Sit/Start Week 7: Reviewing All the Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Texans@Colts

 

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, October 20th at 1:00 pm EST

Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

Betting Odds: IND -1, 47.5 Total via Oddsshark

Network: CBS

Sleeper Spotlight: Darren Fells

 

Houston Texans

 

Quarterback: 

• Deshaun Watson (Start, high-QB1)

Watson is the QB3 in fantasy through six games, he is only .1 points behind Russell Wilson. The matchup isn’t great for Watson this week. Watson has struggled against this Colts defense in consecutive matchups last year’s wild-card game and in week 14 of 2018 as well he was the QB17. The Colts are coming off their bye and are healthier on defense getting back defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard and stud linebacker Darius Leonard. The Colts rank 26th in pressure percentage which is good for Watson behind a shaky offensive line that is 25th in adjusted sack rate. Watson lost starting right tackle Tytus Howard to a knee injury in week six. It is worth noting that the Texans have not allowed a sack in their last two games, so they may be figuring things out. Watson has been a top-four QB in four of six weeks and should be started with confidence every week.

 

Running Backs:

• Carlos Hyde (Start, RB2/3)
• Duke Johnson (Sit, bench)

 

The Colts have given up a hefty 5.1 yards per carry but are healthier in their front seven coming off their bye. Hyde has played 60+ percent of the running backs snaps the last two weeks and will remain involved in any game that the Texans are close or ahead in. Hyde is the RB22 in PPR leagues and Johnson is the RB34. Hyde has more than one target in only one game this season and that keeps his floor low when he doesn’t score a touchdown. Johnson has the second-best yards per touch at running back. But he is only 40th in carries and 29th in targets. Until he finds more touches he cannot be trusted in your starting lineups.

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

• DeAndre Hopkins (Start, mid-WR1)
• Will Fuller (Start, WR2/3)
• Kenny Stills (sit, WR 4/bench)
• Keke Coutee (sit, WR4/bench)
• Darren Fells (Start, Mid-TE2)
• Jordan Akins (sit, wire)

Stills is questionable to return for this matchup. Coutee or Stills should be left on your bench no matter who is in that WR3 role. Hopkins is the WR15 through six games but has been pretty disappointing from where he was drafted. He has the most or tied for the most targets on the team in five of six weeks. He is fifth at wide receiver in targets and fourth in target share which is great for PPR leagues. The problem is he is 65th in yards per target at 7.2 and that is down considerably down from 2018 and his 9.6 number. He was stifled in their last two matchups with the Colts with a combined nine receptions, 73 yards, one touchdown in the two games. Fuller, like usual, led the Texans in air yards in week six but he dropped three would-be touchdowns. The Colts play a lot of zone defense and limit big plays well, as they only have given up one 40+ yard passing play. Fuller is highly volatile as he has five of six games with 10 or fewer PPR points but his other game he was the overall WR1 on the week. Fuller is a high variance WR2/3 for me this week. Fells is quietly the TE13 in PPR leagues and he has two games with six or more targets compared to Akins not having any. The Colts are fifth in the league in receptions per game and receiving yards per game allowed to tight ends. Fells is a solid streaming tight end option this week.

 

Indianapolis Colts

 

Quarterback:

• Jacoby Brissett (Start, Mid/High QB2)

Brissett is playing well and coming off his bye week. He has been a top-12 QB in three of his last four games and faces this horrible Texans passing defense that has allowed top-12 performances to five of six quarterbacks. The Texans also have injuries to their top-two cornerbacks in Johnathan Joseph and Bradley Roby. The Texans have struggled to generate pressure against opposing quarterbacks as they are 27th in pressure percentage right now. Combine the Texans poor pass rush with the Colts offensive line having the fourth-best adjusted sack rate allowed and Brissett should have a clean pocket most of the afternoon. An underrated part of Brissett’s game is his rushing ability. He is sixth at quarterback with 24 carries in his five games so far.

 

Running Backs:

• Marlon Mack (start, Strong RB2)
• Nyheim Hines (sit, bench)

The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for Mack as he has battled some nagging ankle and calf injuries throughout the early part of the season. The Colts gave Mack 32 touches in their last game, an upset win over the Chiefs. Now fully healthy, Mack is locked in for 20-25 touches. The Texans are middle of the pack in run defense giving up 4.4 yards per attempt and are 11th in run defense DVOA so far. The Colts have the fourth most carries per game and their offensive line is in the middle of the pack in adjusted line yards. Mack is the center-piece of this offense and has three targets in three of his last four games which are a nice development to his game. Mack is a strong RB2 with RB1 upside this week against a middling Texans run defense.

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:

• T.Y. Hilton (Start, mid-WR1)
• Deon Cain (Sit, wire)
• Jack Doyle (Sit, mid-TE2)
• Eric Ebron (Sit, mid-TE2)

 

As noted above, the Texans are dealing with some injuries to their top cornerbacks. In his last six games against these Texans, Hilton has at least 13 PPR points in five of them. He is the WR9 in points per game. The clear number one option in this passing offense, Hilton has nine more targets than the second-highest player on the team despite missing one game. Fire him up as a WR1/2 in a great matchup at home. No other wide receiver has more than 13 targets this year. Doyle (TE25) and Ebron (TE23) both have 20 targets through five games. Neither can be trusted as a TE1 while both of them are playing. 

 

–Kevin Taylor (@ktbeast918)