Houston Texans News

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has thrown 11 touchdowns and just one interception in his seven games this season, but his team went just 2-5 before a Week 8 bye. The offensive line has been inconsistent this season, without much success in the running game, leaving Stroud to air it out quite a bit this season. However, the 0-7 Chargers have actually been solid at pass defense, allowing the seventh-fewest passing yards per game and giving up only eight passing touchdowns in seven games. While it isn't a great matchup, Stroud is still a viable fantasy option in two-QB or deep formats. He is RotoBaller's QB16 this week and will look to keep the Chargers winless with a strong road showing on Sunday.

Houston Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale did play seven snaps in Week 7 against the Giants, although he failed to show up in the box score with a catch or a carry. With David Montgomery (groin) and Jawhar Jordan (practice squad injured list) sidelined again in Week 9's matchup with the Chargers, the veteran is lined up to be the primary backup behind Woody Marks once again. Ogunbowale isn't likely to get a large role, though, especially since the team added Emari Demercado from waivers as well. He is only the RB69 this week and remains well off the fantasy radar, barring further injuries ahead of him on the depth chart.

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks will get another week as the primary leader in the backfield, with David Montgomery (groin) still not ready to return from his groin injury originally suffered in Week 5. Marks had 15 carries in that game after Montgomery's early exit and had 15 carries the next week against the Jaguars as well. In Week 7 against the Giants, Marks had a season-high 19 carries and racked up 66 rushing yards and added a 15-yard reception. He was the only running back with a catch or carry in that contest, and should carry a major workload again in Week 9 against the Chargers, as the Texans return from their bye. Marks is RotoBaller's No. 19 RB in Week 9, and he's a low-end RB2 based on his volume, even though he hasn't found the end zone in the last two games despite his increased workload. He will be busy enough to be started in almost all formats.

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was able to return to the field in Week 7 after missing almost two full years recovering from a dislocated kneecap and a series of torn ligaments in his left knee. He caught his one target for a 43-yard gain and played just 11 offensive snaps. Dell's role is still uncertain with Marvin Harrison Jr., Xavier Hutchinson, and Kayshon Boutte all rotating with him for snaps behind Nico Collins. Dell will have a "natural progression in his workload" in the coming weeks, according to coach DeMeco Ryans, and as he ramps up, he could climb back to a regular fantasy role. Headed into Week 9 against the Chargers, though, he is too high-risk to count on in most formats, which is why he's only the WR72 in our RotoBaller projections for this week. He's worth stashing in deep leagues but is hard to start until he's more re-established.

Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson scored his first touchdown of the season before his Week 8 bye, finishing with three catches for 17 yards and the score against the Giants. He has 21 catches in his seven games this year, with at least three catches in all but one game. The Texans are rotating multiple receivers behind Nico Collins, with Hutchinson, Tank Dell, Kayshon Boutte, and Marvin Harrison Jr. all getting playing time. The uncertain volume and reduced roles make them all high-risk plays, although there could be more time available with Jaylin Noel (toe) expected to miss the rest of the season. Hutchinson is the WR65 this week as the Texans face the Chargers, in a fairly neutral WR matchup. He isn't reliable enough to be started in most formats until he carves out a more consistent role.

Houston Texans wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. cost the team some significant draft capital to bring in via trade earlier this season, but the move hasn't fully paid off yet. In his two games with the team, he has eight targets, but just four catches for 40 yards. He did get into the end zone on his one catch for six yards in Week 7 against the Giants, but he was still limited to only 13 snaps in Week 7 after playing just 12 offensive snaps in Week 6. Hopefully, the bye week gave him time to get more involved, and his role could increase now that he's been around the team for several weeks. However, Harrison is still only WR62 in our RotoBaller Week 9 projections. In a mostly neutral matchup against the Chargers, he is still only an option in deep leagues until he shows he's ready for a larger workload in Houston.

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins had a quiet few weeks before his Week 8 bye, totaling only 10 catches for 136 yards without a touchdown over his last three games. Offensive coordinator Nick Caley emphasized earlier in the week that Collins will "always be a focal point of the offense" and that the team intends to find more ways to get him the ball. Collins had a huge seven-catch, two-touchdown, 118-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4 when he returned from a two-week injury absence, but he has been quiet since then and only caught two passes for six yards in Week 7. He should be in a good bounce-back spot after the bye as he faces the winless Chargers, and he is the WR12 in RotoBaller's rankings this week, making him a low-end WR1 or high-end WR2 depending on the size of your league.

Houston Texans tight end Foster Moreau caught a pair of touchdowns in Week 6 against the Jaguars in London, but did not have a catch or a target in Week 7 against the Giants. He continues to play well behind Houston's top tight end, Dalton Schultz, and is only a viable fantasy option if he gets more work or gets back into the end zone. Moreau does have three touchdowns in seven games this season, even though he only has 11 catches. He will look to bounce back from that catchless game before the bye week as he faces the Chargers, who have been solid against tight ends, despite their other struggles in their 0-7 start to the season. Moreau is only the TE45 in RotoBaller's Week 9 rankings, so he's best left out of lineups this week in almost all formats.

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz has been a steady but unspectacular PPR producer this season. He had a massive, 12-catch performance in Week 2, but with the team adding pass-catching options since then, he has played a smaller role. He has 33 catches for 322 yards in seven games, with at least three catches in all but one game this season. In Week 7, he had five catches for 45 yards against the Giants, but he still has not found the end zone this season. After the bye, he'll go on the road to face the Chargers, who have been one of the better teams in the league at defending TEs. This season, the Bolts have allowed just one tight-end touchdown, so it's hard to count on Schultz to break through for a score this week. He is RotoBaller's No. 21 TE in the Week 9 rankings, making him worth considering as a starter in two-tight end formats or desperate situations.

Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn has been one of the most reliable producers in the league again this season, converting 15 of his 16 field goal attempts and all 16 of his 16 extra point attempts. He made multiple field goals in four straight games before the team's Week 8 bye and has kicked six field goals from over 50 yards in his seven games this season. Fairbairn and the Texans are in a favorable spot in Week 9 as they travel to Los Angeles to take on the 0-7 Chargers indoors at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers have allowed 14 made field goals in their seven games while allowing a total of 25 points per game. Fairbairn is the No. 2 kicker in RotoBaller's Week 9 rankings, and it's worth checking to see if he was dropped during the bye week. He's a weekly set-and-forget option in the kicker spot.

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (knee) was a potential breakout candidate heading into the 2026 campaign before a torn ACL in the preseason derailed his year. Now, uncertainty remains about where the Iowa State product sits in the team's receiving hierarchy. Higgins was slated to operate as the team's No. 2 pass catcher behind veteran Nico Collins this season, though he never got the chance. In the meantime, teammate Tank Dell got healthy, and the team traded for former Arizona Cardinal wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. - reuniting him with his old college quarterback, C.J. Stroud. Higgins appeared to have the tools to handle a complementary role in an NFL passing game, but now looks to be at best Houston's third option when he's healthy. It's an unfortunate outcome for a young wideout with potential, but also too early in his career to peg him as a bust or count him out. For now, owners must take a wait-and-see approach with the 23-year-old.

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz enters Week 9 ranked as the TE22 by RotoBaller after his 12-catch, 140-yard performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2 failed to translate into sustained fantasy production. Across his next five games, Schultz totaled 17 receptions for 147 yards, never exceeding six targets or 45 receiving yards in any contest. He did draw six targets in each of Houston's final two games before its Week 8 bye, but his playing time has become less consistent. Schultz played just 40% of the offensive snaps against Jacksonville in Week 6 before improving to 57% against the New York Giants. Foster Moreau, meanwhile, has caught three touchdowns on only 11 receptions, including two against the Jaguars when he played 62% of Houston's offensive snaps. Schultz remains scoreless despite recording 33 catches this season. His receiving involvement still offers some appeal in deeper PPR leagues, but the limited yardage and Moreau's emergence as a scoring threat make Schultz difficult to trust as a weekly starter.

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins remains a priority for offensive coordinator Nick Caley, who said Thursday that Collins will "always be a focal point of the offense" and that the team intends to find more ways to get him the ball, according to Aaron Wilson. The comments come after a disappointing stretch for Collins, who has totaled just 10 receptions for 136 yards without a touchdown over his last three games. That followed a seven-catch, 118-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, when he scored twice. Collins was particularly quiet against the New York Giants in Week 7, catching just two of five targets for six yards before Houston's bye. The 27-year-old has recorded 24 receptions for 329 yards and three touchdowns across five appearances this season. He remains a starting fantasy receiver heading into Sunday's Week 9 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, with Caley's comments offering some encouragement that Houston will make a more concerted effort to involve him.

Houston wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will look to start producing a bit more for his new team after the team had its bye in Week 8. Since being traded to the Texans, Harrison has eight targets, but just four catches for 40 yards. His lone catch in Week 7 against the Giants was a touchdown, so that's maybe another reason why his fantasy value is rising a bit. Harrison logged just 12 offensive snaps in Week 6, then played 13 snaps in Week 7. It's fair to assume his playing time and role could improve now that he's been around the team for several weeks. Harrison is still only WR66 in our RotoBaller Week 9 projections. He has a pretty average fantasy matchup coming against the Chargers, but until he produces more on the field, he's just a deep-league option.

Houston running back Woody Marks is seeing his fantasy football roster percentage rise again after being off in Week 8 because of the team's bye. He has started the past two games for the Texans with David Montgomery (groin) injured, and Marks has put together two solid outings. In Week 6 against Jacksonville, Marks rushed 15 times for 56 yards, while catching two of his three targets for an additional 25 yards. Then in Week 7 against the Giants, Marks tallied 66 rushing yards on 19 attempts, while adding a 15-yard catch on his lone target. Montgomery won't play again in Week 9 against the Chargers, so Marks should lead the backfield. In what's an above-average fantasy matchup, Marks is RB31 in our RotoBaller Week 9 projections. He has starting value in deeper leagues and is also a standard league streaming option worth at least considering.

Houston Texans running back David Montgomery (groin), who missed yet another practice on Wednesday, will not return in Week 9 to face the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Pro Football Talk. Head coach DeMeco Ryans called Montgomery "week-to-week" as the running back tries to recover from a groin injury that will sideline him for a third straight game this weekend. Monty was injured in an Oct. 11 game against the division-rival Tennessee Titans and missed the following two games. He is not ready to return despite having last week's bye to heal up. The good news is that Ryans said that Montgomery has made "progress," so perhaps he will be ready to make his return for the team's Week 10 tilt on the road against the Cleveland Browns. With Montgomery out again this weekend against L.A., Woody Marks will continue to be a plug-and-play RB2 option for fantasy managers. After acquiring Montgomery in an offseason trade from the Detroit Lions, he has 52 carries for 138 yards (2.7 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns, while adding seven receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown as a receiver. He deserves to be stashed in most fantasy leagues while he recovers from his groin injury, as Monty will be a key contributor to Houston's backfield alongside Marks when he returns.

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said that wide receiver Tank Dell will see a "natural progression in his workload" in the coming weeks, per Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. Dell appeared in Houston's Week 7 loss to the New York Giants before their Week 8 bye, which was his first game since suffering a catastrophic knee injury in Week 16 of the 2024 season. The 27-year-old played just 23 snaps against New York, recording a 43-yard catch on his only target. Houston has quietly assembled a deep wide receiver corps, with Nico Collins, Marvin Harrison Jr., Xavier Hutchinson, and Kayshon Boutte all providing Dell with competition for playing time and targets. Still, it appears as though the team plans on Dell's role in the offense expanding as he gets healthier. In deeper leagues, Dell could be worth stashing off the waiver wire in case he returns to his pre-injury form.

Houston Texans running back David Montgomery (groin) was not seen at the portion of practice open to the media on Wednesday, according to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. The Texans had their bye in Week 8, but Montgomery does not appear any closer to returning to action after missing the two games before the bye with a groin injury. The 29-year-old has two more days to get back onto the practice field, though, so fantasy managers should not completely rule him out from playing this Sunday against the winless Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9. Monty has not practiced since suffering the injury on Oct. 11 at the Tennessee Titans, though, so if he gets the green light to return this weekend, there is a good chance he will play second fiddle to Woody Marks. Outside of his two-touchdown performance in the Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Montgomery has been a disappointment in his five games in his first year with the Texans, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry for 138 rushing yards on his 52 carries. He is still rostered in 79% of Yahoo leagues, though, and he will have a role in Houston's backfield when he returns from his groin injury.

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell should handle increased volume going forward due to a variety of factors. First and foremost, Dell is finally healthy. He returned to action in Week 7 following a nearly two-year-long recovery from a very serious knee injury. He is finally back on the field and contributing without any limitations, which should put him firmly back in the mix for fantasy football. Second of all, Dell should handle increased volume within the Texans' offense after Jaylin Noel (toe) was placed on injured reserve. The Texans already lost Jayden Higgins (knee) to a year-long injury, and now, Noel is done for the season, too. His absence provides a clear path to the No. 3 role for Dell, whereas before he would have had to compete for it. While Dell may not be an immediate fantasy starter in his role behind Nico Collins and Marvin Harrison Jr., he's at least worth stashing as a solid waiver wire pickup ahead of Week 9.

Houston Texans running back David Montgomery (groin) is making progress in his recovery, but a return to action is not imminent, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. Sources indicate that Montgomery's rehabilitation is moving in the right direction, although the veteran remains sidelined after suffering the injury during Houston's Week 5 victory over Tennessee. He missed the following two games and did not practice leading up to Week 7 before the Texans entered their Week 8 bye. The latest report casts doubt on his availability for Sunday's matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Woody Marks has taken control of the backfield during Montgomery's absence, recording 34 carries for 122 rushing yards and three receptions for 40 yards over two games. Marks should remain Houston's primary fantasy option while Montgomery continues his recovery, with his substantial workload keeping him in flex consideration.