NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL
 Houston Texans - Priority News
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| Steve Slaton - RB |
Posted 11/17/09 5:28pm et |
| HoustonTexans.com reports Houston Texans RB Steve Slaton has been trying to fix his fumbling issues. 'I've just talked to old coaches just to get back to where I was before,' Slaton said. 'It's just a problem that's come up now. I just wanted to go back and just get a sense of where I was before. You've just got to put it out of your mind and not think about it too much, but it still has to be there, just to know you've got squeeze it.' |
The Huddle's Take: Slaton's had two weeks to work on the problem, since Houston had a bye in Week 10. He'll probably continue to share carries with Ryan Moats and, to a lesser extent, Chris Brown and Arian Foster until he can convince coaches he can consistently hold on to the ball.
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| Steve Slaton - RB |
Posted 11/8/09 7:03pm et |
| ESPN.com reports Houston Texans RB Steve Slaton spent the week studying game tape of former New York Giants RB Tiki Barber. Barber had a fumbling problem earlier in his career, so Slaton is studying how Barber changed his technique to solve the problem. |
The Huddle's Take: It obviously helped him as he held on to the ball for an entire game, although he didn't see near the touches he has in previous games. The upside from Slaton's point of view is that Ryan Moats did very little with the rushing touches he was given. It is worth noting that Tiki Barber struggled with similar troubles early in his career and ended up as a stud, so it is way to early to give up on Slaton.
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| Kevin Walter - WR |
Posted 11/7/09 11:30pm et |
| The Houston Chronicle reports Houston Texans WR Kevin Walter likely will see more passes thrown to him because of the season-ending injury to TE Owen Daniels (knee). |
The Huddle's Take: This only stands to reason, and owners of Walter hope it to be the case, as he's been disappointing so far to say the least. However, the options behind Daniels at tight end were slim, so Walter should see a bump of some sort.
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| Ryan Moats - RB |
Posted 11/7/09 11:30pm et |
| ESPN reports Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak told ESPN's Bob Holtzman that RB Ryan Moats will start in Week 9 and will share carries with RB Steve Slaton. |
The Huddle's Take: Slaton is lucky he's getting to share after the day Moats had last week. Slaton can't hold on to the ball, but fortunately he's got enough upside that the team isn't just going to bench him completely - yet. Either way, this limits Slaton's upside and increases Moats, but both are basically number 2 backs at the moment.
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| Steve Slaton - RB |
Posted 11/5/09 1:20pm et |
| ESPN.com reports Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak will not commit to naming a starting running back in Week 9. RBs Steve Slaton, Ryan Moats and Chris Brown will all play. |
The Huddle's Take: If you own Steve Slaton and have another viable starting candidate at running back, you may want to consider going with the alternative. It's too much of a crapshoot at this point as to whether or not Slaton will get enough carries to contribute to your team this week. See how this RBBC shakes out before you commit a starting spot to the disappointing Slaton.
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| Ryan Moats - RB |
Posted 11/2/09 10:41am et |
| Dale Robertson, of the Houston Chronicle, reports Texans head coach Gary Kubiak would not commit to RB Ryan Moats as the team's new starting running back following Week 8 despite a strong game for Moats. "We'll go to next week. We'll see," Kubiak said. |
The Huddle's Take: "We'll go to next week?" What does that even mean? Not that we expected any sort of clarity from Shanahan disciple Kubiak, especially since he's foisted Chris Brown, goal line back, on us for much of the season. But some indication would be nice. An educated guess would be to go in the opposite direction of where logic leads you; since Slaton has more talent and has had success against divisional opponents Jacksonville and Indianapolis—up next on the Texans slate—while Moats has been a career backup and took advantage of the worst run defense in the league to post career bests... looks like Slaton owners will have to be adding Moats and spend the week hanging on every word from Kubiak's mouth.
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| Joel Dreessen - TE |
Posted 11/2/09 6:40pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Houston Texans TE Joel Dreessen will replace injured TE Owen Daniels (knee) during Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts. |
The Huddle's Take: Unless the Texans decide to go outside the organization for Daniels' long-term replacement, Dreessen will be the man. He's basically the only man standing, since the other tight end, James Casey, will miss three weeks with a knee injury of his own.
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| Owen Daniels - TE |
Posted 11/1/09 10:20pm et |
| ESPN.com reports Houston Texans TE Owen Daniels (knee) will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Week 8, a team source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. |
The Huddle's Take: This is a terrible blow for the Texans and Daniels who was the NFL leader in yardage by tight ends coming into Week 8. Daniels will be evaluated further on Monday but the early signs are not good and this could end a promising season for one of the Texans' best offensive playmakers. Backup TE Joel Dreessen will likely get the start for Houston if Daniels is out of action.
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| Steve Slaton - RB |
Posted 11/1/09 10:43pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Houston Texans RB Steve Slaton was benched in Week 8 after fumbling for the seventh time this season. Slaton has lost five on his seven fumbles. |
The Huddle's Take: Sounds like trouble brewing in Houston for Slaton who has had problems holding onto the football of late. Slaton was benched during the game due to his fumbling problems which resulted in Ryan Moats rushing for 3 touchdowns in the game. Check back for further news this week as Slaton could see a decrease in playing time going forward.
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| Andre Johnson - WR |
Posted 10/30/09 3:09pm et |
| HoustonTexans.com reports Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said WR Andre Johnson (chest) will be ready to play in Week 8, barring any setbacks. |
The Huddle's Take: Johnson should be good to go this week against Buffalo, which has been terrible against the run but pretty respectable against the pass. Temper your expectations a bit for Johnson.
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| Andre Johnson - WR |
Posted 10/29/09 2:38pm et |
| HoustonTexans.com reports Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson (chest) practiced Thursday, Oct. 29, and took close to all of his normal repetitions. |
The Huddle's Take: Good news for Johnson and his fantasy owners, as it now looks like he has a very good chance of playing this weekend. He'll be needed against the tough Buffalo secondary.
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| Andre Johnson - WR |
Posted 10/29/09 11:39pm et |
| Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson (chest) was limited in practice Thursday, Oct. 29, and will play in Week 8. He is being fitted with special protection that connects to his shoulder pads. Johnson said he is feeling no pain. |
The Huddle's Take: Johnson's status looks to improve as the talented reciever clearly is the No. 1 wideout for Houston and a beast on the field. He could play a huge role in
with the team as they are looking for their identity on offense with injuries playing an important role
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| Matt Schaub - QB |
Posted 10/27/09 8:53am et |
| HoustonTexans.com reports Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub has 10 touchdowns and two interceptions while throwing for 1,120 yards in three road games this season. |
The Huddle's Take: Before last week, the Bills had not allowed 100 yards passing in their previous three games. At first blush that looks bad for Schaub, but then you realize those outings were against the passing-challenged offenses of the Dolphins, Jets and Browns. The Bills were instead gashed on the ground those games, giving up 250, 171 and an astounding 318 yards respectively. But then against the Panthers on Sunday, they allowed 309 yards through the air. And that was against the incredibly struggling Jake Delhomme. It's safe to say Schaub's been a better quarterback than Delhomme this season.
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| Steve Slaton - RB |
Posted 10/27/09 5:10pm et |
| The Houston Chronicle reports Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said the team will still use RB Steve Slaton as the starter even though he has fumbled four times this season. 'Steve's our guy, and I have a lot of confidence in him. It's our job to help him find a way to hold on to the football. He touches it, and good things happen. But at the same time, you can make five big plays and one turnover can get you beat. Steve understands that,' Kubiak said. |
The Huddle's Take: Slaton's a dangerous Fantasy start because he may be on a short leash. But if he can keep from losing the ball and gets his full complement of carries, he could be a beast against Buffalo's weak run defense. Slaton needs to go to the Tiki Barber School of Holding the Football Properly.
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| Matt Schaub - QB |
Posted 10/27/09 5:39pm et |
| The Houston Chronicle reports Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub said the offense needs to be consistent during a game. 'We know we need to play more consistently, especially in the second half. When we get on a roll, we can be great. But there's stuff we need to clean up, penalty-wise and turnover-wise,' Schaub said. |
The Huddle's Take: If they do achieve that goal of consistency, watch out. On a related note, WR Andre Johnson reportedly said on his Twitter account that he is feeling fine and should be able to play Sunday against the Bills. Johnson had to leave the Texans' game against San Francisco early due to an injury that was later diagnosed as a bruised lung.
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| Andre Johnson - WR |
Posted 10/27/09 6:48pm et |
| Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson (chest) said through his Twitter account that his 'bruised lung is doing fine' and that he feels better. |
The Huddle's Take: We referenced this in a previous posting regarding Matt Schaub. If Johnson plays this week - and it's looking quite a bit better than it did Monday - he has the chance to put up big numbers against Buffalo.
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| Andre Johnson - WR |
Posted 10/26/09 12:27pm et |
| John McClain, of the Houston Chronicle, reports Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson should be able to play in Week 8 even though he suffered a chest contusion in Week 7. |
The Huddle's Take: Johnson left the Texans' win over San Francisco a couple plays after suffering the injury; he was hurt on a 44-yard catch, coughed up blood, and was removed from the game. He returned briefly, then collapsed on the field and was helped off. Members of the Texans medical staff hid his helmet when Johnson attempted to return to the game again. X-rays revealed no fractures, though, and Johnson should be good to go for Week 8.
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| Andre Johnson - WR |
Posted 10/26/09 5:43pm et |
| HoustonTexans.com reports Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson (lung) is being listed as day-to-day with a lung contusion, according to head coach Gary Kubiak. Johnson could return to practice this week. He will undergo tests each day this week to determine his status for Week 8. |
The Huddle's Take: This is probably one of those cases where if a player is not practicing by Friday, he won't play. We'll obviously keep an extremely close eye on developments concerning one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL.
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| Andre Johnson - WR |
Posted 10/25/09 9:24pm et |
| ESPNews reports Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson (chest) was taken to a hospital Sunday, Oct. 25, due to a chest injury. |
The Huddle's Take: The news is never good when you hear of a player needing to go to the hospital. Fantasy owners and the Texans will likely be holding their breath until further information is released on Monday as to the status of the star wideout.
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| Owen Daniels - TE |
Posted 10/25/09 10:50pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Houston Texans TE Owen Daniels caught seven passes for 123 yards with a touchdown reception Week 7. |
The Huddle's Take: Owens has been a a consistent target in the Texans offense and is once again in line for another Pro-Bowl season. There is some concern with the injury to Andre Johnson that his numbers may be impacted but that could cause them to increase instead of decrease. Owens is one of the top TE's in the league and continues to get better each year.
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| Steve Slaton - RB |
Posted 10/25/09 10:50pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Houston Texans RB Steve Slaton scored a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown Week 7. Slaton finished with 67 rushing yards off 18 carries and four receptions for 22 receiving yards. Slaton did lose another fumble during the game, bringing his season total to four. |
The Huddle's Take: Slaton continues to run well for fantasy teams this season and should continue to get even more carries for Houston going forward. He is a solid runner with tremendous burst who is capable of big plays anytime he touches the ball.
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| Steve Slaton - RB |
Posted 10/20/09 8:43am et |
| HoustonTexans.com reports Houston Texans RB Steve Slaton fumbled the ball twice Week 6, bringing his season total to five. Head coach Gary Kubiak said, "That's what concerns me more than anything right now. Steve's playing hard. He's much better in pass protection than he has been, but he's putting the ball on the ground throughout these first six games, so that's very concerning." Kubiak added that practice will be different this week for Slaton, as the team will focus on his fumbling. |
The Huddle's Take: Slaton shouldn't be in any jeopardy of losing playing time -- yet. But if he keeps putting the ball on the ground the next couple of weeks you may want to start thinking about unloading him in a trade, if you can.
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| Owen Daniels - TE |
Posted 10/18/09 11:36pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Houston Texans TE Owen Daniels caught seven passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns in Week 6. |
The Huddle's Take: Daniels has been solid in Week 6 and throughout the season. The Texans look to be battling from behind in most games so Daniels continues to make a nice redzone target in the passing game for fantasy owners that have to play a tight end each week.
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| Matt Schaub - QB |
Posted 10/18/09 11:36pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub went 28-for-40 for 392 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in Week 6. The four touchdown passes tied his career high. |
The Huddle's Take: Schaub was certainly on his game in Week 6 as the Texans defeated the Bengals and were in control of the game for much of the day. Schaub has quietly put together a nice season and should continue to be a valuable fantasy quarterback throughout the year.
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| Andre Johnson - WR |
Posted 10/11/09 9:52pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson had eight receptions for 101 yards with two touchdowns Week 5. |
The Huddle's Take: What is there to say about Andre Johnson but "incredible". The talented Houston wideout continues to be a force in the Texans offense and showed those skills in both of his touchdown receptions on the day as he plowed over Arizona defenders on his way to the endzone. Johnson remains a must-start for fantasy teams as a No. 1 wideout regardless of the matchup.
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| Jacoby Jones - WR |
Posted 10/7/09 11:10pm et |
| CBSSports.com reports Houston Texans WR Jacoby Jones was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 4. Jones returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in the game. |
The Huddle's Take: Despite the special teams honors, Jones has 5 catches for 102 yards and
2 touchdowns on the season. There is no questioning his talent and abilities to make big plays but until he gets more touches on offense he should not be considered more than a bench player for depth or a bye week fill-in.
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| Ryan Moats - RB |
Posted 10/5/09 9:14pm et |
| CBSSports.com reports Houston Texans RB Ryan Moats had 15 carries for 56 yards during the team's Week 4 game Sunday, Oct. 4. Head coach Gary Kubiak said, "When we gave Ryan some carries yesterday, I think we got better." |
The Huddle's Take: This will be interesting to watch and doesn't do much but make an already tough fantasy situation tougher. Will Moats continue to get as many carries as he did last week? Will they come from Brown, Slaton, both? It wouldn't be surprising if it settled into a rotation of Slaton and Moats, with Brown maybe getting a goal line carry here or there. This is speculation, but with the fumbling troubles these guys have had, they are looking for something to correct the ship, and Moats could be that something.
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| Kevin Walter - WR |
Posted 9/28/09 11:52am et |
| The Associated Press reports Houston Texans WR Kevin Walter had seven receptions for 96 yards with a touchdown Week 3. |
The Huddle's Take: Good news as Walter appears healthy now and is a critical part of the Houston passing game. With him in there QB Matt Schaub and the entire offense performs at a higher level.
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| Steve Slaton - RB |
Posted 9/28/09 12:10pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Houston Texans RB Steve Slaton had 12 carries for 76 yards Week 3. He also caught three passes for 37 yards in the game. |
The Huddle's Take: Slaton had been stuffed by a pair of solid defenses, so his return to triple-digit yards from scrimmage was welcome. And Chris Brown's costly fumble at the goal line might help Gary Kubiak revisit his decision to take those valuable carriers away from Slaton as well.
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| Steve Slaton - RB |
Posted 9/22/09 11:27am et |
| The Houston Chronicle reports Houston Texans RB Steve Slaton has fumbled the football three times on only 26 carries through two games. 'My concern with him, as I told him today, he's got three balls on the ground in (26) carries in two games. That can't happen,' head coach Gary Kubiak said. 'He's got a lot of improvement to make from that standpoint.' |
The Huddle's Take: Even though Slaton's carried the ball 26 times, he has only 51 yards and no touchdowns. He's a serious candidate to start riding some significant pine if he can't doesn't improve his ball-handling skills immediately.
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