2024 Houston Texans Team Outlook

Houston Texans

The 2023 Houston Texans were projected to win the fewest games in the AFC, but a strange thing happened on their way to the AFC South basement. In one offseason, the franchise hired the right coach in DeMeco Ryans and drafted a franchise signal caller. A complete and total overhaul of culture resulted in the Texans not only avoiding last place but winning a home playoff game.

By landing QB C.J. Stroud, the Texans now find themselves as serious contenders who can take a legitimate shot at building a championship-caliber roster while their young superstar quarterback is still in his rookie deal. Stroud was impressive as a rookie. With the weapons surrounding him, the sophomore signal-caller is poised to be an elite fantasy option for the next decade.

The club re-signing TE Dalton Schultz to a three-year deal was a big step in surrounding Stroud with a reliable and familiar supporting cast. The biggest move the team made was trading for Stefon Diggs, a true alpha wideout and consistent fantasy WR1 who should continue to thrive.

Diggs joins a receiving corps that already boasted two elite young options in Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Houston's incumbent pass catchers were each fantasy WR1 in terms of PPR points per game in 2023. Collins enters a contract year after breaking out (80/1,297/8) with Stroud under center.

Dell was one of the biggest surprises of 2023, scoring seven touchdowns and ranking 12th in fantasy points per game before breaking his leg. Reports indicate that Dell is well ahead of pace in his recovery.

The team also added Ohio State TE Cade Stover-a favorite of Stroud's- in the fourth round and RB Jawhar Jordan with pick 205.

In the backfield, Houston acquired RB Joe Mixon from the Bengals to replace Devin Singletary. Mixon is durable and can be a solid volume back but he no longer creates yards after contact or on breakaway runs. There are also questions about how Mixon will fit into Bobby Slowik's zone-blocking scheme.

Mixon is also a solid pass-catching option who ranked ninth with 52 receptions in 2023. He may not be the most efficient back but he's been durable and should contend for RB1 numbers in Houston's stacked offense.

The Texans won't take anybody by surprise in 2024 and must contend with a first-place schedule. Fortunately, the team is loaded with intriguing young talent with a ton of fantasy appeal. With elite fantasy options at each position and a fantasy-friendly scheme, the new-look Texans are one of the top teams to target on draft day.

QB C.J. Stroud, HOU - Stud (low risk)

The 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Stroud became the third quarterback in NFL history (joining Tom Brady and Joe Montana) to lead the league in passing yards per game (273.9) and TD-to-INT ratio (23-to-5). It was a sensational debut and he's just getting started. Stroud ranked fourth in the league with a 9.4 average depth of target and was the only NFL quarterback who did not throw an interception while under pressure. Houston also made a splash by acquiring Stefon Diggs, who joins Nico Collins and Tank Dell to give Stroud one of the top trios in football. The sky is the limit in his sophomore season, making Stroud an intriguing fantasy option. ADVICE: QB1 with top-5 potential

RB Joe Mixon, HOU - Solid/Safe Pick

Volume has been paramount to Joe Mixon's success. Mixon finished third with a 78.9% opportunity share last season but was just 18th in fantasy points per opportunity. The Texans acquired Mixon for a song and extended him for three more seasons, so he's clearly a big part of the team's plans. However, Houston employs a zone scheme and Mixon averaged a substandard 3.3 yards per carry in zone concepts over the last two seasons. The Texans don't have much behind Mixon, so he appears to be a good bet to continue to see a ton of volume and targets, making him a safe RB2. ADVICE: Volume-Dependant RB2

RB Dameon Pierce, HOU - Fantasy Handcuff

Pierce is not a good fit in Bobby Slowik's zone scheme. He averaged an abysmal 2.9 yards per carry last season- the worst in the league for any running back. With workhorse Joe Mixon now ahead of him on the depth chart, Pierce is unlikely to get anywhere near the 158 touches he got last season. If he remains in Houston, he may be relegated to spot duties and special teams. Unless he is traded to a team that needs a straight-ahead power rusher, Pierce is off the fantasy radar. ADVICE: The league's least-productive running back last season, Pierce doesn't offer much in Houston's zone scheme

WR Nico Collins, HOU - Solid/Safe Pick

Collins thrived with C.J. Stroud, exploding for 80/1,297/8 numbers in his third season. He ranked second in yards per route run (3.10), fifth in targets per route (27%), and seventh with 13 receptions of 20-plus yards. Those are metrics indicative of a star. That performance ranked Collins as the WR8 in terms of points per game as he became Stroud's go-to option. However, the addition of Stefon Diggs could impact Collins's 19.3% target share. Diggs has always been a target alpha and Tank Dell will also return to command his share. As the No.1 option in Houston's attack, Collins is a high-upside WR2 as Houston's proven star. ADVICE: He'll have more target completion but Collins remains a high-upside WR2

WR Stefon Diggs, NE - Solid/Safe Pick

The mercurial Diggs now moves on to Houston after having his second franchise rid themselves of his elite skill set. While the move looks good on paper, the Texans already have a No. 1 wideout. It's hard to see Diggs replicating top-10 showing in EPA, targets, and target share in Houston. However, Diggs renegotiated his contract and is essentially playing on a one-year deal. He'll again benefit from an elite quarterback and will have a far superior supporting cast than he had in Minnesota or Buffalo. There's some risk of this not working but Diggs's ADP has slipped to the point where he is an intriguing value. ADVICE: Risk/reward WR2 with plenty of upside