RADIO
Kayshon Boutte Worth Adding After Explosive Outing?
Houston Texans wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has suddenly emerged as an intriguing waiver wire target after he broke out for 125 receiving yards in Week 9. This was the Texans' first game without Jaylin Noel (toe), and it turned out that Boutte was the biggest beneficiary of Noel's targets being up for grabs. This was Boutte's first game with double-digit PPR points this season, so while he's certainly trending up after Week 9, we also acknowledge that he has a lower floor. Still, he's a low-risk target on the waiver wire, with the potential to contribute in a fantasy-relevant role for deeper leagues going forward. In particular, he stands out among the other depth options like Marvin Harrison Jr., who has yet to play more than 50% of the snaps since being traded from Arizona to Houston.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
David Montgomery Making Progress Toward Return to Practice
Houston Texans running back David Montgomery (groin) could resume practicing this week or next, according to Aaron Wilson, who reported that head coach DeMeco Ryans is pleased with Montgomery's progress. Montgomery has missed three games since hurting his groin against the Tennessee Titans in Week 5. He did not practice at all in Week 9 and was ruled out on Friday's final report before Houston beat the Los Angeles Chargers. Houston visits the Cleveland Browns on Sunday and hosts the Indianapolis Colts four days later, so a return to practice next week would come on a short week. Montgomery is worth keeping on the bench while Houston sorts out the carry split. He had 20 carries to Woody Marks' nine and scored three total touchdowns in his Houston debut against the Buffalo Bills, but averaged eight carries over his next four games. Marks has had at least 15 carries in each of Montgomery's three absences, totaling 52 for 192 yards. He led Houston with 18 carries for 70 yards against the Chargers.
Source: Aaron Wilson
Source: Aaron Wilson
Tank Dell a Big Waiver Target After Breakout Week 9 Performance
Houston wide receiver Tank Dell will be added in a bunch of fantasy football leagues heading into Week 10 after he delivered big in Week 9. He was targeted nine times against the Chargers, making four grabs for 105 yards and a touchdown. Dell logged 33 offensive snaps, which was still just 47.1% of the team's total. He had a 43-yard catch on his lone target in his first game in Week 7 - he played 14 offensive snaps in that one, which was 23% of the team's total. His involvement in Week 9 was great, but he will need to keep showing up before fantasy owners can fully trust him. Dell will be a better deep-league option for the time being, but if his role and production keep going up, he could become a standard league starting option in time.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Woody Marks Not a Standout Contributor in Team's Big Win
Houston Texans running back Woody Marks rushed for 70 yards on 18 carries during Sunday's Week 9 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He also converted one of his four targets into a four-yard reception. Marks continued to see a high volume share, but with just one catch and fewer than four yards per carry, his performance was somewhat underwhelming, especially considering that the Texans as a whole scored 44 points. Marks still has just two touchdowns through eight games this season, and he's averaging fewer than 3.6 YPC on the year. To make matters worse, the 25-year-old could be headed for a slight reduction in volume now that teammate David Montgomery (groin) is getting closer to returning. Marks should be viewed as a high-end RB3 with RB2 upside heading into Week 10 against the Cleveland Browns.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tank Dell Makes a Statement in Second Game Back on Sunday
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was playing in just his second game in Sunday's 44-22 blowout win over the winless Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9 since returning from a gruesome left-knee injury in 2024 that almost ended his career. Fantasy managers would not have known from Dell's final numbers on Sunday that it was only his second game back, as he caught four of a team-high nine targets for 105 yards and his first touchdown of the year at SoFi Stadium. Dell's touchdown was a 63-yard strike from quarterback C.J. Stroud, who threw five touchdowns in the rout, in the second quarter. Stroud should continue to spread the ball around to all of his receivers throughout the rest of the season, but Dell has announced his presence and should now be taken seriously off the waiver wire going into Week 10, especially with both Jayden Higgins (knee) and Jaylin Noel (toe) out for the year. Sunday's performance was a big step forward after Dell played only 23% of the offensive snaps and caught his lone target for a 43-yard pickup in his 2026 debut in the Week 7 overtime loss to the New York Giants. For his big-play ability alone, Dell will be a popular WR off the waiver wire this coming week. Only Kayshon Boutte had more receiving yards (125) than Dell on Sunday in L.A.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Kayshon Boutte Breaks Out in Dominant Win Over Chargers
Houston Texans wide receiver Kayshon Boutte broke out in Week 9, with four receptions for a career-high 125 yards (31.3 yards per catch) and two touchdowns in a 44-22 blowout victory over the winless Los Angeles Chargers. Entering the game against Los Angeles, Boutte had recorded just 15 receptions for 194 yards (12.9 yards per catch) and zero touchdowns, so this performance was out of the ordinary. Boutte saw five targets from quarterback C.J. Stroud and made the most of them. Currently rostered in 5% of Yahoo leagues, Boutte will likely be a popular waiver wire target ahead of Week 10, but he will need to show more consistency before being a recommended starter in fantasy lineups.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
C.J. Stroud Lights Up the Stat Sheet in Week 9 Win
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 21 of his 35 pass attempts for 384 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 9 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He also rushed for 20 yards. Stroud had one of the best games of his career against a Chargers squad that dropped to 0-8 in 2026. The 25-year-old has quietly put together a dominant five-game stretch in which he has 14 total touchdowns and just two turnovers. He has been a very polished passer in general this year, totaling 16 passing touchdowns and just two interceptions since the start of the season. Stroud has momentum on his side, and he should be deployed as a low-end QB1 with additional upside in most fantasy leagues ahead of his Week 10 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
C.J. Stroud a QB2 in Return from Bye Week
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has thrown 11 touchdowns and just one interception in his seven games this season, but his team went just 2-5 before a Week 8 bye. The offensive line has been inconsistent this season, without much success in the running game, leaving Stroud to air it out quite a bit this season. However, the 0-7 Chargers have actually been solid at pass defense, allowing the seventh-fewest passing yards per game and giving up only eight passing touchdowns in seven games. While it isn't a great matchup, Stroud is still a viable fantasy option in two-QB or deep formats. He is RotoBaller's QB16 this week and will look to keep the Chargers winless with a strong road showing on Sunday.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Dare Ogunbowale Set for a Backup Role
Houston Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale did play seven snaps in Week 7 against the Giants, although he failed to show up in the box score with a catch or a carry. With David Montgomery (groin) and Jawhar Jordan (practice squad injured list) sidelined again in Week 9's matchup with the Chargers, the veteran is lined up to be the primary backup behind Woody Marks once again. Ogunbowale isn't likely to get a large role, though, especially since the team added Emari Demercado from waivers as well. He is only the RB69 this week and remains well off the fantasy radar, barring further injuries ahead of him on the depth chart.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Woody Marks Set for Featured Role Again
Houston Texans running back Woody Marks will get another week as the primary leader in the backfield, with David Montgomery (groin) still not ready to return from his groin injury originally suffered in Week 5. Marks had 15 carries in that game after Montgomery's early exit and had 15 carries the next week against the Jaguars as well. In Week 7 against the Giants, Marks had a season-high 19 carries and racked up 66 rushing yards and added a 15-yard reception. He was the only running back with a catch or carry in that contest, and should carry a major workload again in Week 9 against the Chargers, as the Texans return from their bye. Marks is RotoBaller's No. 19 RB in Week 9, and he's a low-end RB2 based on his volume, even though he hasn't found the end zone in the last two games despite his increased workload. He will be busy enough to be started in almost all formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tank Dell Looking for More Targets After Successful Return
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was able to return to the field in Week 7 after missing almost two full years recovering from a dislocated kneecap and a series of torn ligaments in his left knee. He caught his one target for a 43-yard gain and played just 11 offensive snaps. Dell's role is still uncertain with Marvin Harrison Jr., Xavier Hutchinson, and Kayshon Boutte all rotating with him for snaps behind Nico Collins. Dell will have a "natural progression in his workload" in the coming weeks, according to coach DeMeco Ryans, and as he ramps up, he could climb back to a regular fantasy role. Headed into Week 9 against the Chargers, though, he is too high-risk to count on in most formats, which is why he's only the WR72 in our RotoBaller projections for this week. He's worth stashing in deep leagues but is hard to start until he's more re-established.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Xavier Hutchinson Not a Reliable Option in Most Leagues
Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson scored his first touchdown of the season before his Week 8 bye, finishing with three catches for 17 yards and the score against the Giants. He has 21 catches in his seven games this year, with at least three catches in all but one game. The Texans are rotating multiple receivers behind Nico Collins, with Hutchinson, Tank Dell, Kayshon Boutte, and Marvin Harrison Jr. all getting playing time. The uncertain volume and reduced roles make them all high-risk plays, although there could be more time available with Jaylin Noel (toe) expected to miss the rest of the season. Hutchinson is the WR65 this week as the Texans face the Chargers, in a fairly neutral WR matchup. He isn't reliable enough to be started in most formats until he carves out a more consistent role.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Marvin Harrison Jr. Only an Option in Deep Leagues
Houston Texans wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. cost the team some significant draft capital to bring in via trade earlier this season, but the move hasn't fully paid off yet. In his two games with the team, he has eight targets, but just four catches for 40 yards. He did get into the end zone on his one catch for six yards in Week 7 against the Giants, but he was still limited to only 13 snaps in Week 7 after playing just 12 offensive snaps in Week 6. Hopefully, the bye week gave him time to get more involved, and his role could increase now that he's been around the team for several weeks. However, Harrison is still only WR62 in our RotoBaller Week 9 projections. In a mostly neutral matchup against the Chargers, he is still only an option in deep leagues until he shows he's ready for a larger workload in Houston.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Nico Collins Is In a Strong Bounce-Back Spot Against Chargers
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins had a quiet few weeks before his Week 8 bye, totaling only 10 catches for 136 yards without a touchdown over his last three games. Offensive coordinator Nick Caley emphasized earlier in the week that Collins will "always be a focal point of the offense" and that the team intends to find more ways to get him the ball. Collins had a huge seven-catch, two-touchdown, 118-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4 when he returned from a two-week injury absence, but he has been quiet since then and only caught two passes for six yards in Week 7. He should be in a good bounce-back spot after the bye as he faces the winless Chargers, and he is the WR12 in RotoBaller's rankings this week, making him a low-end WR1 or high-end WR2 depending on the size of your league.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Foster Moreau A Very Touchdown-Dependent Long Shot
Houston Texans tight end Foster Moreau caught a pair of touchdowns in Week 6 against the Jaguars in London, but did not have a catch or a target in Week 7 against the Giants. He continues to play well behind Houston's top tight end, Dalton Schultz, and is only a viable fantasy option if he gets more work or gets back into the end zone. Moreau does have three touchdowns in seven games this season, even though he only has 11 catches. He will look to bounce back from that catchless game before the bye week as he faces the Chargers, who have been solid against tight ends, despite their other struggles in their 0-7 start to the season. Moreau is only the TE45 in RotoBaller's Week 9 rankings, so he's best left out of lineups this week in almost all formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
