Texans Fantasy Football Preview: Can C.J. Stroud Improve in Year Two and Help Joe Mixon, Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Other to Huge Seasons?

Breaking down the Houston Texans best fantasy football players for the upcoming season.

It’s time for another NFL team fantasy football preview.

Check back soon for more team previews. Of course, things will change between now and the start of the season, and FantasySP will cover any major changes when those happen.

Here’s all the team previews we’ve already covered:

AFC: Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos

NFC: San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys

Let’s talk about the Houston Texans now.

Get ready for draft season! Practice Mock Drafts, check out ADPs and get advice for trades with our trade analyzer.

C.J. Stroud Fantasy Outlook

Stroud found instant success in the NFL in his first season last year. The offense around him is better and the sky seems to be the limit for Stroud as a fantasy player.

In 15 games, Stroud led the team to a 9-6 record. He completed 319 of his 499 passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He added 167 yards and three scores on 39 attempts. 

Stroud is QB5 and going around pick 50 right now. I expect some progression from Stroud, but he also was QB12 last season. He missed a couple games, but it would have taken two monster games to get him inside the top five.

I’ve already wrote that I like Stroud about a round or so later and I’m sticking to that. I like Anthony Richardson (who is being picked after him) a touch more, and would also probably drop Stroud below Joe Burrow too. It’s not that I don’t like Stroud, it’s that I believe he’s going too early in fantasy drafts.  

Running Back Fantasy Outlooks

The Texans’ backfield looks a bit different now that Joe Mixon is in town as RB1. Dameon Pierce is still the top backup, while Dare Ogunbowale and rookie Jawhar Jordan are some other backup options.

Mixon has starred with the Bengals for the first seven years of his NFL career. In 17 games a season ago, Mixon had 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns on 257 attempts. He added 376 receiving yards and three scores on 52 catches and 64 targets.

Pierce took a big step backward in his second NFL season. After having 1,104 total yards and five touchdowns as a rookie, Pierce had 517 total yards and just two scores in his second year. He rushed for 416 yards and two touchdowns on 145 attempts, while catching 13 of his 17 targets for 101 yards and no scores. 

Ogunbowale appeared in 12 games last season with Houston. He rushed for 35 yards on eight attempts, while adding 18 receiving yards on two grabs and seven targets.

Jordan was a sixth-round draft pick of the Texans. He performed well in the final two years of his five-year collegiate career. He had over 1,800 rushing yards and 15 combined touchdowns between the 2022-23 seasons.

Mixon may have moved teams in the offseason, but he’s still primed to serve as a clear leader in the Houston backfield. He’s RB15 and going around pick 43. 

I’ve written how I believe Mixon is a great value pick in the fifth round. I think he’s got a chance to be a top-10 fantasy back, and has a pretty safe floor. I’m all for making him my third fantasy back - he’d be a really strong RB3.

Pierce is RB60 and going around pick 184, while Ogunbowale and Taylor are off fantasy draft boards outside extremely deep leagues.

Pierce likely will get a few touches a game, but unless Mixon goes down, I don’t see Pierce being a starting option in any league type. He’s worth a pick in deeper leagues because he’s the team’s top backup, but he’s likely to sit on your bench all season if Mixon is healthy.

Ogunbowale and Jordan can be avoided in all league types. They could take on small roles if Mixon is out, but they still wouldn’t be startable at that point.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlooks

The Texans’ wide receiver room is one of the best in the NFL. Nico Collins and Tank Dell are back, while Stefon Diggs was traded for - that trio should be hard to slow. Noah Brown, Robert Woods and John Metchie III are the top backups right now.

Collins broke out in his third NFL season, although he continues to miss games. In 15 games, Collins caught 80 of his 107 targets for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s played 39 games in three NFL seasons.

Dell appeared in 11 games before having his rookie season cut short. He made 47 receptions on 75 targets for 709 yards and seven scores. Dell added 51 rushing yards on 11 attempts.

Diggs will be joining the third team in his NFL career. In Buffalo last year, Diggs had 1,183 yards and eight scores on 107 catches and 160 targets in 17 games played. That was his lowest yardage output since 2019 and the fewest he’s gained in a full season of games.

Brown played in 10 Houston games last season. He went for 567 yards and two scores on 33 catches and 55 targets.

Woods was a part of 14 of the team’s games. He had 426 yards and a touchdown on 40 catches and 75 targets. 

Metchie played in 16 games for the Texans last season. He had 158 receiving yards on 16 catches and 30 targets.

Despite the addition of Diggs, Collins is still the top Houston receiver off fantasy draft boards. He’s WR15 and going around pick 29.

I like Collins to be the team’s best fantasy wideout this season, but between his injury history and all the mouths to feed, I prefer to get him several picks after his current ADP. I’d like him at or a couple picks after where Diggs is currently going.

Diggs is WR19 and going around pick 36. I’d want him probably at least a round later than he is going. I still could see a 1,000-yard season and decent amount of touchdowns, but Collins and Dell are going to make him more of a good fantasy WR than a potentially great one every week.

Dell is WR30 and going around pick 62. I too think Dell is going too early in fantasy drafts. Just look at the receivers going around him - there’s mostly top options and WR2s. Unless he falls into the 70s, I’d pass on Dell (and that’s as a huge Dell believer).

Brown, Woods and Metchie are all deep league options at this point, but probably not starting options to begin the season. Fantasy owners have Brown as the top backup option, and I’d agree with that. He could become a startable player in deeper leagues, but I don’t think it’s likely if the top three guys are healthy. Brown is at least worth a pick in deeper leagues.

Tight End Fantasy Outlooks

Dalton Schultz is the top tight end in Houston. Brevin Jordan and rookie Cade Stover are some backup options.

In his first season with the Texans, Schultz played in 15 games. He made 59 grabs on 88 targets for 635 yards and five touchdowns. 

Jordan appeared in 14 contests last season. He had 219 yards and two scores on 17 catches and 21 targets.

Stover was a fourth-round pick of the team this offseason. He has five receptions for 58 yards this preseason. His final two seasons at Ohio State were solid, combining for over 975 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Schultz is the top tight end you want from Houston, but he’s not a huge draft option. He’s a backup fantasy TE option, but not one with a ton of upside given all the receivers and now with Mixon in town. I like him in deeper leagues, but as a streaming option in standard leagues.

Jordan and/or Stover would only become fantasy relevant if Schultz was out for a bit. Jordan can be avoided in almost all fantasy formats, while Stover is only an option in dynasties because he’s a rookie. I like Stover to take over the starting role in the long haul, but I wouldn’t expect it to be this season.

#2024-fantasy-football