (Source: Field Yates on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: This is disappointing news for both Newton and Texans fans alike. Newton being out means Chris Clark is going to be the starting RT as of now for the team. Clark struggled immensely last year stepping in for Newton. It will be interesting to see how Houston addresses this hole in the offensive line. Fourth-rounder Julie'n Davenport could be an option but is, of course, unproven at the NFL level. As of now, life has gotten a little more difficult for Texans RB Lamar Miller and whoever the Texans decide to go with at QB.

Ryan Griffin re-signs with Texans

Mon, Mar 13th 9:10am EDT
By Anthony Cervino

The Houston Texans and tight end Ryan Griffin agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth $9 million with $3.25 million in guaranteed money. (Source: John McClain on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Griffin had a stellar year in 2016, sharing time with fellow breakout tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz in Houston. The four-year veteran produced career-high numbers across the board in the effort. Playing in all 16 games, he caught 50 targets for 442 yards and two touchdowns. Entering 2017, it would be difficult to imagine Griffin starting ahead of Fiedorowicz at tight end, but it appears the Texans could begin to employ 12 personnel packages more often given the success both players had last season. For fantasy football purposes, Fiedorowicz is the tight end to target from Houston in the borderline TE1/ TE2 tier.