Tank Dell has taken a serious back seat compared to Nico Collins in this year’s Houston Texans offense.
In fact, in the Texans’ win on Sunday Night Football against the Chicago Bears, Dell caught just one pass for minus-3 yards.
After plenty of fantasy managers spent valuable draft capital to secure him this summer, is it time to be worried about Dell as a fantasy football asset?
Why It’s Not Time To Panic About Tank Dell
While it’s certainly frustrating to get a blank spot for the week from a starting wideout, there’s no reason to believe that this will become a regular occurrence for Dell. He likely just suffered through a tough game against an outstanding Chicago secondary.
Jaylon Johnson and Jaquan Brisker were excellent anchors for the unit last year, while Tyrique Stevenson appears to have taken the second-year leap we’ve seen from some cornerbacks in the past. Kevin Byard was a solid veteran addition this offseason, and Kyler Gordon is just about as good of a fifth option as a defense could ask for.
TANK DELL MOVIN' US DOWN THE FIELD🫡
Peep that block from Cade Stover
📺: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/RPcncjGiB5
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 16, 2024
All of this is to say that it’s not easy to evenly distribute the ball on nights like this one. In adverse situations, quarterbacks often lean on their top wideout, and sometimes outlets like running backs or tight ends. Nico Collins is certainly the centerpiece of Houston’s air offense, but that should come as no surprise, as this was built into Dell’s preseason fantasy value.
The question, given the fact that Collins is at the top of the pyramid, is how much of a target share the No. 2 option can expect. This week has been a challenge, but Houston should throw the ball plenty this year, with plenty of targets available for both Collins and Dell, as well as other options like Stefon Diggs and tight end Dalton Schultz.
The fact that the Texans got Dell involved in the run game (three carries for 16 yards) is a great indicator of his role in the offense. Not in the sense that he’ll be running the ball more often, but that the coaching staff will make it a priority to get him the football, even when it becomes challenging to do so through conventional avenues.
If you have Dell on your team, don’t worry; he’s a great player who should be given opportunities consistently going forward. If he’s elsewhere in your league, make an attempt to capitalize on the challenging day for the second-year wideout and trade for him while his value is relatively low.