Houston Texans News

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) is in attendance but not participating in his team's OTAs, per DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. Dell missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from the catastrophic knee injury he suffered in December 2024. The 26-year-old has a chance to be ready to go at some point in 2026 for Houston, but his return timeline currently remains uncertain. Across 14 games before getting injured in 2024, Dell recorded 51 catches for 667 yards and three touchdowns on 81 targets. He's flashed significant upside when healthy, but Dell is now attempting to come back from tearing his ACL, MCL, and LCL ligaments while also suffering meniscus damage. His production outlook is very difficult to project, which makes him a risky gamble for fantasy managers heading into 2026.

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz finished as the overall TE10 in PPR leagues last year, but there are questions about his dynasty outlook as he prepares for his age-30 season. Schultz played in all 17 games last year, catching 82 passes for 777 yards and three touchdowns. His 106 targets ranked second on the team, putting him just 14 targets behind team leader Nico Collins. The involvement was very encouraging, and his high reception total made up for the fact that he wasn't a huge touchdown threat. However, as the Texans' receiver room gets better and healthier, Schultz could fall out of favor. Collins is an ever-present threat, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are due for Year 2 breakouts, and Tank Dell (knee) is working his way back from injury. Therefore, although Schultz may still have the tight end room to himself, it's hard to imagine he'll end up with 100+ targets again. He projects as more of a mid-to-low TE2 going forward in dynasty leagues.

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins has emerged as a potential Year 2 breakout, and head coach Demeco Ryans indicated that Higgins has made the physical leap needed to become a weekly fantasy threat. "Bigger, stronger, and faster," Ryans said regarding Higgins. "Going to have a really great year based on what he's doing." While we need to be cautious how much trust we invest in coachspeak, these comments would suggest that the Iowa State product is ready to become a key piece in the Texans' offense, building on an impressive rookie season. In 17 games as a rookie last year, he caught 41 passes for 525 yards and six touchdowns. He was the WR47, and he could have an even easier path to production now that Christian Kirk is gone, although Tank Dell (knee) could be back in the mix. All in all, we're intrigued by the possibility of Higgins blossoming into a top-36 fantasy receiver next year. He's an intriguing trade target in dynasty leagues.

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins has reached an agreement on an adjustment to his current contract with the team, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter reports that the adjustment will guarantee Collins' salary for the next two seasons and also includes $17 million in cash increases. While Collins was already under contract with Houston, this new agreement should help ensure that fantasy managers do not have to worry about any contract-related disputes that result in Collins holding out. The 27-year-old recorded 71 receptions for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns on 120 targets across 15 games in 2025 and has hauled in 21 touchdown receptions over the past three years with the Texans. As long as Collins stays healthy, he profiles as a low-end fantasy WR1 heading into 2026.

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins finished just inside the top 50 wideouts in half-PPR fantasy points in his first year in the NFL in 2025 after the Texans selected him 34th overall in the second round out of Iowa State in last year's draft. He caught 41 of his 68 targets for 525 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (10 starts). The 23-year-old added another nine receptions on 14 targets for 98 yards and no scores in two postseason tilts. Higgins' numbers weren't anything Earth-shattering, but fantasy managers who took him in dynasty leagues had to be happy to see his role grow as the year went on. With veteran Christian Kirk now gone, Higgins has a clear path to the WR2 role in 2026 in his sophomore campaign behind Nico Collins. The Texans are hoping that Tank Dell (knee) will make a mark on offense after missing all of last year with a serious knee injury, but he's no sure thing, and Higgins has much more upside than both Xavier Hutchinson and Jaylin Noel. Higgins' dynasty value in the years to come could hinge primarily on whether quarterback C.J. Stroud can turn his career around, but he's certainly an intriguing player to buy in dynasty formats. RotoBaller currently has Higgins ranked as the No. 44 WR in dynasty formats after his solid rookie season.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was once viewed as the QB2 in consensus dynasty rankings, fresh off an incredibly efficient 2023 rookie campaign in which he threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns to only five interceptions. Following two disappointing seasons, and last seen in arguably the worst game of his career in a Divisional Round playoff loss to the Patriots, he has fallen to QB18 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings. With the Texans exercising his fifth-year option back in April, Stroud will spend at least the next two seasons with a Houston team that has a strong enough surrounding cast to keep him fantasy relevant even without the safety of a rushing floor. Stroud has not topped 233 rushing yards through his first three years in the league, and with that type of immobility, his yearly fantasy finishes will be intrinsically linked to his touchdown totals. While he finished 2025 with only 19 passing touchdowns, he was on pace for more than 30 and was the fantasy QB14 through the first half of the year before a concussion knocked him out of a Week 9 loss to the Broncos and ultimately cost him three starts. While he is unlikely to ever return to top two dynasty status, Stroud's ceiling when things break right is still higher than his current ranking would suggest, and as a more than capable second quarterback in superflex leagues, he's become an undervalued trade target who has yet to turn 25.

Free agent running back Joe Mixon has all but fallen off the fantasy radar following a mysteriously deleted 2025 season stemming from a foot/ankle injury first reported during organized team activities with the Houston Texans. To this day, little information has been provided about the injury, with Texans general manager Nick Caserio calling it a freak situation earlier this offseason without adding any additional details. Mixon turns 30 before the start of the 2026 season, and since being released by the Texans in early March, his name has scarcely come up in free agent conversations, suggesting his NFL career may have already come to an unceremonious end. In his lone healthy season with the Texans, he finished as the RB13 in half-PPR formats. He now clings to the RB73 spot in RotoBaller's latest dynasty rankings, but if he fails to latch onto a team by the time training camps are in full force, dynasty managers still holding out hope of a return can safely drop him to open up a roster spot where needed.

Although the Houston Texans acquired running back David Montgomery in an offseason trade with the Detroit Lions, second-year back Woody Marks should "stay fresh in a complementary role that should involve a lot of opportunities to catch passes out of the backfield," according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. As long as Montgomery stays healthy, Marks won't have an opportunity to take over a three-down role in Houston, but he could still be very valuable for fantasy managers in PPR leagues, and RotoBaller has Marks currently ranked as the No. 45 overall RB in half-PPR setups. The former fourth-rounder out of USC in 2025 was a prolific pass-catcher as a Trojan and during his time at Mississippi State. Marks finished his rookie campaign in the NFL with a team-high 703 rushing yards on 196 carries after taking over the starting gig from veteran Nick Chubb. The 25-year-old added 24 receptions on 36 targets for 208 yards and three scores through the air in 16 regular-season games (eight starts). In college, Marks had at least 47 catches in four of his five seasons.

A third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel played a limited role in his team's offense as a rookie. Across 17 games (three starts), the 23-year-old hauled in 26 receptions for 292 yards and two touchdowns on 35 targets. Noel's path to meaningful playing time out of the slot in Houston was largely blocked off by veteran wideout Christian Kirk, who departed the Texans in free agency for the San Francisco 49ers. However, Houston will likely be getting back wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) from the disastrous knee injury that cost him the entire 2025 season. With Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins entrenched on the outside, Noel could once again find himself on the outside looking in with the Texans in 2026. With Dell's uncertain health situation, Noel could work his way into a starting role as the team's WR3. Still, his playing time and production outlook remain murky after his underwhelming rookie year. RotoBaller currently ranks Noel as the 75th-best wide receiver for dynasty formats heading into 2026.

After spending the last three seasons as a member of the Detroit Lions, veteran running back David Montgomery was acquired by the Houston Texans over the offseason. Montgomery had a successful stint with Detroit, recording over 2,500 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns across 45 games with the team. However, the emergence of Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs led to Montgomery averaging a career-low 10.7 touches per game in 2025. In Houston, Montgomery profiles as the clear lead back and should have a chance to re-establish himself as a top-24 fantasy running back. Montgomery is entering his age-29 season, so he may not be the long-term answer in Houston. Still, his dynasty outlook is significantly improved following his offseason change of scenery.

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins wasn't the flashiest name last season, but he still managed to finish as the WR8 in PPR leagues. That was the best mark of his career, and it was the second time that he finished among the top 12 receivers in the last three years. He had 71 catches, 1,117 yards, and six touchdowns, and he presumably would have ranked even higher if he hadn't missed two games due to injury. Collins managed to produce at a high level despite the inconsistent quarterback play of C.J. Stroud, who had a shaky third season. If Stroud doesn't bounce back in 2026 and beyond, it's encouraging to know that Collins can still be a top-12 receiver with iffy quarterback play. However, if Stroud does have a big year, then Collins has legitimate top-five upside in both redraft and dynasty leagues. He's a firm "hold" for now, and he ranks as RotoBaller's dynasty WR11 at the moment.

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) has made a lot of progress in his recovery from a devastating knee injury that he suffered in December of 2024 in which he dislocated his knee and tore the ACL, MCL, and LCL ligaments, according to KPRC2 Sports' Aaron Wilson. While Dell is making progress since having two surgeries on his knee and is running and cutting in his routes, he's not 100% yet. "Tank Dell looked good," fellow wideout Nico Collins said. "I'm glad he's back now and getting his groove back. You know how much this game means to him, and nobody wants to get hurt the way he did. So, his work ethic, his mindset on the road to recovery, was amazing. So, it's only right he gets back on the field with us, with his brothers, and get back to what he's been doing. I'm happy he's back." The 26-year-old will most likely be limited in the team's upcoming organized team activities at the end of March, but the Texans are still holding out hope that he'll contribute at some point in 2026. Whenever Dell is finally available to Houston again, he'll be competing for a role in a suddenly crowded receiver room that includes Collins, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, and Xavier Hutchinson, and there's no guarantee that he'll be able to return to the form that he showed in his first 25 games (18 starts), when he caught 98 of his 156 targets for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns. Dell is a major fantasy question mark and is currently ranked as RotoBaller's No. 64 dynasty WR.

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz put together a steadily productive campaign in 2025, recording 82 receptions for 777 yards and three touchdowns on 106 targets across 17 games. While Schultz has been a fantasy-relevant tight end at different points, 2025 is the only season of his eight-year NFL career with at least 100 targets and 80 catches. The 29-year-old has never averaged more than 10.8 yards per reception, so he's heavily reliant on target volume for fantasy production. Schultz remains atop the Texans' tight end depth chart heading into 2026, but he may be facing a significantly reduced role in his team's offense. Houston added veteran tight end Foster Moreau in free agency and used a second-round pick on tight end Marlin Klein in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Texans should also get more out of tight end Cade Stover, who missed eight games in 2025 with a foot injury. In dynasty formats, fantasy managers may want to consider selling high on Schultz before the start of the 2026 season.

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell suffered a gruesome knee injury in Week 16 of the 2024 season, which ended his sophomore campaign and caused him to miss all of the 2025 season. After dislocating his knee and tearing multiple ligaments, his recovery has been arduous, but signs now point to his eventual return in 2026. Dell has been participating in the early stages of organized team activities, and there is a belief he could be ready for the start of the season. With the Texans adding Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in the 2025 NFL Draft, it's uncertain how the receiver rotation will work out alongside two-time Pro Bowler Nico Collins. Dell has taken more than 70% of his professional snaps on the outside, so despite vastly different body types, his most direct competition would appear to be the 6'4", 215-pound Higgins. Dell finished as WR38 as a rookie in 2023, and he's risen back up to WR66 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings after falling as low as WR87 in consensus ranks. That said, with the improved depth of the position since he last took the field, the ceiling could be capped for all Texans pass-catchers outside of Collins.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has been locked in this offseason and is focused on ways to improve after a second straight disappointing campaign in 2025. ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime reports that Stroud made a noticeable change to his diet to slim down this offseason, avoiding sugars and carbs. The Texans picked up Stroud's fifth-year option for the 2027 season, but 2026 will be a prove-it year to convince the team that he deserves a long-term extension. Photographs on Instagram that Stroud has shared in the weight room show a more shredded and slimmed-down version of himself. The former second overall pick out of Ohio State was a Pro Bowler in his first NFL season in 2023, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 15 regular-season starts, but he hasn't come close to those numbers the last two seasons, and he threw for a career-low 3,041 yards and 19 TDs in 2025. The 24-year-old hasn't always been helped by the offensive line in front of him, but he appears determined to turn things around, and a bounce-back campaign could be coming if second-year wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel can step up behind WR1 Nico Collins. Target Stroud as a QB2 with upside in fantasy drafts this fall.

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins showed flashes as a second-round rookie in 2025, but his path to a Year 2 leap could come with struggles along the way. The biggest obstacle could be the quarterback play of C.J. Stroud, who has regressed each year since his historic rookie campaign in 2023. The Texans have invested heavily in the offensive line, which should have a ripple effect on Stroud and the offense as a whole, but Higgins will still need to carve out a meaningful role to find dynasty staying power. Higgins scored two touchdowns in the three games missed by two-time Pro Bowler Nico Collins, and with the two both profiling as prototypical X-receivers, Higgins may not always find the field in two-receiver sets. With fellow second-year Cyclone Jaylin Noel expected to inherit Christian Kirk's role out of the slot, Higgins could find himself in a rotation with Tank Dell, who is on track to return from the 2024 knee injury that cost him the entire 2025 season. Higgins has the traits to become a consistent fantasy producer, but dynasty managers may be underwhelmed by the opportunities he sees in his second season, and at RotoBaller's WR44, he merely remains a hold until he proves he can overcome the situation.

The long-term dynasty success of Houston Texans running back Woody Marks will likely come down to his role in the passing game. As a rookie in 2025, Marks caught only 24 passes despite coming into the league as one of the most prolific receiving backs in college football history. With eight-year veteran Nick Chubb offering little in the running game, Marks was forced into a lead-back role for much of the season, but the fourth-round pick was not overly efficient on the ground, averaging only 3.6 yards per carry. With the Texans sending fourth and seventh-round picks to acquire David Montgomery, the former Lion and Bear is expected to handle the bulk of early-down, between-the-tackles work for Houston. The Texans have a recent history of turning the backfield over to a fourth-round rookie, with Dameon Pierce picking up 939 yards on 220 carries in 2022, only to drop off the fantasy map in later seasons. For Marks to have any dynasty staying power, he will need to lean on his obvious pass-catching abilities to carve out a meaningful change-of-pace role.

Despite another disappointing season in 2025, the Houston Texans have had nothing but good things to say about quarterback C.J. Stroud this offseason, according to Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle. "C.J.'s done a really good job all offseason just continuing to be locked in, continuing to prepare the right way," head coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Proud of the work that he's putting in right now." When CEO Cal McNair was asked about Stroud, he said, "We're fully committed to C.J." The Texans unsurprisingly picked up Stroud's fifth-year option for the 2027 season, so they now have two seasons to work out a potential long-term extension with the former second overall pick in 2023 out of Ohio State. The 24-year-old had career lows in passing yards (3,041) and passing touchdowns (19) in 14 regular-season games in 2025 in his third year in the NFL. It's now been two straight down years after his Pro Bowl season in his rookie campaign, and fantasy managers will be wondering if Stroud can ever get back to his rookie level, when he threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 15 regular-season starts. He's going to need both Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to step up alongside Nico Collins, and having Tank Dell (knee) contribute will be big as well. For fantasy purposes, Stroud's dynasty stock is obviously down, but a bounce-back is entirely possible in 2026.

Since a historical 2023 rookie season in which he passed for 4,108 yards and threw 23 touchdowns to only five interceptions, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has seen his production and fantasy value drop year after year. Missing three games in 2025, he barely topped 3,000 passing yards, and his season-ending Divisional Round loss to the Patriots, in which he completed 42.6% of his passes while throwing four interceptions, has left a sour taste in the mouths of dynasty managers. Once charting in as high as QB2 in consensus dynasty rankings, Stroud now ranks as RotoBaller's QB18. The Texans exercised his fifth-year option in April, giving them two more years of team control before a long-term decision on his future will need to be made. Houston has spent the past two drafts building around its young signal-caller, first with receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in 2025, and then with offensive linemen Keylan Rutledge and Febechi Nwaiwu in 2026. With the expected return to health of one of his favorite targets from his rookie season, Tank Dell, the pieces are falling into place for Stroud to outperform his current value and level off as a dependable QB2.

The Houston Texans and Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair agreed to terms on a three-year, $54 million contract extension on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Al-Shaair was a first-time Pro Bowler in 2025 in his second season with the Texans, and he finished with 103 tackles (48 solo), a career-high two interceptions, nine pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 16 regular-season starts. The 28-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic has 100-plus combined tackles in three of his seven NFL seasons and has accumulated a total of 535 tackles (288 solo), six sacks, four interceptions, 24 pass breakups, five forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries in his seven years in the league. The middle linebacker had surgery on his thumb in the offseason, but he should be recovered in time for Week 1 of the upcoming 2026 season to run it back with one of the best overall defenses in the league. Al-Shaair finished as the No. 38 linebacker in 2025 in IDP fantasy formats.