Worrisome usage for Dalton Schultz in finale

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.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that TE Dalton Schultz has agreed to a three-year $36 million deal with the Texans, including $23.5 million "fully guaranteed at signing." That appears to lock Schultz in with the Texans for at least the next two years -- obviously good news for a TE who will turn 28 in July. Schultz isn't an exciting athlete even relative to his position and has yet to reach 11 yards per catch in an NFL season. But he has caught at least 57 passes in four straight years, averaging 3.8 or more per game in each. Schultz's 10.8 yards per reception last year marked a career high. And being tied to QB C.J. Stroud for the next 2-3 years is obviously a good thing. His re-signing means you can forget about any 2024 dreams you might have had for TE Brevin Jordan, who remains under contract with the Texans for one more year. Schultz has finished four consecutive campaigns among the top 10 TEs in total PPR points. He sits 15th among TEs in ADP for both Underdog Fantasy and FFPC drafting right now. That makes it a good time to get some Schultz on best ball rosters -- at least until/unless his ADP climbs.

Texans TE Dalton Schultz didn't post big numbers (4-58 receiving on 5 targets) in Sunday's OT win over the Titans. But he had a good day. His 34 routes tied for second on the team, found him on the field for 85.7% of Houston dropbacks and dominated No. 2 TE Brevin Jordan (7 routes, 17.5%). The game marked Schultz' return from two weeks down for a hamstring injury that knocked him out of the previous contest. The role could make him a key contributor in Week 16 against the Browns, who reached Week 15 as the third-best scoring matchup for TEs and third-worst for WRs. Schultz will push for a top-12 spot in our Week 16 TE rankings.

Texans TE Dalton Schultz (hamstring) put in a full week of practice and is not listed on the final injury report for Sunday’s game vs. the Titans. Houston can certainly use Schultz with WRs Tank Dell and Nico Collins out. But QB C.J. Stroud’s likely absence dings Schultz’s fantasy value.

Texans TE Dalton Schultz (hamstring) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, putting him on track to return for this weekend's game vs. the Titans. It's good timing for the Texans, who lost WR Tank Dell for the season and will likely be without WR Nico Collins this weekend. But Schultz would be tough to trust as a TE1 if QB Davis Mills is under center.

Texans TE Dalton Schultz (hamstring) is out for this weekend’s game vs. the Jets. He was limited in practice on Wednesday but sidelined on Thursday and Friday, so it looks like he suffered a setback. Brevin Jordan will again operate as Houston’s lead TE on Sunday after posting a 3-64-0 line on five targets last weekend.