Texans Dynasty Fantasy Football Overview: Can C.J. Stroud Bounce Back and Become a Top-End Asset Again?

It's time for another dynasty fantasy football overview of an NFL team. We'll look at the Houston Texans next.

We have already looked at the Eagles, Chiefs, Lions, Bills, Ravens, Vikings, Commanders, Chargers and Packers. I plan to cover every NFL team, so keep checking back for more!

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Quarterbacks

C.J. Stroud is the team's franchise quarterback, and he should remain the starting QB in Houston for a long time yet.

He's coming off a down 2024 season, but I still have him as the No. 8 dynasty QB right now. Stroud could move back up the list with a big season, or fall off that top-10 list with another down season.

Stroud threw for nearly 400 yards less than in his rookie season, and that was in two more games. He had 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season, while adding 233 yards and no scores on the ground.

Stroud has bounceback potential written all over him. The Texans' offense is talented enough to support Stroud, and it should hopefully keep improving over time too.

Now is a good time to buy low on Stroud, especially if you believe in him excelling in the future.

Davis Mills, rookie Graham Mertz and Kedon Slovis are the other quarterbacks on the roster.

Mills is the top backup, but is 27 years old and is seeing his dynasty value run out. He could be passed by Mertz, who was a sixth-round pick, but is already 25 years old. Slovis is 24 years old, but is likely just in camp to help round out the roster and give the other guys an extra breather.

Mills is the one to stash as Stroud's backup in the deepest of dynasty leagues. Mertz could be worth stashing if you have Stroud as well, but neither guy is going to ever become a full-time starter most likely.

Running Backs

Joe Mixon is the team's top back. Nick Chubb is a good veteran backup, while Dameon Pierce is another notable name. Fourth-round pick Woody Marks is worth mentioning as well. I'll discuss Dare Ogunbowale briefly as well.

Mixon is banged up to start the year, but when healthy, he should lead the backfield. He's 28 years old and isn't all that close to my top-10 dynasty RB list.

Mixon should only be rostered by contending dynasty teams, otherwise I'd trade him for future assets. He doesn't have a lot of trade value, but to the right dynasty owners, he has some short-term appeal.

Chubb gets a fresh start after fizzling out in Cleveland. He's 29 years old, so his run as a running back is likely coming to an end, especially after a multitude of big injuries.

Chubb has some short-term appeal this season, especially if Mixon is out of action. He's more a depth dynasty piece otherwise, and someone I'd only roster on a contending dynasty squad.

Pierce is 25 years old, but has regressed over his three-year NFL career. Injuries have played a role, and it means his time in Houston could be coming to an end.

Pierce should only be kept in really deep dynasty leagues, unless Mixon or Chubb are injured. I think there's a decent chance Pierce gets cut from the roster before the season starts.

Marks has dynasty appeal as a fourth-round pick, and because the top backs on the team are getting up there in age. He's worth stashing in deeper leagues, but I wouldn't expect a ton out of him this season - unless there's injuries before him.

Ogunbowale is coming off arguably his best NFL season - it was his eighth year in the league. He only had 310 yards and a score, but he held a decent role offensively.

At 31 years old, he doesn't have much dynasty value left. There's some short-term appeal, especially if the backfield is banged up. Ogunbowale is an asset in the deepest of dynasty leagues only.

Wide Receivers

Nico Collins is the team's top receiver. Jayden Higgins is highly regarded as a second-round pick, and Christian Kirk is the other projected starter. Tank Dell is likely out for the season, so John Metchie III, rookie Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, Justin Watson or Braxton Berrios could carve out a role this year.

Collins is my No. 9 dynasty wide receiver right now. The 26-year-old has dealt with injuries over his four-year career, otherwise he might rank even higher.

He had 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns over 12 games last season. Collins should lead the wideout room this season, but the addition of the two rookies and Kirk makes things a bit unsettling for Collins. If you think he's going to regress, you might want to consider selling Collins high.

Higgins is likely to start right away as a rookie, and he could star opposite Collins. It'll be fun to see how he looks in camp and the preseason and just how high he goes in redraft leagues. I think Higgins should be rostered in all dynasty leagues, and believe he could eventually get on the top-10 dynasty list, especially if he overtakes Collins as a rookie.

Kirk gets another fresh start after fizzling out in Jacksonville. He has played just 20 combined games over the past two seasons, so even though he's 28 years old, his dynasty value has really dropped.

Kirk could very well bounce back in Houston, so buying low on him makes some sense. It shouldn't cost you much, but I'd only consider adding him if my dynasty team was a contender.

Dell once had a bright dynasty future, but a gruesome injury is likely to keep him out all season, and with the addition of the two rookies, his role could look very different in 2026 and beyond.

Dell is still just 25 years old, so buying low on him and stashing him for a year is a decent idea. There's risk involved, but enough upside there to justify the move.

Noel was a third-round pick this offseason. He's 22 years old (nearly 23) and is expected to work primarily in the slot. That's where Kirk is going to be to start the season.

In time, Noel could overtake Kirk for that slot role, or Noel might do enough to force the team into more four-receiver looks. Noel is worth stashing in a lot of dynasty leagues. I don't see him contributing as much as Higgins this season, but he's also not that far behind him, and could overtake him on dynasty lists with a better rookie year.

Watson is 29 years old and has been between 289-460 yards while on the Chiefs the past four seasons. He'd be my guess as to who makes the team, since Dell won't be playing.

Metchie is a younger option at 25 years old. He only has 416 yards and a score over his first two seasons and 29 games though. He might have more dynasty value than Watson, but a change of scenery is likely needed for Metchie to ever be given a chance to really break out.

Hutchinson is 25 years old and has 256 yards and no touchdowns over his first two NFL seasons and 32 games. He might be a cut candidate if he doesn't have a good camp, but a change of scenery could open some things up for him.

Berrios is 29 years old and about to join his third team. He played in just six games and didn't get a target last season. Berrios has topped out at 471 yards and four scores, but that was in 2021.

Watson, Metchie, Hutchinson and Berrios should only be rostered in really deep dynasty leagues. Expect guys in that quartet to be cut, but to possibly find a better role with another team.

Tight Ends

Dalton Schultz is the team's top tight end. Brevin Jordan, Cade Stover, rookie Luke Lachey and Irv Smith Jr. are other options on the roster. None of them are anywhere near my top-10 dynasty TE list.

Schultz underwhelmed last season, totaling 532 yards and two scores over 17 games. At 29 years old, he's really just holding down the TE1 spot in Houston until they find a better option.

Jordan played in just two games last season. He has 532 yards and five touchdowns over his first 36 NFL games. At 25 years old, he has a little dynasty value, but he's not a good asset to roster in many leagues right now.

Stover had 133 yards and a score over 15 games in his rookie season. At 25 years old, I still have a little dynasty hope for him, but he'll need to show up this year to remain even a little relevant. Don't roster him outside really deep dynasty leagues.

Smith is 26 years old and didn't get a target over five games last season. He'd need multiple injuries or a change of scenery to be fantasy relevant again.

Lachey is a dynasty asset to track, especially with the lack of a good tight end on the roster. He wasn't a huge asset in college, but played at Iowa, which has built some good NFL tight ends, so that's intriguing enough to stash Lachey in some deep dynasty setups.