Houston Texans DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring) is off the injury report for Sunday's game against the Patriots. The 24-year-old has been sidelined since last appearing in Week 1 versus the Colts, when he finished with three carries for 16 yards. With Joe Mixon (ankle) potentially also returning for this one, Pierce's fantasy outlook isn't promising. However, even if Mixon misses another contest, Pierce will likely back up Dare Ogunbowale and Cam Akers, who have been handling things out of the backfield.

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle) practiced again on Friday for the second day in a row and is expected to play in Week 6 on Sunday against the New England Patriots. League sources expressed optimism that Mixon will be ready to take on a solid workload against the Patriots, barring an unexpected setback. He suffered a minor high-ankle sprain in the Week 2 win over the Chicago Bears and has missed the last three games. In addition to Mixon, it seems likely that Dameon Pierce (hamstring) will also be back against the Pats, which would push Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale back to the bench. In the season opener against the Colts, Mixon rushed for 159 yards and one touchdown on a career-high 30 carries. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect that type of workload on Sunday, but Mixon should at least be considered an RB2 option in his return.UPDATE: Mixon is officially listed as questionable to play Sunday.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud faces one of the NFL's worst teams on Sunday when the Texans visit New England. There hasn't been anything resembling a sophomore slump for the second-year quarterback, who has been good if not overwhelming for fantasy managers who drafted him as an every-week starter. The Patriots, meanwhile, have been a mess. The New England offense's inability to score has put immense pressure on their defense, which is paying the price. The Patriots rank near the bottom of the league in passing yards allowed (27th), net yards per attempt (29th), pressure percentage (28th), and passer rating allowed (25th). Given the talent advantage Houston enjoys in this matchup, Stroud can be started confidently.

Now that Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) is on injured reserve, fellow receiver Stefon Diggs figures to be Houston's top pass-catching option ahead of a Week 6 game at New England. The 30-year-old plays a different role than Collins within the Houston offense, but an already good volume play (82% of snaps, 8.2 targets per game) could become even better in the coming weeks. Through five weeks, the Texans rank second in the NFL in passing yards per game. Even though Houston is playing a decent Patriots pass defense, Diggs deserves a starting lineup spot as a regular first read on a top passing offense.

Fantasy managers who selected Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell haven't seen much production yet, but there's some hope that could change in Week 6 with Houston at New England. The second-year pass-catcher could be in line to improve on a disappointing 71st ranking among fantasy receivers, as team-leading wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) is set to miss at least the next month on injured reserve. Dell has at least four targets in every game in which he has appeared and also has carried the ball six times, however, so Houston at least seems committed to keeping him involved. He should be considered a boom-or-bust flex option with the Texans playing a decent New England pass defense.