Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce was one of the best rookies in the NFL last season, but a breakout fantasy football year could still be ahead in what should be a vastly improved Texans offense this season.

Pierce, a 2022 fourth-round pick out of Florida, took over as Houston's bell-cow back after Week 2 last season, putting up 939 yards and 4 touchdowns over 13 games before an ankle injury ended his season.

Despite missing the last four games of the season, Pierce still finished last year as the RB25 in PPR leagues. When he was healthy, Pierce scored the 14th-most fantasy PPR points for a running back from Weeks 2-14, putting him right on the cusp of RB1 territory.

That would be impressive for any rookie, let alone one who played in one of the league's worst offenses. The Texans ranked last in a number of offensive categories last season (31st in yards per game, tied for 31st in points per game), but Dameon Pierce was an incredibly productive player in an unfriendly fantasy football environment.

Houston made a number of changes this offseason, which we'll get to, but it's important to keep in mind just how bad the Texans were last year…and how Pierce still managed to demand a high volume of touches en route to rock-solid RB2 numbers for fantasy football purposes.

Texans Dameon Pierce's current fantasy football outlook

Pierce's current average draft position in PPR leagues is 48.5 overall, making him the 19th running back coming off draft boards, according to FantasyPros.com. That RB19 ranking is a good deal below what Pierce would have finished last year over a full season, so drafters are clearly exercising caution with the second-year back.

Part of that can be attributed to a new coaching staff coming in, and the uncertainty about how Pierce will be used. Pierce struggled as a receiver last year, and it's possible he'll be treated more as a two-down thumper than a three-down back moving forward. For PPR purposes, that's no good.

But it's hard to know for sure what new head coach DeMeco Ryans will want from his running backs. The Texans did go out and sign Devin Singletary to a one-year deal, but his addition may actually signal that the coaching staff views Pierce as the long-term solution in the backfield, as Singletary will turn 26 this season. Singletary hasn't been overly impressive in the passing game, either, which bodes well for Dameon Pierce's fantasy outlook.

New offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik spent the last six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, perhaps the league's premier running team. Pierce's toughness between the tackles should ultimately endear him to Ryans and Slowik, so the coaching change might be weighing too negatively on Pierce's fantasy outlook.

Rookie QB CJ Stroud would be hard-pressed to be much worse than Davis Mills was last year, and any significant upgrade behind center should put Pierce in situations to score more frequently.

Is Dameon Pierce an elite back?

Pierce has all the tools to be a dominant running back, as his game is reminiscent of NFL legend Frank Gore. Pierce smashes through arm tackles, runs through secondary defenders, and has enough burst to get going downhill rather quickly.

Pierce is more than capable of ripping off big chunk gains, as he avoided 0.286 tackles per attempt last season, which ranked first out of 31 running backs with at least 175 rushing attempts, according to PFF. That should lead to more endzone appearances for the second-year back.

As a rusher, Pierce is already one of the league's best. It's his ability to pass block and make plays in the passing game that are under question, but Pierce has been putting in the work there, as Texans running backs coach Danny Barrett recently told Sports Illustrated.

To join the league's elite running backs, Pierce will need to prove he's more of a dual threat than he was as a rookie.

Buy or Sell Dameon Pierce's fantasy outlook?

Buy, buy, buy.

The Texans made massive improvements to their offensive line this offseason, bringing in road-grating guard Shaq Mason, drafting center Juice Scruggs in the second round, and extending tackle Tytus Howard. Tackle Laremy Tunsil remains one of the league's best, and last year's first-round choice Kenyon Green has nowhere to go but up after an injury-marred season. It would be a shock if Houston didn't get better line play and create more opportunities for Pierce.

Upgrading to Stroud at QB likely represents the biggest improvement, and new receivers John Metchie and Tank Dell should provide explosiveness with fellow breakout candidate Nico Collins. Offseason acquisitions TE Dalton Schultz and WR Robert Woods should serve as safety blankets underneath. This is essentially a brand-new and much more talented offensive unit, which should take some of the defensive attention off Pierce.

Texans RB Dameon Pierce was a rose that grew in concrete last year. In a much better offensive environment, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Pierce finish in the top-12 running backs this season.