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.

According to head coach Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (collarbone) underwent surgery this morning on his broken collarbone. He'll miss the remainder of the season, as Kainani Stevens of the team reported. While Jacksonville's 2024 is in turmoil -- sitting at 2-6 -- it's still a considerable blow to the team, who could have potentially traded Kirk to a contender before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. He'll now begin the road to recovery. It's the second consecutive season that an injury has cut the 27-year-old's campaign short after missing the final five games of 2023 with a core muscle injury. The Texas A&M alum has potentially played his last snap for the Jaguars, with one year left on his four-year deal after being the subject of trade rumors recently. With rookie wideout Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) dinged up as well, wide receivers Gabe Davis (shoulder), Parker Washington, and Tim Jones figure to see an increase in usage.