The Houston Texans offense lost their leading receiver from the last two seasons when they traded WR Brandin Cooks to the Dallas Cowboys, but will former Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz step right into the leading pass catcher role and stay inside the top 12 fantasy football tight ends?
Did you get a trade offer in your dynasty or redraft league? Not sure who to start or sit this week? Make championship-winning decisions with PFN’s FREE fantasy tools — the Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Calculator and Start/Sit Optimizer!
What Impact Will Dalton Schultz Have on the Houston Texans’ Passing Game in 2023?
What if I told you Schultz has finished the last three seasons as a top-12 TE in PPR formats?
Sure, if you are the football enthusiast that I am, you may have known that, but Schultz rarely gets the love he deserves despite his remarkable consistency over the past three years.
He’s seen a minimum of 89 targets each of the last three seasons while competing with CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper for looks during that time frame.
Well, if he could produce three straight top-12 seasons as the second or third wheel in the passing game in Dallas, what should we expect from him as a member of the Texans?
It’s worth reminding you the Texans just traded their leading WR from the past two years and currently have a WR room that features an aging Robert Woods, Nico Collins, and a handful of younger, unproven pass catchers.
The Texans essentially have a vacant leading role in this passing game. When you look at Schultz’s track record of production, is it really that farfetched to think he could set a career-high in targets this season?
C.J throws a TD under pressure to Dalton Schultz pic.twitter.com/pNGkl83Pmu
— Drew (@IndepthTexans) August 8, 2023
His current career-high for targets in a season was 104 back in 2021, and he finished the year as the TE3 overall.
It may be hard for most to get excited about a passing offense that is led by a rookie QB devoid of proven playmakers, but a reliable option at TE could equal a very reliable weekly floor at a position that is hard to find consistent producers.
Will Dalton Schultz Be a Top-12 Fantasy Football TE Again in 2023?
Schultz may not get the biggest reaction from your league-mates on draft day or draw droves of envy when you post a screenshot of your team on social media, but Schultz is a proven veteran pass catcher in an offense in big need of a leading man.
Schultz isn’t a great bet to finish as the TE3 again, but if Tyler Higbee can finish as the TE6 with 108 targets, 72 receptions, and just three TDs … don’t we think Schultz is capable of producing a similar stat line to finish inside the top 12 at the TE position this season?
My answer is yes.