Houston Texans DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle) is not practicing to begin the week on Wednesday. On Monday, head coach DeMeco Ryans said the team still does not know exactly when Mixon will be able to return after he sprained his ankle in the Week 2 win over the Chicago Bears. And now that Mixon has picked up another DNP to begin the week, his status for the Week 6 game against the New England Patriots is firmly up in the air. The good news is the 28-year-old has made some progress, but he still needs to get back on the practice field to have any shot at playing this Sunday. Dameon Pierce (hamstring) hasn't played since the season opener, leaving Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale as Houston's primary backfield options each of the last three weeks. Fantasy managers won't have a clearer picture on the Texans' backfield until later this week.

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) is being placed on the Injured Reserve list on Wednesday, meaning he will have to miss at least the next four games. The star wideout suffered a hamstring injury after catching a 67-yard touchdown pass in the Week 5 win over the Buffalo Bills. Collins was No. 2 in total PPR fantasy points heading into Week 5, so this is obviously a crushing blow for his fantasy managers. He will be ineligible to return until Week 10 against the Detroit Lions. With Collins sidelined, Stefon Diggs could be a top-five fantasy wideout during his absence, and Tank Dell, who has struggled so far, will likely have a WR2/WR3 outlook in most matchups. Deep-league fantasy managers might want to kick tires on veteran Robert Woods, but youngsters Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchie III could become fantasy factors. Tight end Dalton Schultz could also benefit in this situation.

The Houston Texans are signing tight end Teagan Quitoriano to the active roster from the Chicago Bears practice squad, according to Texans reporter Aaron Wilson. The 24-year-old was a fifth-round pick by the Texans in 2022 out of Oregon State and caught nine passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns in 16 career games with the organization. Quitoriano was waived by Houston on September 4 with an injury settlement, but after Brevin Jordan (knee) suffered a torn ACL, the position group lacked depth. Quitoriano is not on the fantasy football radar in Houston's crowded skill position group. Even if was elevated to the TE1 role in a potential Dalton Schultz absence, he'd likely have little upside and virtually no fantasy floor.

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said that running back Joe Mixon (ankle) is still being evaluated this week. "Definitely improving, see where he is as the week goes on," Ryans said. Mixon tweaked his ankle in the Week 2 win over the Chicago Bears and hasn't played since. The Texans are going to play it coy with Mixon's status for now, but we should have a better idea of his status for Week 6 versus the New England Patriots once the team resumes practicing on Wednesday. There's also the status of Dameon Pierce (hamstring) to take into account in this backfield. Pierce hasn't played since Week 1 but is apparently getting close to a return. Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale have been splitting the backfield for Houston in each of the last three weeks, but Mixon will be the Texans' primary back once he's fully healthy.

After initially being deemed day-to-day on Monday, Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said that the team will evaluate wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) "week-to-week." "It takes a hamstring a couple weeks," Ryans said. Collins managed to catch both of his targets for 78 yards and his third touchdown of the season in the Week 5 win over the Buffalo Bills before leaving the game, and now his status for the Week 6 contest against the New England Patriots is firmly up in the air. Fantasy managers should already be preparing as if he won't be available this week. The 25-year-old's status will be more clear once the Texans hold a few practices later this week. He currently has a league-high 567 receiving yards through five weeks and would be a big loss for Houston's offense. Second-year wideout Tank Dell, would be the biggest beneficiary in the Texans offense from a fantasy standpoint if Collins misses any time.