Justin Watson DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Houston Texans are signing Kansas City Chiefs free-agent wide receiver Justin Watson to an undisclosed deal on Monday, sources tell NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The Texans also added former Miami Dolphins wideout Braxton Berrios on Monday for additional receiver depth behind starter Nico Collins. Stefon Diggs (knee) is a pending free agent, and Tank Dell (knee) could miss all of the 2025 season following a gruesome knee injury in 2024. In addition to Berrios and Watson, the Texans added Christian Kirk (collarbone) in a trade with the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars last week. The 28-year-old Watson will probably serve as Houston's No. 3 receiver, at best, in 2025 if both Collins and Kirk are healthy. The former fifth-rounder by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018 out of Pennsylvania had 289 receiving yards and two TDs on 22 catches in 17 regular-season games with KC a year ago.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson is coming off arguably his best performance of the season. The 28-year-old hauled in both his targets for 60 yards and a touchdown during last week's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before that, Watson has been held to 43 receiving yards or less in every game this season. Watson is normally depth, but might see a bigger role if the Chiefs decide to rest or pull their starters out early in Week 18. It's also worth noting that Carson Wentz will be under center for the Chiefs during their Week 18 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Watson doesn't offer much value on a weekly basis and playing with a backup quarterback against a tough secondary isn't going to help. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better option for Week 18.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson caught two passes for 60 yards and a touchdown in the 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day. The 28-year-old grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, so he got to score in his homecoming game. Watson received just two targets in this game but ended up third on the team in receiving yardage due to a 49-yard chunk play. Despite finding the endzone in this contest, Watson is typically the fourth or fifth option on any given play. His lack of volume in the passing game leads to volatility, but Watson has proven he can break off a big play in any game. The Chiefs clinched the top seed in the AFC with their Christmas Day win, meaning they no longer need to start their stars in the regular season. Watson and the rest of the supporting cast could see more playing time in Week 18 against the Denver Broncos.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson caught one pass for six yards and a touchdown in the 19-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chiefs nearly let this game slip away, but the Raiders shot themselves in the foot with a last-minute fumble to lose the game. In this contest, Watson was targeted three times but only came down with one reception in the endzone. Watson will look to score again next week against the Los Angeles Chargers, who rank 13th in fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers this season. Despite scoring his first touchdown of the season in this week's matchup, Watson is not involved enough to warrant any fantasy consideration moving forward. Fantasy managers should leave him on the waiver wire.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson brought in 1-of-2 targets for 15 yards in the team's 30-27 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Carolina made it a game in this one, giving the Chiefs all they could handle up until the end of the fourth quarter. However, KC still held on, yet again winning a game in the waning seconds of regulation. Despite recording a 60% snap-share or better in seven of his last eight appearances, Watson has registered more than 26 receiving yards just twice in that stretch. He's averaging an abysmal 1.64 receptions and 19.8 receiving yards through 11 games in 2024. Despite another exploitable matchup in Week 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders at home, the 28-year-old will not be a recommended option.