Houston Texans

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell has fully recovered from being shot in the leg during the offseason and enters the 2024 season without any limitations. He built a firm rapport with C.J. Stroud last season, and the two should continue to connect early and often this year despite the Texans adding Stefon Diggs to the offense. Dell currently projects as the Texans' primary slot receiver. He caught a 34-yard touchdown in Week 1 of the preseason. As of now, there's no clear sign whether Dell, Diggs, or Nico Collins will emerge as Stroud's favorite target, but it appears to be anyone's title to win. With that in mind, Dell might be more of a value than Diggs or Collins given that he has a lower price tag. He's being drafted 25 picks after Collins and seven after Diggs despite having consistent WR2 upside in fantasy football.

Houston Texans running back Cam Akers made the team's final 53-man roster on Tuesday, signing just a week after training camp had started. Akers doesn't present much value on special teams, so that means if he's active, he will be pushing for carries on game days to spell workhorse starter Joe Mixon. If the Texans opt to trade away presumed No. 2 back Dameon Pierce as well, Akers would become Houston's preferred backup and fantasy's clear-cut handcuff to Mixon. It's hard to envision Akers, 25, having much upside or standalone value this season, after rushing for a mere 2.8 yards per carry over 60 attempts and coming off his second career Achilles tear in 2023, but the former second-round pick is at least trending up this summer over Pierce.

The Kansas City Chiefs released former second-round tight end Irv Smith Jr. on Tuesday as they continue to cut their roster down ahead of the 2024 regular season. Smith will now be looking for a new team with less than two weeks before Week 1 kicks off. The 26-year-old was taken 50th overall by the Minnesota Vikings in 2019 out of Alabama and has been a bust through his first four seasons, with last year coming with the Cincinnati Bengals. In his four NFL campaigns, Smith has caught 109 of his 152 targets for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns in 49 games played (21 starts). Injuries have gotten in the way, but he also just hasn't performed up to expectations. Behind All-Pro Travis Kelce, the Chiefs will head into the regular season with Noah Gray and rookie Jared Wiley providing them with depth at the position.

It was clear early last season that running back Dameon Pierce wasn't a fit in the Houston Texans' zone-blocking system, making Year 2 a frustrating one for the power back. Things haven't changed this preseason for Pierce, who won't start now that Joe Mixon is back at practice, and Cam Akers has impressed in recent action in his bid to make the roster. Dare Ogunbowale seems like a lock for his special-teams and third-down value, and Houston might still want to develop rookie Jawhar Jordan rather than lose him to the waiver wire. While it's unlikely the Texans would release Pierce, he remains a trade candidate and still could be a solid reserve. The 24-year-old was approaching 1,000 rushing yards as a rookie before his season-ending injury in 2022. If an RB-needy team such as the Dallas Cowboys offered a late-round pick for him, it wouldn't be shocking to see Houston pull the trigger.

Several teams have contacted the Houston Texans to inquire about trading for wide receiver John Metchie III, given the team's crowded receiver lineup. The Texans currently have a solid trio of starters in Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell, and also feature veterans Robert Woods, Noah Brown, and Xavier Hutchinson. While it's uncertain whether the Texans will trade Metchie III, interest from other teams is growing. The former second-round pick from Alabama had ten catches for 100 yards and a touchdown during the preseason. Although Metchie III was drafted by the Texans in 2022, his rookie season was delayed due to a leukemia diagnosis. A trade could give him more opportunities to play and potentially impact fantasy football if he lands in a favorable situation.