A recent comment from Houston Texans head coach Lovie Smith will excite fantasy football fanatics who roster the rookie running back Dameon Pierce.
Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, Smith said, “[the] lead tailback needs to get at least 20 carries,” and that the Texans plan to have Pierce manage a sizeable workload with teammate Rex Burkhead spelling him on third downs, a decision not uncommon as the league trends more toward running back-by-committee approaches.
That kind of workshare is an absolute dream scenario for fantasy football. In what has been a very frustrating fantasy season, Dameon Pierce has been a standout star. The rookie out of the University of Florida is currently the RB15 overall in point per reception (PPR) scoring and is currently averaging 15.6 PPR points per game in 2022, according to FantasyData. Burkhead has primarily been an afterthought for fantasy, although his RB46 overall output and 8.3 points per game are nothing to scoff at in deeper league formats.
Though the Texans themselves, currently sitting at the bottom of the AFC South with a 1-3-1 record, have not been particularly strong, it will be interesting to keep an eye on the production of Pierce. The Texans are set to face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7, as both teams are fresh off their respective bye weeks.
Moving forward, fantasy managers can best view Pierce as an RB2 with the upside for greater production in matchups that allow for the Texans to see red zone opportunities that could translate into rushing touchdowns for the year-one phenom.
Follow Us
Subscribe