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The Houston Texans will travel to TIAA Bank Field for their Week 3 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Despite locking up the team's starting running back role, Dameon Pierce has had difficulty producing behind the Texans' injured O-line. The Texans' inability to run or pass block has been apparent through the first two games of the season, and it is unlikely to improve much against the Jaguars despite the return of Laremy Tunsil.
The Texans will likely be in a negative game script for most of the game against the Jaguars, who are favored by a touchdown. So, should fantasy managers start Pierce in Week 3 despite his lacking supporting cast?
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Dameon Pierce Fantasy Football Outlook
The Texans face one of the better offenses in the AFC, the Jacksonville Jaguars, in Week 3. The Jaguars have allowed the eighth-fewest rushing yards and eighth-fewest yards per carry through the first two weeks of the 2023 season. Diving into the game logs reveals that a large part of the solid defensive stats was the inefficiency of Colt running back Deon Jackson in Week 1. Jackson rushed for 14 yards on 13 rush attempts, good for 1.1 yards per carry.
Another factor to consider is the lower number of rush attempts, leading to fewer rushing yards allowed. The Colts trailed most of their Week 1 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. A negative game script led to only 26 total rush attempts for the Colts. In Week 2, the Chiefs only had 22 rush attempts despite leading for the entire game because the Chiefs are a passing offense by nature. It is worth noting that Isiah Pacheco rushed for 70 yards on 12 carries, good for 5.8 yards per carry.
While the Jacksonville Jaguars' rush defense may not be as dominant as the surface stats suggest, a negative game script is a genuine concern for the Houston Texans rush attack on Sunday. The Jaguars being favored by a touchdown in this contest means that the Texans will be throwing often to play catchup. Despite Pierce's preseason usage and camp reports, the Texans running back has yet to truly be involved in the passing game. It is unwise to assume that will change in this matchup.
Dameon Pierce Running Back Rankings Analysis
According to RotoBaller staff rankings, Dameon Pierce is the 28th-ranked running back and 62nd-overall player for Week 3. The rankings also show that the Texans running back is trending down based on his production in the season's first two games.
RotoBaller rankings suggest that fantasy managers look elsewhere to fill their rosters' RB2 or flex slots. According to the rankings, James Conner, Zack Moss, and Javonte Williams are better running back options to start in the same tier as Pierce.
Should I Start Dameon Pierce In Week 3 Fantasy Football?
Pierce had a lot of hype surrounding him during the draft season, and he has been a disappointment thus far. Despite his lack of production, the blame should not fall entirely on Pierce's shoulders. Being the running back for a team that is constantly trailing and running behind a line of backups is not an ideal position to be in.
Due to their lack of leads, Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has been passing earlier and often. Stroud ranks fifth in the league in passing yards and pass attempts through the first two weeks. I expect the Texans to lean on the pass again in their matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
I was wrong about starting Pierce in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts. I expected a more favorable matchup and game script, but that was not the case. It figures to be more of the same in Week 3 against the Jaguars. No, you should not start Dameon Pierce in Week 3.
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