RADIO
Jared Wayne Earning Time with the Texans' Starters
Houston Texans side receiver Jared Wayne could be part of the team's plan to fill in for some of the production lost when Jayden Higgins (knee) went down for the season earlier this week. Wayne has had a very strong training camp and caught the team's only touchdown in the first preseason game. On Thursday, in the second preseason game, Wayne played in the first series of the game with starting QB C.J. Stroud, and he picked up a key 12-yard reception that converted a third down and kept the drive alive. Wayne finished with just two catches for 13 yards, but his involvement with the starters could indicate the team has bigger plans for him once the season starts. At the very least, he looks in line to make his first NFL roster after spending last year on the practice squad. He could open the season as the team's WR2 across from Nico Collins, at least until Tank Dell (knee) is ready for action.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
C.J. Stroud Poised for a Bounce-Back Season
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is eligible for a contract extension and has had a strong training camp, according to multiple accounts from Texans' camp. He led his team to a touchdown on his only drive of the team's second preseason game on Thursday night, completing four of his six pass attempts for 27 yards. While he didn't have the touchdown, he did a good job making smart decisions and guiding the offense into position to reach the end zone. Stroud has regressed in each of the last two seasons after his big rookie year, but he has the potential to bounce back in his second season under offensive coordinator Nick Caley. He'll need to find a strong second option behind Nico Collins after the season-ending injury to Jayden Higgins (knee), but if he does that, he'll have the potential to be a solid QB2 with upside. Coming into the year, he's No. 24 in RotoBaller's rankings.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Xavier Hutchinson Moves Back Onto the Redraft Radar
Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson didn't give fantasy managers much in Thursday's box score, catching one of two targets for minus-1 yard in a 22-20 loss to Las Vegas. Both looks came from C.J. Stroud on Houston's opening drive. The bigger story is what happened before the game. Jayden Higgins tore his ACL in Tuesday's joint practice and is out for the season, leaving a lot more work up for grabs behind Nico Collins. Hutchinson has been here before. He started six games last year and finished with 35 catches for 428 yards and three touchdowns, including a five-catch, 69-yard, one-score game against San Francisco when Houston was short-handed at receiver. Jaylin Noel and Tank Dell are still part of this, so Hutchinson hasn't suddenly become the No. 2. But the path is cleaner now, and getting two early looks from Stroud is at least worth noting. He's back on the deep-league radar after being an easy name to ignore a week ago.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Lewis Bond Positioned for Larger Role in Houston
Houston Texans rookie wide receiver Lewis Bond is poised for a larger role than expected in 2026. The sixth-round pick from Boston College was unlikely to contribute as a receiver this season, but after second-year wideout Jayden Higgins' unfortunate knee injury, Bond may have a chance to play. At Boston College, he hauled in 88 receptions for 993 yards and one touchdown in 2025 under former Texans head coach Bill O'Brien. Bond caught two passes for 12 yards in Thursday's preseason loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, playing most of his snaps with the second-team offense. While the Texans still have Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Jaylin Noel, and Xavier Hutchinson on the outside, Bond could carve out a solid role in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Woody Marks Looks Like More Than a Passing-Down Back
Houston Texans running back Woody Marks got one drive with the starters Thursday and didn't waste it. Marks had five touches for 43 yards against Las Vegas, including a 20-yard touchdown run where he bounced through traffic and finished the drive himself. His final line was four carries for 37 yards and one catch for six. David Montgomery didn't play, so this isn't evidence that Marks has suddenly taken over the backfield. It does make his role a little more interesting. Marks was already getting most of the backfield route work during Tuesday's joint practice, and now he has put some good rushing tape on top of it. The 5-foot-10, 208-pound back led Houston with 703 rushing yards as a rookie and caught 24 passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns. Montgomery should still get plenty of work, particularly between the tackles. Marks is starting to look capable of earning touches beyond obvious passing situations, though, and that gives him a better shot at standalone PPR value than a typical No. 2 back.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ka'imi Fairbairn Remains a Top Kicker Option in Redraft Leagues
Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn is coming off about as good a fantasy season as a kicker can have. He made 44 of 48 field-goal attempts in 15 games, tying David Akers' NFL single-season record for makes, and went a perfect 28-for-28 on extra points. The distance wasn't a problem either. Fairbairn hit all 16 of his tries from 40 to 49 yards and went 9-for-13 from 50 to 59, with a long of 57. Houston also gave him a two-year, $13 million extension in March that keeps him under contract through 2028. The only thing worth pushing back on is last year's volume. His 48 field-goal attempts led the league, and counting on another season like that is asking a lot. Fairbairn doesn't need to get there again to be useful. He has the leg, the accuracy, and a secure job on a Houston offense that gave him plenty of chances last year. He still belongs near the top of the kicker pool in redraft.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
C.J. Stroud to Play a Few Series on Thursday Night
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is set to play a few series in Thursday night's preseason contest against the Las Vegas Raiders with the first-team offensive line, a league source told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Stroud and the first-team O-line will get roughly 25 plays. The Texans will continue their offensive-line evaluation as the team searches for its top five guys heading into the regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Stroud and the Texans' O-line are looking to be more consistent in 2026. After a Pro Bowl selection in his first year in the league, Stroud has regressed in each of the last two years and threw for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 regular-season starts in Year 3 in 2025. The 24-year-old former second overall pick out of Ohio State just lost one of his top receivers in Jayden Higgins (knee) to a torn ACL, too, which puts a little damper on his bounce-back potential this year. He certainly has the skills to turn it around, but he is going to need some help. Draft him as a low-end QB2 with upside in superflex leagues.
Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
Dalton Schultz In Line for More Targets in Houston
Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz could see more targets after the devastating injury to wide receiver Jayden Higgins. Higgins suffered a torn ACL during their joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday, ending his season before it began. Higgins was having a fantastic training camp and was shaping up for a big year, but targets will now shift to other weapons. Schultz has had over 85 targets in each of the last six seasons, including a career-high 106 targets with Higgins healthy last season. Schultz has a legitimate shot to be the second-highest target-getter in Houston behind star wideout Nico Collins, with Tank Dell (knee) expected to be limited in the early portion of the season. Ranked as the TE23 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Schultz is currently a great value in fantasy drafts and could easily surpass the 106 targets he had in the 2025 season.
Source: Ian Rapoport - ESPN/NFL Network
Source: Ian Rapoport - ESPN/NFL Network
Texans Plan to Ramp Jaylin Noel Back Up
The Houston Texans got wide receiver Jaylin Noel (hamstring, finger) back from his injuries this week in training camp, and they plan to ramp him up to get him back to where he was in the spring when he caught several touchdowns, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Noel's fantasy football stock rose dramatically on Wednesday after it was announced that fellow wideout Jayden Higgins (knee) suffered a season-ending torn ACL. The 23-year-old recently returned to practice after missing several weeks with a hamstring and pinkie injury, and now that he's back, the former third-rounder from Iowa State has a clear path to WR2 duties in Houston in his second year in the NFL now that Higgins is done for the season. In 17 regular-season games as a rookie in 2025, Noel caught 26 of his 35 targets for 292 yards and two touchdowns for the Texans. At the very least, Noel should see a big rise in target share as the Texans continue to work Tank Dell back from a knee injury that kept him out for all of last year. RotoBaller now has Noel ranked as the No. 65 overall fantasy WR.
Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
Jayden Higgins Suffers Torn ACL
Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (knee) suffered a torn ACL during the team's joint practice on Tuesday against the Las Vegas Raiders, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Higgins will now miss the entire 2026 season, a tough blow for Houston's offense, as the second-year wideout was set to operate as the WR2 across from Nico Collins. Before his knee injury, the 23-year-old product of Iowa State was a potential Year 2 breakout candidate after he caught 41 of his 68 targets for 525 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in 2025. Fantasy managers can now obviously avoid Higgins in all redraft leagues. With Higgins now out of the picture this year, Jaylin Noel, Tank Dell (knee), and Xavier Hutchinson will be asked to step up in the Texans' passing game. Noel will become much more interesting as a flex option in fantasy drafts, but his ultimate role will depend on the ongoing recovery of Dell, who missed all of the 2025 season due to a devastating knee injury the year before. Given the uncertainty of Dell's availability to begin the year, Noel should be the biggest beneficiary of Higgins' season-ending injury.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Woody Marks Runs the Majority of Routes in Joint Practice
Houston Texans running back Woody Marks was one of the most prolific pass-catching backs in college football history, racking up more than 245 receptions across his time at Mississippi State and USC. As a rookie in 2025, he caught only 24 passes, as injuries at the position forced him into more of a between-the-tackles role. The addition of veteran David Montgomery via trade should allow Marks to slip back into a more natural receiving capacity in 2026, and during Tuesday's joint practice with the Raiders, it was the second-year back who ran the majority of routes out of the backfield. Dating back to his final season with the Bears, Montgomery has topped 35 receptions only once in the past four seasons, leaving ample opportunity for Marks to carve out a well-defined role as the Texans' second back. With the safe floor provided by his receiving work, Marks has the potential to work his way into the weekly flex conversation, while his built-in insurance upside makes him an even more attractive late-round option as RotoBaller's RB47.
Source: Elite Takes
Source: Elite Takes
Texans Keeping David Montgomery Fresh Through Limited Touches
Throughout much of training camp, Houston Texans running back David Montgomery has had his workload managed, with the coaching staff aiming to keep him fresh for the regular season. During Tuesday's joint practice with the Raiders, however, he provided a reminder of what he can do when unleashed, with Texans analyst John Harris calling him the story of the day. Montgomery impressed with his combination of physicality and burst, taking a number of carries through the teeth of the Raiders' defense. In what was one of Montgomery's most active days of camp, it was still second-year running back Woody Marks who saw the majority of passing work, perhaps offering an indication of how offensive coordinator Nick Caley intends to deploy his backs in the regular season. Montgomery has topped 35 receptions only once in the past four seasons, averaging 27.5 catches per year over that span, but with an expectation to see most of the Texans' high-value red zone carries, he still offers spike week potential from the middle rounds of 2026 drafts, making RotoBaller's RB21 an attractive option as a second running back or flex play.
Source: John Harris
Source: John Harris
Jayden Higgins Leaves Practice With Leg Injury
Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (leg) left Tuesday's joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders after going down during a red-zone period. Trainers checked on him for several seconds before Higgins got back up and left the field under his own power. He did not return. C.J. Stroud offered some encouragement afterward, saying he thinks Higgins will be fine, but Houston has not announced a diagnosis or timetable. Higgins has been one of the standouts of Texans camp after catching 41 passes for 525 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie. He started 10 games last season and has been pushing for a bigger role in Year 2. That makes the injury worth watching even if the early signs aren't especially alarming. Stroud's reaction helps, and so does Higgins getting off the field on his own. The next update from Houston will carry more weight than either, especially if Higgins has to miss practice time.
Source: Aaron Wilson
Source: Aaron Wilson
Jayden Higgins Exits Tuesday's Practice Early
Houston Texans second-year wide receiver Jayden Higgins (undisclosed), who has been the team's most impressive player in training camp, exited Tuesday's practice early due to an undisclosed injury, according to Cole Thompson of Texans Wire. Higgins was on the ground in pain but was able to get up on his own. He headed to the locker room for further evaluation, and he is unlikely to return for the rest of the day. We will have more information on Higgins' injury once more details emerge, but this is concerning for the Texans' offense. The 23-year-old second-rounder in 2025 from Iowa State enters his second year in the NFL as the leading candidate for WR2 duties across from WR1 Nico Collins after catching 41 of his 68 targets for 525 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in his first year in the league. If Higgins' injury is not serious, he will be a nice second-year breakout target in the later rounds of fantasy drafts in 2026. Stay tuned for more details on his injury and how long he might be out.
Source: Texans Wire - Cole Thompson
Source: Texans Wire - Cole Thompson
Jaylin Noel Returns to Practice on Tuesday
Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel (hamstring, finger) is back at training camp practice on Tuesday, according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. Noel was expected to be sidelined for a few weeks with hamstring and finger injuries, but he was seen in full pads without a no-contact uniform on, a pleasant surprise for Texans fans. The Texans will still likely ease the 23-year-old second-year wideout back into practice, and it is unclear if he will be cleared to play in the second preseason game this Thursday against the Las Vegas Raiders. The former third-rounder from Iowa State is battling for WR3 duties going into his second year in the NFL, and how much of a role he has in the passing game could depend on the recovery of Tank Dell, who missed all of 2025 with a serious knee injury. Noel took a back seat to fellow receiver Jayden Higgins last year, catching 26 of 35 targets for 292 yards and two touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. He is going undrafted in standard 12-team fantasy leagues and is currently ranked as the No. 118 WR at RotoBaller.
Source: Houston Chronicle - Jonathan M. Alexander
Source: Houston Chronicle - Jonathan M. Alexander
