Houston Texans DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Injuries have rearranged the Houston Texans' offense, leaving wide receiver Tank Dell as the team's top pass-catching option heading into a Thursday Night Football showdown at the New York Jets. The 25-year-old figures to see a significant, if temporary, role increase with fellow receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) set to miss a minimum of one more game and Stefon Diggs (knee) out for the season. Unfortunately for Houston, the Jets boast arguably the best cornerback tandem in football with Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed. Dell caught a touchdown last week and should see more targets, though this matchup isn't ideal, making him a low-end WR2 or flex option in Week 9.

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz's role as a receiver took a major hit in the offseason, but injuries could change that in Week 9 against the New York Jets. Houston will be without their first and second options on Thursday, as wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) will be out at least another week and Stefon Diggs (knee) will miss the rest of the season. More targets might be on the way for the big tight end, who is a disappointing 25th among fantasy tight ends so far. The Jets are a tough matchup, ranking ninth against tight ends, though Schultz is coming off his best receiving yardage total of the season (52) last week. He's still a TE2 option, albeit with some upside under the circumstances.

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (groin) will not be active against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football due to a groin injury. The former Florida Gator has only played in four games this season due to nagging injuries and is set to miss another contest. With Joe Mixon occupying a workhorse role, Pierce has rushed just 14 times for 98 yards and one touchdown in his third NFL campaign. In Pierce's absence, Dare Ogunbowale is the clear RB2 behind Mixon, but he does not have fantasy appeal with Mixon leading the NFL in touches per game (23.2). Mixon is set to face a tough matchup for RBs in Week 9, but his overall workload keeps him a must-start against any defense.

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (groin) did not practice on Tuesday. Pierce's lack of practice comes at a time when the Texans need all hands on deck. Pierce serves as the Texans' backup running back and kick returner. He is far more valuable to the team in his kick return role because starting running back Joe Mixon is receiving the vast majority of the running back touches in this offense. Pierce's lack of practice is relatively inconsequential for fantasy. When Pierce and Mixon have both been healthy in 2024, Pierce has yet to clear 1.96 fantasy points. With two DNPs under his belt at this point in the week, Pierce is trending in the wrong direction. The Texans will visit the New York Jets on Thursday. If Pierce were to miss the game, Dare Ogunbowale would step up behind him. Wide receiver Robert Woods would likely be in line to take over some of Pierce's return duties as well.

Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (knee) was officially placed on injured reserve on Tuesday. It was announced earlier in the day that Diggs had torn his ACL in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts. Moving Diggs to IR gives the Texans the roster space to potentially add another wide receiver for depth. The Texans will still be without standout wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) until Week 10. This opens up a huge void of targets and opportunities for second-year wide receiver Tank Dell. Dell was excellent in 2023 when he was the only show in town. The Texans will need him to step up in a big way in the coming weeks while they wait for Collins to ramp back up. The Texans will likely also spread to ball around to wide receivers Xavier Hutchinson, Robert Woods, and John Metchie III, along with tight end Dalton Schultz.