Houston Texans DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Houston Texans tight end Cade Stover (illness) has been downgraded to out ahead of the Week 15 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Stover underwent an emergency appendectomy surgery on Saturday. As a result, Stover will miss Sunday's game and his status should be updated at some point next week. Irv Smith was promoted from the practice squad and will operate as the No. 2 tight end behind Dalton Schultz on Sunday. Stover wasn't seeing a ton of action with only one game with over four targets this season. Smith won't be an ideal streaming option with Schultz healthy.

The Miami Dolphins have been one of the toughest matchups in the NFL for fantasy quarterbacks, which means C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans should only be started in Superflex leagues in Week 15. The Dolphins rank third overall against fantasy quarterbacks, while last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year has finished outside of the top 10 at his position nine games in a row. Stroud now ranks a disappointing 19th among fantasy quarterbacks, and faces a Miami defense among the league's best in air yards allowed (fifth), passing touchdowns allowed (tied for fifth), and average depth of target (first). Now that most fantasy leagues are down to elimination games, managers who roster Stroud in one-QB formats should look to avoid this matchup.

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon is once again an RB1 candidate when his team plays host to the Miami Dolphins in Week 15. The veteran back has been ultra consistent in his first season in Houston, finishing inside the top 15 for running backs in eight of his 10 games this year. Interestingly, the Dolphins rank second against fantasy receivers but 21st against running backs, largely because backs have fared well as pass catchers against them. Miami has allowed running backs to catch 28 passes in just the past five games alone, which should open the door for a feature back like Mixon to do some damage through the air. Start him with confidence in Week 15.

The Miami Dolphins have been one of the best defenses in the NFL against wide receivers, but Nico Collins of the Houston Texans remains a must-start option in Week 15. Since returning from Injured Reserve, the fourth-year receiver is averaging nine targets and 88 receiving yards, putting him in elite fantasy territory. The Dolphins allow the lowest average depth of target in the league and rank second against fantasy receivers, but Collins has played more than half of Houston's snaps six times this season and finished in the top 15 in five of those games. He's one of the few matchup-proof options, and until he proves otherwise, he should be started in any format this week.

Managers rostering Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell are likely reluctant to trust him at this point, which is probably the correct instinct in a difficult matchup against the Miami Dolphins. It has been quite the ride for the second-year receiver, who was initially the No. 3 behind receivers Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs, then thrust into the top spot due to injuries, and now sits as an unpredictable second option following the return of Collins. Miami ranks second against fantasy receivers and has the lowest average depth of target in the NFL, which are not great signs for a deep threat who has finished outside of the top 40 at his position eight times in 12 games played. Dell should be reserved only for formats that with two or more flex spots in this one.