Houston Texans

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (quadriceps) had two good runs during training camp practice on Wednesday to start team drills and looks close to being back to full health, if he wasn't already. Mixon missed the first two-plus weeks of camp with a quadriceps injury, but he returned on Aug. 11 and appears to be fully back up to speed with his new team. In Mixon's absence, Dameon Pierce didn't take advantage of the extra reps and could be in jeopardy of not making the final 53-man roster. Mixon is in another explosive offense under second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud and should see the vast majority of backfield work in Houston. However, the 28-year-old hasn't been as efficient as a ball-carrier in recent seasons with the Bengals and may not be able to make up for it with the high volume of pass-catching work he had in Cincy. Still, he should be used enough by the Texans in 2024 to warrant consideration as an RB2 in fantasy drafts.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein believes Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce may struggle to make the team with several RBs on the roster having better one-cut feels. Pierce has struggled for the Texans during the preseason, allowing the door to open for Cam Akers, Jawhar Jordan, and Dare Ogunbowale to potentially end up with roster spots in Houston's backfield instead of him behind workhorse starter Joe Mixon. The 24-year-old former fourth-round pick was one of fantasy's breakout stars in 2022, rushing 220 times for 939 yards while totaling five touchdowns in 13 games, but he ceded lead-back duties to veteran Devin Singletary during the second half of last year. Teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, and Cincinnati Bengals could give Pierce a look if we were cut, but his fantasy appeal is limited at the moment.

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz delivered his strongest preseason performance against the New York Giants on Saturday, catching three passes for 39 yards, including a standout 26-yard reception from C.J. Stroud. Schultz emerged as Stroud's most targeted player while the starters were on the field, receiving five of Stroud's 12 throws. This is a promising sign for Schultz, who faces competition for targets from three top wide receivers. However, Schultz's role is somewhat overshadowed by his backups; Brevin Jordan also saw two of Stroud's 12 targets and looked solid with the starters, while rookie Cade Stover has been impressive in previous preseason games. Despite these challenges, Schultz remains a valuable high-end TE2 with the potential for high-ceiling weeks in a dynamic Texans offense.

Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III delivered his best preseason performance on Saturday against the New York Giants, recording a team-high six catches for 68 yards and his first professional touchdowna 3-yard pass from Case Keenum. This strong showing comes after Metchie had only two receptions for 11 yards in his previous two games. After suffering an ACL tear during the 2021 SEC Championship Game, Metchie missed out on a potential first-round draft position. The Texans selected him with the 44th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but he was sidelined for his rookie season due to a diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia. Returning in 2023, he caught 16 passes for 158 yards but struggled to secure a prominent role. Now, Metchie is aiming to secure one of the final receiver spots for Week 1, with one more preseason game to compete against Robert Woods, Xavier Hutchinson, and Ben Skowronek.

Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs made his presence felt in Saturday's preseason game against the New York Giants, catching a 9-yard pass from C.J. Stroud for a first down in Houston's 28-10 victory. Although Diggs, a four-time Pro Bowler acquired from the Buffalo Bills, only had one reception, it was special as it was his first in a Texans uniform. His brief appearance demonstrated that he is already developing a strong rapport with Stroud. During the 15 snaps Stroud played, Diggs was on the field for 11, while starting receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell were on for 13 and 8 snaps, respectively. Collins is expected to lead in target and snap share, with Dell likely serving as the big-play threat. The question remains whether there will be enough targets left for Diggs to justify his current ADP in fantasy drafts.