Ask any fantasy football player or analyst and they’ll tell you that the playoffs can be one of the worst times to find talent on the waiver wire. Most have been picked clean already.
So when the bottom fell out on Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool being game-changing fantasy assets, those who rode the receivers to the playoffs could now be looking at an early exit. Well, when one door closes, a window opens, and that window is overlooking NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans.
Most have written off the 4-9 Texans for fantasy, save for quarterback Deshaun Watson. David Johnson followed up his IR stint with a concussion by landing on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Will Fuller is suspended for PED violations, and Brandin Cooks is missing time with foot and neck issues. But in the spirit of “next man up,” the Texans have a pair of emerging wideouts in Keke Coutee and Chad Hansen who could save your fantasy team over the next few weeks.
Week 14 against the Bears may not have been a great game for either receiver, but Coutee found the end zone and totaled 24 yards on three catches for 11.4 points in a PPR format. Hansen had 56 yards on seven grabs for 12.6 points. As your third receiver, double-digit points can be huge, and if you look at the upcoming schedule for Houston, there is plenty of promise on the horizon.
The Texans visit the Colts in Week 15, a team both receivers posted strong totals against two weeks ago. Coutee has eight catches for 141 yards and Hansen had five for 101. That’s 22.1 and 15.1 raw points respectively. Though neither found the end zone, both offered strong returns, and if your league has bonus points for clearing the century mark, they were even better.
The Texans close out their season against Cincinnati and Tennessee, two of the weakest pass defenses in the league. The Titans rank 30th in pass coverage and allow the fourth-most fantasy points to receivers while the Bengals rank 28th and allow the 12th most. Whether you have two or three weeks left to your fantasy playoffs, these Texans will help.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football advice.
