With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all. Meet The ...
Quiet Contenders. With an explosive offense -- last season's third most prolific to be precise -- Houston is a hot topic this season in fantasy terms. Last season, starter Matt Schaub and backup Sage Rosenfels combined for a franchise record in passing offense. Furthermore, rookie running back Steve Slaton proved to be the sleeper of the season.
This year, with an improved defense and a healthy Schaub, the Texans look like real deal contenders. The defense remains the big question mark, but the offense should keep them in contention, and more importantly continue to provide fantasy owners with big-time points.
The Breakout
If you are looking for the perfect No. 2 quarterback this season or even a No. 1 who will be around in later rounds -- affording for the stockpiling of receivers and running backs -- Matt Schaub is that guy. When healthy, Schaub is a solid, serviceable quarterback with an arsenal of weapons. Besides Andre Johnson, who is a total force of nature in the NFL, he has Steve Slaton (who caught 50 passes last season), the underrated Kevin Walter, an under-the-radar deep threat in Andre' Davis, and trusty tight end Owen Daniels. Essentially, Schaub just needs to play decent and let this supporting cast do the rest and he should make for a very good fantasy quarterback. Oh, and he also needs to stay healthy ...
The Bust
Declaring Steve Slaton a bust merits a bit of a disclaimer. Slaton owners should certainly expect a reasonable return from his breakout season with solid yardage numbers, hefty receptions and a decent number of scores, but he also comes into the season overvalued. With an average draft position around ninth overall and as high as fifth in some drafts, there is just too much risk of disappointment.
Slaton is undersized and the Texans have made it clear that they would like to supplement his explosive style with a bruiser who can perform better at the goal line (where Slaton struggled mightily in 2008). As a fireplug sleeper in a banged-up Texans backfield, Slaton was a great pickup in 2008, but he lacks breakneck speed and is bound to lose carries eventually -- yet to whom we do not really know. Backup Ryan Moats does not pose much of a threat, but a healthy Chris Brown (we'll believe it when we see it) could be the touchdown thief that Slaton owners will spend the season losing sleep over.
The Depth Chart
QB1 - Matt Schaub
QB2 - Dan Orlovsky (head for the hills if Schaub goes down)
RB1 - Steve Slaton
RB2 - Chris Brown
RB3 - Ryan Moats
WR1 - Andre Johnson
WR2 - Kevin Walter
WR3 - Andre' Davis
WR4 - David Anderson
TE1 - Owen Daniels
TE2 - Anthony Hill
K - Kris Brown
The D/ST
The Texans host a bifurcated defense. The defensive line is really growing and should be one of the best in the league this season as Mario Williams emerges as a megastar, Amobi Okoye develops, and Travis Johnson stays healthy. The addition of Antonio Smith from Arizona rounds out an already lethal group. The relatively soft linebacker corps should improve as first-rounder Brian Cushing fills a big void next to DeMeco Ryans. On the flip side, the secondary is soft like pillowy flatbread. The Texans addressed those needs in the 4th and 6th rounds with Glover Quin from New Mexico and Brice McCain from Utah. If either of these guys surprise, the unit could see improvement, but don't count on it. All in all, the Houston defense is a good one to watch on the waiver wire for bye weeks.
Kicker Kris Brown is totally serviceable on a team that scores points, yet should be readily available in the last round, so not a bad option if that is how you roll. In terms of returns, Jacoby Jones is very solid on punts and Andre' Davis handles kicks, but neither of them are screaming "buy" unless they start producing as receivers as well. Davis may be a deep sleeper.
The Skinny
- The Houston Texans offer a lot of value for the fantasy owner, particularly in the passing game. If Schaub stays healthy, he'll have a big season. Johnson is probably underrated if considered only the second-best receiver in the NFL. For this reason, Walter makes a good under-the-radar No. 3 receiver pickup.
- As mentioned, Slaton should be a great fantasy option this season, but he is overrated as a first-rounder, so be very careful building a team around him. There is too much room for a letdown this season.
- Daniels is a solid pick at tight end who still falls slightly under the radar. Oddly, the Texans did draft two tight ends this year, but presumably because the organization had doubts about Daniels signing a long-term deal (he signed a one-year deal this season).
- Finally, Gary Kubiak's play-calling suits fantasy owners well as he aggressively pursues fourth down and is not afraid to take risks or go for big plays.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-14-2009 @ 9:45PM
Stephanie Stradley said...
The alternative view of Steve Slaton is that 1. They didn't end up drafting a big back, though they got one as a UFA; 2. They were not looking for a huge back, but rather one that was more typical old school Bronco back size as Slaton is on the lower end of that scale; 3. They really do not have great complementary backs on the roster, so they don't have an obvious alternative; 4. They drafted TE Anthony Hill to be their blocking specialist TE at goal line to help with red zone scoring; 5. Slaton may get a number of TDs from breakaway scores from outside the red zone--he has some long runs; 6. I think that the run blocking will be better for Slaton this year as last year was the first one under Alex Gibbs system--Slaton became more consistent as the year progressed.
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