Texans Running Back Fantasy Football Outlook: Dameon Pierce vs. Devin Singletary
The Houston Texans enter a new era as C.J. Stroud takes the reins at quarterback in 2023. The team seems a long way removed from a 10-win season in 2019, with just 11 wins in the three years since.
Houston played three different quarterbacks during the 2022 seasons. The team didn't have a single receiver go over 700 yards. The team is still very much in a rebuilding phase, and with a rookie quarterback and a receiving corps that’s still lacking star power, that means the team’s running backs could be valuable fantasy commodities.
Dameon Pierce is the 18th-ranked running back according to our ADP tool, while Devin Singletary comes in at RB50. Is either guy worth a spot on your fantasy team this upcoming season? Will Stroud provide some stability at the quarterback position to allow both backs to enjoy successful seasons? Let’s dive in.
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Dameon Pierce Fantasy Football Outlook
Pierce made a name for himself in his rookie season after rushing for 939 yards and four scores, adding 165 yards and a touchdown on 30 receptions. All of that came in just 13 games, so there’s plenty of optimism surrounding the fourth-round pick out of Florida.
Pierce missed the final four games of his rookie 2022 season with an ankle injury. He appears to have no limitations at the start of the season after playing in a pair of preseason games.
Pierce is currently being drafted near the end of the third round. That ADP is probably a touch lower because of the addition of Singletary to the roster, and with the unknown of how Stroud will play in his rookie season.
If Stroud can prove to be a formidable passing quarterback, that should only boost the value of Pierce, possibly making him a top 10-12 back in fantasy. If Stroud struggles and opposing defenses can stack the box, Pierce probably finishes closer to where he’s currently ranked.
Pierce could also receive a jolt up the fantasy ranks with a bit of a better showing as a receiving back, but that’s not been a specialty of his, even dating back to college.
Devin Singletary Fantasy Football Outlook
Singletary comes to Houston after a productive four-year stretch with the Buffalo Bills. He rushed for over 600 yards and at least two touchdowns in each season and had 800+ yards and 12 total touchdowns over the past two years.
He’s a bit better option as a pass catcher out of the backfield than Pierce, with right around 40 grabs and anywhere from 228-280 receiving yards the past three years. He could become a reliable safety blanket for the rookie quarterback.
Singletary might not be able to produce a 1,000-total-yard season, like he did in Buffalo the past two seasons, while serving a more complementary role behind Pierce, but he should get enough touches in the offense to warrant a spot on fantasy teams.
He’s currently being drafted early in the 12th round, which makes him a perfect back to take a flier on late in the draft. There wouldn’t be much risk involved with a pick that late, as you could simply move on from him if Pierce becomes a workhorse and steals all the touches. That seems unlikely to happen though, so definitely have Singletary on a short list of backs to grab late in your draft.
Who Should You Draft?
At their current ADP, I’m a fan of drafting either Pierce or Singletary. I see their floors as relatively safe and their ceilings pretty high above their current rankings and ADPs.
I’m actually comfortable taking Pierce a touch earlier than he’s currently going and think he outproduces several of the backs currently ahead of him. If he’s available in the fourth round, I think it’s a no-brainer pick.
Singletary is a back I’d love to snag in the back half of a draft. As mentioned before, the risk is low and there’s a good chance he remains on your roster all season.
I’m not as big of a fan of drafting both Pierce and Singletary to your roster, but that decision probably comes down to how strong of a rookie season you think Stroud has. If you see Stroud as an instant above-average quarterback, then it’s certainly possible both Pierce and Singletary far exceed their current rankings. I'm one that sees Stroud experiencing his fair share of rookie struggles, so I'd pick just one of Pierce or Singletary and expect the team to divvy up the touches enough to make either a valuable fantasy player.
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