Houston Texans DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Houston Texans tight end Teagan Quitoriano (calf) has been downgraded to out for Saturday's wild-card playoff game against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers. Quitoriano missed the final five regular-season games due to his calf injury, but the Texans opened his 21-day practice window earlier this week to return from Injured Reserve. They apparently didn't think the 24-year-old tight end made enough progress in practice this week to play this weekend. With Quitoriano missing yet another game, Cade Stover and Irv Smith Jr. will continue to serve as backups to starter Dalton Schultz. In his third year in the NFL with Houston in 2024, Quitoriano was not on the fantasy radar at all and didn't receive a single target in the seven games that he was active. He has only nine catches on 17 targets for 146 yards and two touchdowns in 23 career games.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud should be considered among the lowest tier of starting quarterbacks for managers in playoff leagues with Houston set to play host to the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round. The results just haven't been there for the Texans or their second-year starter, who finished as the No. 18 fantasy quarterback, a far cry from where he was drafted in preseason. The Chargers are a mid-tier defense against fantasy quarterbacks, but Houston's offense has averaged just 15.6 points in its past five games. Los Angeles ranks fourth in the NFL in scoring percentage allowed, fifth in yards after catch allowed, and fourth in net yards per passing attempt, which is not a great omen for Stroud or a struggling Houston offense.

A midseason hot streak had Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon among the top options in fantasy football, but things have changed with Houston entering the playoffs against the Los Angeles Chargers. The 28-year-old is averaging 38.7 rushing yards across his past six games, and the Texans' offense has struggled overall, scoring a measly 15.6 points since December. Now comes a Chargers defense that ranks third against fantasy running backs and fourth in scoring percentage allowed, which are not encouraging signs. Mixon is still on the fringe of being a RB1 due to his unchallenged workload in the Houston backfield, but managers in playoff formats shouldn't bet the farm on a huge performance, either.

The good news for Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins is that he has an almost unmatched target share with his team set to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in a Wild Card playoff game on Saturday. The bad news is that Houston's offense has been consistently below average for more than a month, averaging just 15.6 points in its past five games. Further, the Chargers rank third against PPR wide receivers and have held opposing offenses to the fourth-lowest scoring percentage in the NFL. While the matchup isn't ideal, the Michigan Man still hit 1,000 receiving yards despite missing five games and most of another, putting him in rare territory. Though Vegas is predicting a low-scoring game, Collins still can be considered a mid-tier WR1 for managers in playoff formats.

Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson should not be considered for lineups with the Texans set to play host to the Los Angeles Chargers in a Wild Card meeting on Saturday. The 24-year-old has played more often since Tank Dell (knee) was lost for the season, but still managed just four catches for 34 yards in the past three weeks. With wide receiver Diontae Johnson now in the fold and Robert Woods still around, it's tough to say which, if any, secondary receiver will emerge behind No. 1 option Nico Collins. Additionally, Houston's offense has averaged just 15.6 points in its past five games. Hutchinson wasn't a strong option anyway, but an uncertain target share and an unpredictable passing offense make him avoidable in playoff formats.