Houston Texans - Fantasy News

Chiefs vs. Texans Start 'Em / Sit 'Em

by Aaron Bowers

10/6/17

NFL

Houston Texans

Kareem Hunt

On Sunday Night Football, the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs will travel to Houston to take on the resurgent Texans.

The Texans have rebounded in a big way after a disastrous Week 1 showing against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Deshaun Watson has brought a new energy and excitement to this team, and it has impacted both sides of the ball. Houston is 2-1 in Watson’s starts, though the Texans will be hard-pressed to beat the Chiefs in this primetime matchup.

One month into the season, few teams in the NFL have been as impressive as the Chiefs. Playing a conservative, ball-control offense and bend-but-don’t-break defense, they keep finding ways to win against good teams like the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins.

After traveling on a short week, though, this will be a tough test for Kansas City. But it most certainly should make for an exciting game.

Kansas City Chiefs Week 5 Projected Fantasy Points
Kareem Hunt: 18.0 PFP
Alex Smith: 18.0 PFP
Travis Kelce: 12.0 PFP
Tyreek Hill: 11.0 PFP
Harrison Butker: 9.0 PFP
Chris Conley: 6.0 PFP
Albert Wilson: 5.5 PFP

Houston Texans Week 5 Projected Fantasy Points
Deshaun Watson: 17.5 PFP
DeAndre Hopkins: 14.5 PFP
Will Fuller: 13.5 PFP
Lamar Miller: 12.5 PFP
Ka’imi Fairbairn: 9.5 PFP
Bruce Ellington: 6.0 PFP
Ryan Griffin: 5.5 PFP
D’Onta Foreman: 5.5 PFP

Start 'Em: Kareem Hunt (18.0 PFP)

Hunt probably isn’t going to accumulate the 2,600 yards from scrimmage and 24 touchdowns that he is on pace for one month into the season. However, he should have no problem getting over 18.0 Dober Fantasy Points this week. He has the best chance of any Chiefs player to get into the end zone, and he doesn’t have any games this season with fewer than 100 yards from scrimmage. He also has 13 receptions in four games and is a good bet for screens and check downs to rack up easy yardage. He’ll find his way into the end zone at least once in this game to get over his Projected Fantasy Points.

Sit 'Em: Tyreek Hill (11.0 PFP)

Both the Chiefs and Texans know that Hill is one of the most electric players in the NFL. He can take almost any play to the house, making him a decent bet in any matchup. However, in games when he doesn’t get into the end zone, his upside is limited. Against teams with good pass rushes, the Eagles and Redskins, Hill scored 6.0 and 6.9 DFP, respectively. In this matchup, Alex Smith won’t have time to sit back and wait for Hill to get open. He’ll still get some volume on underneath routes, but the Texans will do their best to stay on top of him and prevent yards after the catch.

Start 'Em: Ryan Griffin (5.5 PFP)

Despite it hanging 57 points on the Tennessee Titans in Week 4, we found it difficult to find players we felt great about recommending from the Houston offense this week. Eventually, we landed on Griffin, the tight end who caught two passes for 13 yards while the rest of the offense was going off. However, he has 11 targets in the last two weeks and will be the security blanket for Watson. In a game that could have limited scoring, against a team with a menacing pass rush, Griffin should get enough work in this matchup to get over his PFP.

Sit 'Em: Will Fuller (13.5 PFP)

Outlier performances in small sample sizes will always be a good place to start your Dober Play Card. In his first game of the season in Week 4, Fuller put up 17.9 DFP, the highest total of his career. In fact, in 15 career games, Fuller has just three games with more than 13.5 DFP. He is a big-play threat, but the Chiefs play sound defense and have given up just four passing touchdowns this season. At best, Fuller is a tertiary weapon on an offense that is due for significant regression. Fade him on your Dober Play Card this week.