Houston

Texans

Though Dell’s fantasy output paled in comparison to that of Nico Collins (6/117/0) and Stefon Diggs (6/33/2), his usage should quiet any of the offseason concerns about his playing time. Dell’s seven targets were second on the team and good for a 22 percent target share. Per Pro Football Focus’s Nathan Jahnke, he also ran a route on 87 percent of C.J. Stroud’s dropbacks. That was exactly in line with the route rates of Collins and Diggs. Dell was subbed off more often the those two, but most of his sideline time came in running situations. Dell looks like a clear buy-low candidate heading into Week 2.

Stroud also added 13 yards on four attempts. He had a 13-yard scramble that is shockingly the second-longest run of his short NFL career. Stroud didn’t miss a beat after posting record-breaking numbers as a rookie. He was on point for all four quarters and found an immediate connection with offseason acquisition Stefon Diggs. Both of Stroud’s touchdowns came on red zone throws to Diggs. Stroud and the receivers could have had a bigger day but OC Bobby Slowik took the air out of the ball in the second half, calling 20 runs to just 10 dropbacks on their final three drives. Even if the Texans get out to an early lead against the Bears next week, the way they get that lead is through Stroud. He will sit in the middle of the QB1 ranks for Week 2.

To no one’s surprise, the addition of Stefon Diggs ate directly into Schultz’s target share. He saw 17 percent of the Texans’ targets in 2023. That number plummeted to nine percent in Week 1. With three elite receivers all deserving of targets on the field alongside him, Schultz is going to struggle to earn looks consistently. He will rank as a touchdown-or-bust TE2 for the Texans’ Week 2 game against the Bears.

Though Stefon Diggs came down with both of the Texans’ receiving touchdowns, 2023’s breakout receiver still got home by maxing out his efficiency once again. Collins operated deep and over the middle of the field, resulting in multiple chunk plays including a 55-yard catch. He led the Texans with eight targets which was good for a 25 percent target share. Despite the Diggs touchdown bonanza, Collins has to be treated as C.J. Stroud’s top receiving option. He will sit on the WR1/2 borderline for his Week 2 matchup with the Bears.

The Texans made Cam Akers a healthy scratch for this game, locking in Pierce as the RB2. However, they didn’t have much interest in taking Joe Mixon off the field as he totaled 33 touches in his first game as a Texan. Dare Ogunbowale also saw some work on passing downs and logged one reception. Pierce has no stand-alone fantasy value and is only worth stashing on extremely deep rosters.

Mixon looked right at home in the Houston offense, soaking up loads of touches while the Indianapolis defense devoted their attention to C.J. Stroud and his elite cast of receivers. He picked up chunk gains at will and saw more carries in Week 1 than he has in a single game since 2021. It was also a high-water mark for the veteran back in terms of rushing yards since 2021. Dameon Pierce was the only backup running back to earn a touch for Houston and he logged just three carries. Mixon is officially a high-volume running back on one of the best offenses in football. He sit at the back of the RB1 ranks for his Week 2 bout with the Bears.

Diggs actually finished third on the Texans in targets behind both Nico Collins and Tank Dell, but C.J. Stroud looked to him in the red zone and that was more than enough to save an otherwise quiet fantasy outing. Diggs scored his touchdowns from nine and two yards out. The former Buffalo Bill also logged a six-yard rush attempt. Looking a bit deeper than the box score, a 19 percent target share is an underwhelming start for Diggs. However, that shouldn’t be an every-week occurrence as the Texans simply have more weapons than most teams would know what to do with. Diggs’ production could be spotty, but the highs will be both high and frequent for all involved. Diggs will rank as a WR2 for his Week 2 matchup with the Bears.

Akers made the Texans’ roster after signing in Houston during training camp. However, this goes down as a healthy scratch and locks Dameon Pierce into the RB2 role to start the year. Pierce is worth a stash in deeper fantasy formats but doesn’t appear to have any stand-alone value.

Mills, the team’s starter before C.J. Stroud took over in 2023, signed a deal that adds one year to his current contract. That means he’ll be with the Texans through the 2025 season. Last year, Mills completed 18 of 39 pass attempts for 173 yards and two touchdowns in spot duty.

Mixon was held out of much of preseason for an undisclosed injury, now revealed to be a quadriceps issue. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said Mixon “will be doing what he’s done his entire career” this season. Mixon is coming off three straight seasons of over 280 touches. He has dipped below 200 touches just once during his career - when he played six games during his 2020 season. With three straight seasons of a top-12 fantasy finish, Mixon is set up to be a borderline fantasy RB1 for the Texans in 2024.