Fantasy Football 2021 Team Previews: Houston Texans

Houston Texans Fantasy Preview 2021

All ADP data is courtesy of Fantasy Pros.

** = target in drafts at this ADP

Top 120

**David Johnson, RB (ADP: 83): Johnson is probably the only Houston Texan whom you can take to the bank as someone who will be relevant on fantasy rosters. The Texans backfield is stuffed to the gills with veterans, but Johnson is the obvious lead dog there, and will pace the team in opportunity barring injury. He was solid last season, amassing 1,005 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns in 12 games. Johnson averaged a healthy 4.7 yards per carry, and he contributed as a receiver. The entire offense hinges on what this team does with QB Deshaun Watson, and while no one knows how that will play out, it’s safe to assume at least a significant portion of the season will be played without him. Therefore, Johnson will become the focal point of this offense, and someone who produces for fantasy, even in incremental, boring fashion.

Brandin Cooks, WR (ADP: 104): Cooks produces, always, when he isn’t hurt. Aside from 2019 when he battled multiple concussions, Cooks has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in five of his NFL seasons, and scored at least five touchdowns in all of those 1,000-yard campaigns. Granted, his QBs have been Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Jared Goff (but a Sean McVay offense), and Deshaun Watson. Cooks’ value absolutely dives without Watson, but that’s also built into this ADP. He’s currently the WR40 off the board, so the risk is low, and the upside is pretty useful. Should Watson be traded or miss the whole year, yeah Cooks will probably not be someone you’re pumped about, but at this ADP it would be a survivable miss.

Fantasy Relevant (121-200 ADP)

Phillip Lindsay, RB (ADP: 151): Lindsay is a talented RB who I felt was badly underutilized in Denver. And now he’s a talented RB who will be underutilized in Houston, because he’s not as good a receiver as Johnson, and he’s probably too small for any team to trust him with a three-down workload. I do believe Lindsay is the handcuff to own in Houston, but this should be a bad offense, and he does not have a path to relevant snaps without Johnson getting hurt. I love the player, but I hate the offense, and role.

Deshaun Watson, QB (ADP: 162): Watson is a stud, and this ADP reflects pure confusion as to his status. He graded as PFF’s third-best QB in 2020, and his numbers speak for themselves. He threw for more than 4,800 yards last year and 33 touchdowns, while also rushing for 444 yards and three scores. He’s one of the better rushing QBs in the game, and also an elite volume passer. But the reality is he is likely to be traded at some point this summer – which is not a bad thing really, considering the dearth of skill talent in Houston – but with sexual assault allegations hanging over him, it’s hard to imagine him not getting suspended. So we don’t know where he’ll play, or even if he’ll play in 2021. That’s just too many question marks to draft at a position where value can be found weekly on waivers. This ADP is so late that I guess you can take a shot without suffering too badly, but the odds of being able to stash him are slim.

Mark Ingram, RB (ADP: 185): Ingram is running on name value and fumes. Once a perennially underrated option, last year was sad to see. He couldn’t make an impact on one of the NFL’s most prolific rushing offenses, falling behind J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, and being cut unceremoniously quickly this offseason. I’m of the mind that Johnson is the clear-cut leader in the backfield, and while Ingram is probably a better goal line option than Lindsay, that’s no reason to keep him over a player who still has much more juice. Ingram, at 31, is likely shot and I view him as a cut candidate.

Sleeper Class (200 & later)

Nico Collins, WR (ADP: 215): Collins, a big body out of Michigan, didn’t play last season due to COVID, and has never put up even 40 receptions in a season. Still, he was drafted in the third round, and has generated buzz this offseason. He was an efficient touchdown scorer with the Wolverines, but he’s got a bunch working against him. First, rookie WRs are generally a bad bet. Second, he’s never caught even 40 passes at the college level, so a rookie breakout seems like a big leap. Lastly, it’s likely he spends significant time catching passes from Tyrod Taylor, so if he’s able to earn a meaningful role, he doesn’t have a QB who can support multiple fantasy relevant pass-catchers. Taylor might struggle to support one. So I know the ADP is late, but I’m out.

Keke Coutee, WR (ADP: 282): Coutee has flashed here and there, but after three seasons I believe we know who he is. There’d be a glimmer of hope for value in deep full-PPR leagues if we knew Watson was his QB all season, but we definitely don’t know that. Find options with higher ceilings.

Anthony Miller, WR (ADP: 297): If there’s any value for a non-Cooks receiver this season in Houston, I’d place my bet on Miller. A second-rounder in 2018, Miller has not popped despite ample opportunity with the Bears. You’d love to have seen more, but Chicago has been a QB graveyard for his entire career. It’s not getting better in Houston if Watson doesn’t play, but Miller has more experience than Collins, and much more NFL production than Coutee. We can’t ignore his draft pedigree, and a seven-touchdown rookie season. If Taylor is the man, it’s hard to see Miller as a breakout, but the talent is greater than Coutee’s.

Tyrod Taylor, QB (ADP: 316): Houston’s fantasy outlook is bleak, and Taylor is the cherry on top of the poop sundae. Taylor is okay enough as a real life QB, but he’s just a fantasy dud. He’s never averaged more than 216 passing yards per game, he’s barely cracked 3,000 passing yards twice, and his only value comes as a rusher. The rushing aspect of his game is promising – he averaged 6.4 attempts and 35.8 yards per game from 2015-2017 in Buffalo – but his passing numbers are so depressed it still renders him a middling option. Should he be named the starter he’s a low-end QB2 in two-QB formats, and I wouldn’t even be very interested in him as a superFLEX.

Rex Burkhead, RB (ADP: 382): Burkhead is a better bet, in my mind, to make the team than Ingram. But that doesn’t mean he’s fantasy relevant. Burkhead will have a role on this team as an option to spell Johnson at times due to his receiving ability, but he’s not a guy who can assume the lead role if Johnson goes down. If that occurs, this looks like a clear time share between Lindsay and Burkhead, with neither player offering much beyond middling yardage totals and the occasional TD. Keep it moving on Burkhead.

Defense/Special Teams (ADP: 350)

This team is rebuilding. Don’t bother. Not even as a streaming option.