The Texans have agreed to a one-year deal with TE Dalton Schultz worth "up to $9 million," according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. It has to be a disappointing contract for a guy Dallas franchise-tagged just last offseason. But it sounds like about the same contract Mike Gesicki is getting from the Patriots. Schultz opened his career with two quiet seasons (13 total catches) in Dallas, before breaking out in 2020. He then averaged 4.1 receptions and 41.7 yards per game over the past three years. Bet on the Houston offense being worse than the Cowboys unit Schultz is leaving. But Houston's top three pass-catchers currently look like WR Robert Woods, WR Nico Collins, and WR John Metchie. So there's target-share opportunity. Of course, we'll also see who the new starting QB will be. The Texans figure to select that guy early in the NFL Draft. We're not excited about Schultz at his current TE12 best ball ADP. He could become more interesting, though, if he drops significantly below that.

Texans TE Dalton Schultz ranked third at the position in first-team snaps in Sunday night's preseason finale. He played just four of the nine snaps that QB C.J. Stroud played, running two routes and drawing one target. Schultz did lead Houston TEs in those latter two categories. But he trailed Teagan Quitoriano (six snaps) and Dalton Keene (five) in playing time. It's just one game, and Stroud attempted only four passes total. Schultz's three targets in the previous outing tied for second on the team. So Sunday night's usage shouldn't leave you panicking if you've already drafted Schultz. But it's enough to confirm that he belongs in TE2 territory of upcoming fantasy football drafts. And if you have already drafted Schultz, you might want to check our TE rankings for an early pickup off waivers as insurance.

Texans TE Dalton Schultz was back on the practice field on Friday, participating in full-team drills, per insider Aaron Wilson. Schultz missed a few days with an undisclosed injury, but consider his fantasy value unchanged.

Texans TE Dalton Schultz missed his second straight practice on Tuesday. HC DeMeco Ryans recently downplayed the injury, but we’ll see when Schultz returns to practice.

New Texans TE Dalton Schultz has thrived on target volume over the past three seasons. He racked up the fifth most PPR points among TEs as Dallas' starter over the past three years, while ranking fourth in targets, seventh in yards, ninth in yards per game and 27th in yards per catch (among 27 TEs with 50+ receptions over that span). Schultz ranked 27th, seventh and 17th among TEs in Pro Football Focus receiving grade in those three seasons, among players with 40+ targets by season. Schultz landed in a Houston offense with no defined target hierarchy. But he also managed just a one-year, $6.25 million deal on the open market ahead of his age-27 season. All told, he doesn't look like a player to bet strongly on or against in fantasy football drafts. Schultz's TE14 ADP helps the case for drafting him by minimizing the risk. See where he sits in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.

Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz roped in 7 of 8 targets for 95 yards and 2 TDs in Monday’s Wild Card victory vs. the Buccaneers. Teammate WR CeeDee Lamb also performed well, snagging 4 of 6 his targets for 68 yards and a score of his own. This pair made a tremendous difference in the outcome of this game and will look to continue this success against the 49ers next weekend in the Divisional Round. Though the 49ers’ defense ranks 7th in Football Outsiders’ pass defense DVOA this season, we did see Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf eclipse the century mark in receiving yards with 2 TDs on Saturday. Perhaps QB Dak Prescott and company could replicate that success in the next round.