Houston Texans

Fantasy Football 2016 Preview: Houston Texans wide receivers

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

A new QB could make them fantasy football factors, but which Houston Texans wide receivers should you target for your team?

Aug 14, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) bumps into wide receiver Keith Mumphery (12) before the start of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi

The Texans made the playoffs last year despite some inconsistency and ineffectiveness at the quarterback position. The team plays Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, T.J. Yates, and Brandon Weeden at different points last season, but they took drastic steps to fix their QB position this offseason. With Brock Osweiler under center to stabilize the position, how good will the Texans wide receivers be this year?

For your fantasy football team, the Texans wide receivers have a lot of upside to offer, so check out my positional preview on the following slides to see who I think is ready to step up and where you should try to draft them. Houston’s receiving corps has a genuine stud receiver and some nice young rookies, so make sure to be aware of these Texans wide receivers on draft day.

As we continue to approach the big nights of your fantasy football drafts, we’re taking a tour through the NFL to look at the important fantasy options on each NFL team. While most team’s just have one quarterback and one tight end that are noteworthy for fantasy, every team has multiple running backs and wide receivers that you need to know heading into draft season.

Earlier this preseason, our wide receiver previews have examined the receivers of the Packers, Vikings, Lions, Bears, Steelers, Browns, Bengals, Ravens, Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders, Cardinals, Seahawks, 49ers, Rams, Patriots, Jets, Bills, Dolphins, Cowboys, Washington, Eagles, and Giants. Today, we head to the South starting our last two divisions of fantasy breakdowns with a look at the Texans wide receivers.

If you’re looking for fantasy football coverage including all our wide receiver and running back previews, check out the FanSided fantasy football hub where you can also find my top 10 potential breakout WR. You should also make sure to check out the 15 sleepers from Preseason Week 3. You can always see the latest fantasy football posts in the related content box to the right, and click here for my latest WR rankings.

Make sure to stay tuned to the FanSided fantasy football hub throughout the preseason to find plenty of fantasy coverage including sleepers, rankings, injury news, and overall strategy tips leading up to your draft. You can also follow @FansidedFantasy on Twitter where I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have, keep you up to date on all our latest coverage, and even help you through any draft-day dilemma that may come up.

In this post, we focus on the Texans wide receivers who are ready to contribute this season. We’ll start with an overview of the re-vamped passing attack head coach Bill O’Brien and, and after that we’ll take a look at each option on the depth chart to see the fantasy potential and current ADP (average draft position) of each of the Texans wide receivers.

Jul 31, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler (17) passes the ball to wide receiver Wendall Williams (82) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Texans Wide Receivers-Overall Outlook

The big name among the Texans wide receivers is clearly DeAndre Hopkins. “Nuk” had a monster season last year and should be among the elite options again this season. Last year, the Texans relied on their running game to make up for their struggling signal callers which resulted hi them finishing in the bottom third of the league in pass play percentage. The team ranked 21st in passing yards and 15th in passing touchdowns

Those numbers aren’t that impressive overall, but remember the motley crew of QB’s that Bill O’Brien was forced to work with. In an attempt to solve that problem, Houston signed Brock Osweiler to a huge contract this offseason and are looking to him to be the team’s franchise QB going forward. Osweiler has looked good in camp, but the offense will continue to be run-heavy at least early on this season.

The Texans wide receivers also went through an offseason overhaul as they got much younger behind DeAndre Hopkins. Last year’s second-leading receiver, Nate Washington is gone, but the team used early draft picks to bring in Will Fuller and converted-QB Braxton Miller. Jaelen Strong will be more involved as well as the team gets younger at their other WR spots.

Let’s take a look at each of the options lined up for Brock Osweiler to use this season, as we work our way down the depth chart of Texans wide receivers and see where the value can be found using the latest ADP info from fantasypros.com.

Aug 1, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) runs up field during Houston Texans training camp at Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

DeAndre Hopkins

When you remember who his quarterbacks were last year, Hopkins numbers last year are outright insane. Hopkins was third in the league in catches, third in the league in targets, and a matching third in the league in receiving yards. He found the end zone 11 times which tied him for seventh-best in the NFL. He finished with 1,521 yards on 111 catches while averaging just under 100 yards per game.

This preseason, Hopkins has looked sharp and ready to roll for another big year. There was a little holdout issue early in camp, but it was quickly resolved and he had a full preseason. “Nuk” should be ready to roll to another good season and some new weapons in the offense only raise his ceiling since he’ll have some hope to get some help from his QB and other skill position contributors.

Right now, Hopkins is going as the fourth receiver off the board in most drafts. E’s a late first-rounder, and a very reliable producer. He is right in the discussion with Brown, Beckham, and Julio, but getting better QB play could ultimately make him the #1 overall WR this season. Remember, he’s coming from Hoyer/Weeden/Yates/Mallett, so Osweiler should be able to boost his production even higher.

Aug 20, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller (15) makes a reception during the second quarter as New Orleans Saints strong safety Kenny Vaccaro (32) defends at NRG Stadium. The Texans won 16-9. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Will Fuller

The Texans wide receivers after Hopkins are a young group with tons of potential but some pretty high risk as well. The member of the group that’s expected to get the start on the other side of the field from Nuk in Week 1 is rookie Will Fuller.

The Texans grabbed Fuller in the first round with the #21 overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft. He has lightning-quick speed and is a constant home run threat. He showcased his speed catching three of four passes thrown his way in Preseason Week 3 totaling 67 yards a touchdown. He finished the preseason with a pair of scores and 144 yards.

Fuller does have one problem and it’s a big one for a wide receiver–he can’t catch. He has had a few ugly drops this preseason, and he won’t be a great possession option anytime soon. However, Fuller does have the big-play potential to make up for that and definitely keep defenses from over-loading against Hopkins.

Fuller will be tricky to rely on as a weekly starter, and his hot preseason has resulted in him being a little over-rated in many drafts. Remember, Hopkins will get most of the targets, so Fuller will have limited opportunities to explode for big gains.

He’s currently being drafted as the 59th WR taken, though, at which point he has plenty of upside to love. Don’t over-reach, but getting him at the end of your draft could definitely pay off by the time bye weeks roll around.

Aug 20, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Braxton Miller (13) rushes against New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Nick Fairley (90) in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Braxton Miller

Converted Buckeye quarterbacks are all the rage this preseason with both Braxton Miller and Terrelle Pryor emerging as fantasy sleepers to keep an eye on as the season starts. Miller looks like he’ll start the season as the third option in the Texans wide receivers, but he has been very productive all preseason.

He doesn’t have the home-run speed that Fuller has shown off, but Miller is a more complete receiver at this point in his development even though he was a QB at Ohio Sate. He caught all three touchdowns thrown his way in the team’s Preseason Week 3 dress rehearsal and finished the preseason with ten catches for 97 yards.

It looks like Miller will open the year as the slot option which should result in some good catch numbers. He’s a PPR sleeper to know at the end of your drafts, but a lot of his value is reliant on how effective Osweiler is and how he distributes the ball to the many “playmaker” options the Texans suddenly have in their offense.

Aug 28, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jaelen Strong (11) attempts to make a reception during the third quarter as Arizona Cardinals defensive back Asa Jackson (46) defends during the third quarter at NRG Stadium. The Texans won 34-24. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Jaelen Strong

Last year was a redshirt season for Jaelen Strong who was added to the Texans wide receivers in the third round of the 2015 draft. Strong did get 14 catches for 161 yards last year and found the end zone three times. He was the only receiver besides Hopkins and Washington to have at least three TD catches.

Strong has been solid this preseason, but he has trailed behind the two impressive young rookies. It’s his second season in the NFL while Miller and Fuller are less proven, but he is clearly working behind those three starters as the season gets underway.

If Miller or Fuller struggle or an injury strikes the starters, Strong will be an option. He had a good offseason and preseason and is poised to be a fantasy option as soon as the opportunity comes his way. That being said, he can be left on waiver wires to start the season since he’s the team’s fourth WR at this point.

Aug 1, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Cecil Shorts (18) takes a break during team stretches during Houston Texans training camp at Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Other Texans wide receivers

Cecil Shorts III: Shorts was the team’s slot starter last year, but he struggled with injury and didn’t put up great numbers. He ended up with 484 yards in his 11 games, but he never reached the 100-yard plateau in any game.

Shorts has been passed on the depth chart by all the young up-and-comers, and his roster spot is currently in question. Shorts is a respected leader in the locker room and took a pay cut, but he won’t be a fantasy factor even if he does get through the final cuts.

Keith Mumphery: Mumphery has had a solid preseason and finished with a flourish in Preseason Week 4 catching three passes for a team-high 83 yards and a touchdown. He is a special teams contributor and another second-year option that makes up the core of the Texans wide receivers.

Mumphery isn’t a fantasy consideration even if he does end up making the final roster.