Houston Texans Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Speaking to Sports Illustrated, WR Stefon Diggs said he wants to finish his career in Buffalo. The 28-year-old mentioned how it would be a “dream” to team up with his brother, Cowboys DB Trevon Diggs, but that’s unlikely in the short-term. Stefon, of course, signed an extension in April that keeps him under contract through the 2027 season, so his words match his actions. (Trevon is signed for 2 more seasons.) If the Bill plays out his entire contract, he'll be a 35-year-old free agent.

The Cowboys and TE Dalton Schultz failed to agree on a longer-term extension before Friday's 4 p.m. deadline. That means Schultz will play out this season on the franchise tender. It shouldn't mean any alteration to Schultz's fantasy football outlook, though that could change if he holds out for any portion of training camp. Schultz has been going right at or a little ahead of where he belongs relative to other TEs in recent fantasy football drafts.

The Athletic's Paul Dehner believes the Bengals are no longer interested in making RB Joe Mixon a 3-down back. Dehner notes that Mixon's usage on 3rd downs fell off precipitously late in the season and through the playoffs. Over his final 9 games, Mixon played just 17 3rd-down snaps compared to RB Samaje Perine's 83. But, Mixon averaged 4.3 targets over those 9 games vs. just 2.7 over his first 11. Losing 3rd-down snaps obviously isn't ideal and will probably keep Mixon from joining the top tier of fantasy RBs. But he's still capable of RB1 production as the clear lead back in a strong Bengals offense.

Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz will report to the start of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Schultz skipped last week's OTAs as he angles for a long-term deal. He's currently scheduled to play 2022 on the franchise tag. "No deal imminent, but contract talks have picked up in recent days," Pelissero tweeted. We'll continue to keep an eye on the situation, but it doesn't look like there's holdout risk with Schultz.

Texans WR John Metchie ran routes at close to full speed in Tuesday's minicamp practice. The rookie seems to be making good progress in his recovery from December's torn ACL. It's still unclear if he'll be ready for Week 1. But, once healthy, Metchie has an opportunity to carve out a significant role in Houston's passing game.

Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz is skipping the rest of voluntary OTAs over frustration with contract negotiations, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Schultz has already signed his franchise tender, which locks him in for the coming season. The 2 sides have until July 15 to agree on a longer-term deal. If that doesn't happen by the deadline, Schultz will play out the 1-year deal and hit the open market again next March. The fact that he has already signed the tender should keep any contract impasse from impacting Schultz's availability for 2022.

Titans WR Robert Woods was running through individual drills at Wednesday's OTA session. He's now close to 7 months removed from his torn ACL and seems to be on track in his rehab. Barring a setback, Woods has a good chance to be ready for Week 1.

Titans WR Robert Woods is happy with his recovery so far from last November's torn ACL. "I actually feel like they're kind of holding me back a little bit," Woods said. "I am trying to get back as well as I can, just doing everything (trainer) Todd Toriscelli has me doing, trying to stay focused and be patient with it. Right now I feel really, really good, getting going, being able to do some things." It sounds like Woods is on track to be ready for Week 1, which will be about 10 months after his knee injury.

In a video posted to Instagram, Titans WR Robert Woods appears to be moving around without issue. In the minute-long clip, the 30-year-old can be seen going through footwork drills and sprints at what looks close to full speed. Woods tore his ACL in mid-November, so he’ll be about 10 months removed from the injury come Week 1. We’ll track his rehab all summer long.

According to league insider Aaron Wilson, Texans WR John Metchie “wasn’t encumbered by a knee brace” in rookie OTAs. The rookie, ~5.5 months removed from an ACL tear, was considered a “limited” participant. “I talked about us initially just taking everybody through a certain amount of tests to see exactly where they are,” HC Lovie Smith said. “We’re in the process of seeing exactly when John would be ready to go. Eventually, he will be ready to go. There’s a lot that he can do before that. He’s not 100% yet, but in time he will be.” Metchie’s a redraft long-shot, although he’s worth monitoring as he gets further removed from the injury.

The Texans added Florida RB Dameon Pierce in the 4th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pierce was stuck in committee backfields at Florida, never topping 106 carries in a season. But he flashes on tape an impressive blend of power and make-you-miss ability on tape. Pierce led all 173 RBs with 100+ carries last year in Pro Football Focus rushing grade and finished 5th in Elusive Rating. He also tallied 36 catches over his final 2 college seasons. Pierce was 1 of our favorite sleepers in this year’s RB class and lands in a wide-open Texans backfield alongside Marlon Mack, Rex Burkhead, Royce Freeman and Dare Ogunbowale. He could make a 2022 fantasy impact and is a target in dynasty rookie drafts.

The Texans added Alabama WR John Metchie with the 44th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Metchie is rehabbing a December ACL tear that prevented him from working out in the pre-draft process. We’ll see if that threatens his availability for the start of his rookie season. Metchie is coming off a big 96-1,142-8 line, leading ‘Bama in catches and finishing 2nd to Jameson Williams in yards and TDs. He ran about a third of his routes from the slot and was much more effective there, averaging 3.59 yards per route vs. just 1.83 from the outside. At 5’11, 187 pounds, Metchie looks like a slot receiver as a pro. He’s not an explosive athlete but is an effective route runner with reliable hands. Consider him a high-floor prospect with a relatively low ceiling. Once healthy, he should quickly carve out a significant role in Houston alongside Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins.

The Texans selected DB Jalen Pitre in the 2nd round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pitre opened his Baylor career as a LB and continued to make his greatest contributions near the line of scrimmage. He racked up a ridiculous 29.5 tackles for loss (including 6 sacks) over the past 2 seasons while playing safety and slot corner, adding 4 INTs and 9 passes defensed. At just 5’11 and with near-average speed for the position, Pitre projects as primarily a box safety in the pros. Going to Houston in Round 2 should give him a good shot at starting right away.

The Texans took CB Derek Stingley with the 3rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Stingley arguably enjoyed his best season as a freshman, when he snared 6 INTs and defensed 15 passes for the national-champion Tigers. Stingley seemed the regress the past 2 years. That span included losing 10 games to a torn ligament in his left foot last season. Stingley should be an immediate starter in Houston but doesn't project as a high-level IDP contributor.

Texans HC Lovie Smith says he's a fan of QB Davis Mills. "If you look at all of my comments about Davis, I am a believer in him and what he's going to do," Smith said Monday, according to NFL.com. "If you just go back and look at the plays that he made, throwing the ball downfield last year, so many good things that he did, and that's as a rookie." Smith also sounds confident in Mills leading the 2022 offense. "The improvement that you see from year one to year two is normally a big improvement, and that's what we're gonna get from him." Words don't necessarily mean commitment, of course. And we'll see whether Houston adds a QB at any stage of the upcoming NFL Draft. But combine Smith's comments with what had to be considered an impressive debut for a 3rd-round pick in a bad offense, and we're betting Mills leads Houston's offense for at least the coming season. He's available very late in early fantasy football drafts and not highly rated in dynasty right now.

The Bills and WR Stefon Diggs have agreed to a 4-year, $104 million extension with $70 million guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Tyreek Hill is the only WR with more guaranteed money in his contract. This extension tacks on to Diggs' old deal and keeps him under contract with Buffalo through the 2027 season. Diggs will be 34 at that point, so he's basically tied to QB Josh Allen for the rest of his career.

The Rams are trading WR Robert Woods to the Titans. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Tams are getting only a 2023 sixth-round pick. Woods lands in an offense with opportunity available, though Tennessee sported the league's 2nd most run-heavy attack last season. We'll also see about Woods' return from the ACL tear. He's OK in WR4 range of best-ball drafting right now. Woods' departure makes room for new Rams signee Allen Robinson to claim targets. Robinson looks good in WR3 range of current drafts with upside well into WR2 range.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Rams WR Robert Woods is "a prime trade candidate" after the team signed WR Allen Robinson in free agency. Schefter says the Rams began receiving calls after the Robinson signing. Woods is coming off a November ACL tear but is reportedly expected to be ready for training camp. The veteran wideout will turn 30 in April and still has 4 years remaining on his current deal.

The Cowboys are re-signing WR Noah Brown to a 1-year deal, according to Nick Eatman of the team website. Brown ranked 5th among Dallas WRs in targets each of the past 2 years and figures to remain in a similar role going forward. The former 7th-round pick heads into his 6th season in the league and turned 26 in January.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Cowboys are expected to apply the franchise tag to TE Dalton Schultz today. Dallas is up against the salary cap, so the team would surely prefer to knock out a longer-term deal with Schultz. For fantasy football purposes, draft as though Schultz will remain a Cowboy at least through 2022. He could find himself in an even better situation for target volume than last year, with WR Amari Cooper expected to leave and WR Michael Gallup coming off an ACL tear.