Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here are some of the top sleepers to consider for fantasy football in Week 10.
Amid a season full of injuries and surprise performances, finding the right fantasy football sleepers continues to be a major part of the process toward building a competitive team.
There are four teams on a bye in Week 10, including the Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks.
Be sure to check out The Huddle’s weekly PPR projections and rankings as well as the start/bench list to help formulate the best lineup possible.
Analyzing Houston Texans WR Tank Dell’s 2024 fantasy football ADP and where to target him in fantasy drafts.
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Houston Texans WR Tank Dell was impressive as a rookie last season despite starting just 8 games. Selected in the 3rd round out of Houston, Dell was instantly a fan favorite. He exploded onto the scene with a 145-yard performance in Week 3 and ended with three 100-yard games. Below, we look at Tank Dell’s 2024 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.
Entering 2024, Dell is expected to build upon a solid 2023 campaign that would’ve seen him top 4 digits in receiving yards had he been able to stay healthy. Dell is on a loaded offense in Houston, but could blossom into a top-20 receiver this season. The 2nd-year receiver is intriguing in terms of fantasy value.
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(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)
Dell has an ADP of 69.34 in redraft leagues, which puts him in the range of the 6th to 9th round, depending on the size of the league. His ADP is 5th-highest on the team, slightly lower than QB C.J. Stroud (47.23).
Among wide receivers, Dell’s ADP puts him 31st at the position, behind the likes of Terry McLaurin (Washington Commanders, 65.84), Keenan Allen (Chicago Bears, 65.55) and Rashee Rice (Kansas City Chiefs, 62.60), and slightly ahead of Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 71.01), Keon Coleman (Buffalo Bills, 72.03) and Christian Kirk (Jacksonville Jaguars, 74.39).
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Games: 11
Receptions | targets: 47 | 75
Receiving yards: 709
Receiving touchdowns: 7
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Dell’s fantasy value is difficult to gauge. Yes, he should be an improved receiver, but the team added a top-20 fantasy player and 3-down back in Joe Mixon this offseason and also added Bills WR Stefon Diggs via a trade near the end of last season.
The Texans are oozing with talent, and it might be difficult for Dell to see enough targets to have a top-30 fantasy value. Dell had a 15.1 average yards per catch last season which, for example, is significantly higher than Diggs’ 12.3 career average. That suggests he’s going to be more of a deep target.
Given his use in the offense, Dell’s value isn’t in PPR leagues but more in standard formats where touchdowns and yards matter more. Diggs and rising star WR Nico Collins will be more of the underneath threats. Dell should still top 1,000 receiving yards and see at least 100 targets this season. Hitting 70 receptions is also a realistic possibility.
Despite the enhanced competition, Dell’s value will get a boost with how efficient Houston’s offense should be. Draft Dell below his Houston counterparts, but don’t let him slip out of the 6th round in 12-team PPR formats, and feel free to take him in the late-5th or early-6th rounds of standard formats.
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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.
Reviewing all of the notable fantasy football performances from Week 1 exhibition play.
While NFL preseason stats ultimately don’t matter in the quest for a fantasy football championship, that’s not to say it those numbers are entirely useless to track. Exhibition action gives us a glimpse into unearthed gems and allows gamers to recalibrate late-round flier rankings. After all, just getting an opportunity to showcase one’s talent can be the difference in making a roster or not, which sometimes is enough to create an inroad for a chance during the regular season.
With that established, here’s a spin around the noteworthy performances — good and otherwise — over the first week of the preseason. Since the NFL splits the games up over several days, be sure to check back multiple times for updates.
Are there any diamonds in the rough to be uncovered in Houston’s WR corps?
Not much went right for the Houston Texans in 2022, and that included their passing offense. With quarterback Davis Mills stumbling through an unremarkable sophomore campaign, the Texans finished 31st in total offense and 25th in passing with 196.7 yards per game through the air. It should come as no surprise that their leading receiver finished with 699 yards, which ranked 53rd in the NFL.
While that certainly wasn’t impressive, it’s worth noting the wideout who accumulated those 699 yards was Brandin Cooks, who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys during the offseason, removing the one proven upper-tier target on the club. To help soften the blow, Houston signed a pair of veterans in receivers Robert Woods and Noah Brown. It then spent a couple of draft picks on WRs Nathaniel Dell and Xavier Hutchinson. They’ll also be counting on the return of WR John Metchie III, who missed his entire rookie season after being diagnosed with leukemia.
Of course, the biggest addition might be that of QB C.J. Stroud, who was selected second overall. The Ohio State product is considered a polished commodity coming out of college, and the hope is that he can hit the ground running. Let’s see what all that means for fantasy owners looking for some value at the receiver position in Houston.
Tank Dell proves big plays can come in small packages.
Houston Cougars wide receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell has taken a twisting and turning path to the 2023 NFL Draft both on and off the field. The electric pass catcher is among the smallest big-play options available, a factor making his draft stock and landing spot tough to pin down.
In 2018, Dell attended Alabama A&M after a three-star prep rating coming out of the state of Florida. He redshirted after four games (12-364-3) and then transferred to Independence Community College for the 2019 season before choosing Houston over several other FBS options.
Height: 5-foot-8 3/4
Weight: 165 pounds
40 time: 4.49 seconds
It didn’t take long for Dell to make his presence felt with the Cougars, scoring in his second game with the program. He finished the season with three scores over 29 grabs and flashed a hint of what was to come. The 2021 campaign put defenders on notice as he broke out in a big way, only to follow it up with an even stronger showing in 2022. Dell would be recognized with first-team All-AAC honors in consecutive years.
Table: Tank Dell stats (2018-22)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
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Dell isn’t as fast as DeSean Jackson or Hollywood Brown, but he’s a precise route runner who plays with an attitude and will come to an NFL team at a much cheaper price tag. He’s a likely Day 3 selection, probably going between the middle of Round 4 to the end of the fifth.
His Year 1 fantasy appeal should be limited to daily action or as a flier in deep setups. Over the long haul, Dell has WR2 fantasy potential but has a shorter career trajectory given his advanced age for a rookie.
