Dalton Schultz: Fantasy Football value with the Houston Texans?
Big news for everyone in the state of Texas, both good and bad. The Houston Texans have acquired former Dallas Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz. But what does this mean for fantasy owners of him in the 2023-24 season? I’m going to break down angles of how this will impact Schultz and now his Texans teammates.
How does the addition of Schultz affect the Texans’ run game?
To start off, how big is this impact for the Texans at first glance? Outside of running back Dameon Pierce who isn’t a big pass catcher, who does this affect in a negative way?
Pierce has already proved himself to be a future elite running back for fantasy football. Pierce finished just under 1,000 rushing yards with four rushing touchdowns in only 13 games played. He added 30 catches for 165 yards and one receiving touchdown.
The addition of Schultz will not affect the young Florida Gators running back in a big way. With the recent addition of Devin Singletary in the backfield, like Pierce, I can’t see Schultz affecting their production.
How does Schultz affect other primary pass catchers?
The Houston Texans may not have the most elite receiving core in the world at this time, but Schultz still affects production. Houston has beefed up their receiving core the past two offseasons during their rebuilding stage.
Along with Schultz, the Texans signed Robert Woods and Noah Brown. Woods has proven himself to be an above average fantasy receiver, but that ship has sailed. Brown has showed out last season and proven to be a sneaky good piece for a team.
The Texans also drafted Alabama Crimson Tide receiver John Metchie III in the 2022 NFL draft. The speedy receiver has yet to play, but he is certainly an enticing player to watch this season. With the emergence of Schultz into the Texans lineup, he will be the veteran target for them and could be the star pass catcher this season. I can’t see Brown, Woods, and Metchie being affected to a great extent by Schultz. But a decrease in targets and receptions is in the future for the receivers.
How will Schultz affect QB play?
Assuming the Texans take a QB in this year’s NFL draft and not stick with Davis Mills, I can see a promising production by whomever that rookie Texans QB is. Schultz will provide a safety target and a go-to goal line target similar to what he was like in Dallas with Dak Prescott. Also, with the hiring of new Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, we could see Schultz being put into a George Kittle scenario.
Final thoughts on Schultz’s fantasy value
Schultz has been an injury prone for a while now. Staying on the field is the most important thing right now. If the former Stanford Cardinal can stay healthy, I can see him being a crucial part of the Texans new offense. I wouldn’t avoid Schultz for this year’s draft, but he can become a very good sleeper tight end for deep leagues. If you need a TE late in the draft, invest in Dalton Schultz and maybe even pair him with his rookie QB.
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