Houston Texans: Who Will Be Fantasy Relevant In 2015?

Dec 21, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver

(10) during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receivers

Houston’s main receiving weapon this season will certainly be DeAndre Hopkins. He’s coming off a 1,200 yard 2014, and is likely to see an even higher percentage of balls thrown his way after the departure of Andre Johnson this offseason.

He may be the lone ‘sure-thing’ on Houston’s roster, as he’s already shown his ability to produce in a shaky offense, catching passes from four different quarterbacks last season. He should be a top-20 wide receiver this season, with the potential to rise even higher if the team can work out its quarterback situation. He seems pretty confident in his ability to be an elite wideout:

"“One-on-one, I feel like I’m going to win that match up any time,” Hopkins said, per Drew Dougherty of HoustonTexans.com. “So that’s what I live for as a receiver, to get those one-on-one match ups.”"

Behind Hopkins, Cecil Shorts, Jaelen Strong, and Nate Washington are all unlikely to make a huge impact on the fantasy season. Both Shorts and Washington have been solid fantasy options in the past, but its unlikely there will be enough volume in Houston’s passing offense this season to warrant relying on these guys in any but the deepest of fantasy leagues.

Jaelen Strong may be worth a late-round flier, as he has a chance to emerge as an excellent target, but we will need to see how he fits into the offense before counting on him too heavily.

Ultimately, DeAndre Hopkins is really the only Houston receiver worth counting on in a fantasy league. He will surely see most of the team’s targets, and should be able to produce with them.

However, the team will certainly have to throw the ball to other players too, and any of these other three receivers have the ability to make an impact on a fantasy team. Keep an eye on the Houston receiving corps, and if anyone emerges as the clear No. 2 guy behind Hopkins, snatch him up quickly.

Next: Tight Ends