Tag: Stefon Diggs Houston Texans

Breaking down Houston Texans WRs for fantasy football usage

Can this deep receiving corps live up to its potential in fantasy?

Probably the most unexpected success story of 2023 was the meteoric rise of the Houston Texans, which went from winning three games in 2022 to going 10-7 and capturing the AFC South banner. The biggest factor in the rapid turnaround was the arrival of quarterback C.J. Stroud, who would win NFL Rookie of the Year behind a stat line that included 4,108 yards passing and 23 touchdowns against just five interceptions.

What made that performance even more impressive was the lack of established talent on the outside with wide receivers Nico Collins, Noah Brown and Robert Woods atop the depth chart heading into last season. Collins was the breakout star, and he also was the only player on the team to top 750 yards. Then-rookie WR Tank Dell also looked like a legit NFL player, and he almost certainly would’ve broken the 1,000-yard mark as well had he not suffered a leg injury in early December.

Even with two young studs coming back, the Texans made a move to bring in Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills, giving them an established frontline receiver to pair with Collins and Dell. Between those three and tight end Dalton Schultz, Stroud has a deep collection of options. There’s only one football, though, so can the second-year signal caller keep everyone fed? And what does it all mean for fantasy owners? Let’s dive in.

Trade alert: Stefon Diggs dealt to Houston Texans

A long time in the making, Diggs finally has been traded.

After swirling traded rumors for the past year and news reports to the contrary in the last few weeks, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been sent to the Houston Texans. The deal includes Buffalo shipping a sixth-round selection this year and a 2025 fifth-rounder in exchange for a 2025 second-round choice that, funnily enough, also once belonged to the Minnesota Vikings.

In short, Buffalo gets cheaper but has a glaring talent void to fill. The pool of remaining free agents has some familiar names but no one remotely as dangerous for defenses as Diggs, highlighted by the likes of Tyler Boyd, Michael Thomas, Michael Gallup, Odell Beckham Jr., Hunter Renfrow, Chase Claypool, and DJ Chark Jr.

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Internally, the Bills aren’t looking any prettier with just Curtis Samuel — a newcomer to the team — as the only established veteran on the roster. Khalil Shakir has flashed some talent, and Mack Hollins has done the same, but no one on the globe is expecting major contributions for either one, or both combined for that matter. Andy Isabella and KJ Hamler are the only other rostered names of note. Buffalo has two capable tight ends in Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid, plus running back James Cook is a plus receiver.

Expect at least one veteran to be signed, but this is a deep draft class for wideouts, and Buffalo could invest multiple early picks in the position. This team’s championship window seemingly has closed, and the regime may feel pressure to win now, which suggests a possible draft-day trade to acquire one of the top players. Don’t rule out a deal for another veteran … Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins or Justin Jefferson, anyone?

Fantasy football takeaway

Diggs, who turns 31 in late November, is coming off his worst fantasy season since leaving the Vikings in 2019, and he still managed to catch 107 passes for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns! In the first half of last year, all looked like business as usual for the veteran, but the wheels came off down the stretch, and he failed to score 20-plus PPR points even once in the final 10 appearances (including playoffs) after doing so five times through the first nine contests.

Diggs will be the focal point of a blossoming offense in Houston with second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud coming off a marvelous rookie campaign. The move dampens the outlook of WR Nico Collins, who broke out in 2023, though he’ll remain relevant in fake football given the attention Diggs demands. Promising 2023 rookie Tank Dell is coming off a fractured fibula but will be 100% well ahead of Week 1. The retooled offense, which added veteran Joe Mixon to the backfield, is poised to be lethal.

Gamers shouldn’t automatically expect Diggs to top 100 catches, but there’s no reason he won’t cross the 85 mark through 17 appearances. Given his advancing age in WR years and the loaded weaponry around him, Diggs is a fringe No. 1 PPR receiver in the upcoming fantasy draft season.