Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans informed reporters that Wide Receiver Tank Dell suffered a dislocated knee injury, which includes a torn ACL and further damage. The Injury will take Dell out for the rest of the season and leaves a big question mark for his 2025 return.
In what can only be described as a cursed year, Tank Dell will be the 3rd primary receiving weapon to land on IR for the Texans. The WR room is already missing Stefon Diggs for the season, and previously had Nico Collins on short term IR. Dell, who leads all Texans receivers in snaps and is second only to Collins in targets, will be sorely missed as the team competes in the playoffs. Collins and TE Dalton Schultz target share should be further consolidated and we can expect the Texans to lean on Joe Mixon even more if possible.
Beyond this year, the Houston front office will have to carefully consider how best to support their young franchise quarterback heading into his 3rd season. No ancillary receivers have stepped up to fill in for injured stars this year, Stefon Diggs is on the wrong side of 30 and rehabbing his own ACL, but would otherwise be a great candidate for a 1 year extension. The 2025 rookie draft should have a few options for the Texans; Tight End Tyler Warren and receivers Luther Burden, Emeka Egbuka or Isaiah Bond could be available around the Texans 1st round pick. Diontae Johnson, while a long-shot, could be claimed off waivers this Monday or one of Marquise Brown, Chris Godwin or Keenan Allen could be acquired in free agency.
While we hope for a full recovery without complications for Dell, we should lower expectations for C.J. Stroud next season and raise Nico Collins and Joe Mixon in our pre-season rankings.
Lukasz Stec, @Lukasz_FF01
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) tore his MCL,...
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) was carted ...
Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said wide receiver Tank ...
Diggs will miss the rest of the season as the Houston Texans lose another top receiver.
After a few days of uncertainty, the worst has been confirmed Tuesday morning. Stefon Diggs was diagnosed with a torn ACL as his season, and possibly his stint with the Houston Texans, comes to an end. Diggs has been playing lights out on a 1 year deal with Houston, ranking 7th in the NFL in catches and top 24 in yards and touchdowns.
Houston is already on the ropes with their top wideout Nico Collins on IR. Collins is recovering from a hamstring injury and won’t be available until at least their Week 10 matchup against the Detroit Lions. Meanwhile C.J. Stroud, while still producing like a borderline QB1, hasn’t quite lived up to his pre-season hype.
Stroud will be begging the coaches to put Tank Dell in a bubble. Dell recently laid a goose egg with 0 receptions and 4 targets on a 92% route rate facing off against Green Bay’s Jaire Alexander. This Thursday doesn’t get easier with a potential matchup with Sauce Gardner and the Jets, however down the line the schedule softens up with the Lions, Cowboys, Titans and Jaguars, oh my.
Savvy fantasy managers should be grabbing one of Dalton Schultz or John Metchie, who both saw increased usage and lead the team in catches after Diggs’ injury. Xavier Hutchinson is the deeper league play. A 2nd year day 3 pick, Hutchinson showed out enough for the Texans to let Noah Brown walk. We know C.J. Stroud can elevate players around him, Brown logged 3 WR1 weeks on injury relief last year
Lukasz Stec, @Lukasz_FF01
Texans rule out Tank Dell with rib injury, Collins will play after limited practice on Thursday.
The Texans are looking to bounce back after an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the undefeated Vikings on the road in week 3. Now it appears that they will have to do so without the services of 2nd year star wide receiver Tank Dell. Dell suffered bruised ribs in the week 3 loss to the Vikings, and will not be available. Nico Collins is expected to play after popping up on the injury report on Thursday with a hamstring injury. Collins was able to return to a full practice during Friday’s session.
Collins is expected to feast on a Jacksonville secondary that plays man coverage at the highest rate in the NFL. Collins has been QB C.J. Stroud’s favorite target so far and has commanded a 42% first read share against man coverage. Currently, he is 2nd in the NFL in receiving yards, trailing only rookie Malik Nabers who played on Thursday night. Collins is an elite option and must be started in all formats.
Tank Dell was recorded running routes this week after suffering a broken leg that ended his 2023 season, along with a gunshot wound this offseason.
Tank Dell took to Instagram to show his fans that he’s had a solid recovery from the gunshot wound he suffered in Florida earlier this offseason. In the video, Dell demonstrates the tremendous speed he brought to the league in his rookie season that helped him boast 15 ppr points per game.
There remains concern that Dell will make a full recovery from the broken leg he suffered against the Broncos in week 13 that ended his 2023 season. Titans new Running Back, Tony Pollard, suffered a similar injury in the 2022 playoffs and admitted he wasn’t 100% recovered until week 11 last year. While the video of Dell working out is a great start, we’ll need to keep a close eye on camp reports to get a read for if he’ll be ready to be an immediate contributor at the start of the 2024 season.
Fantasy Managers should exercise caution with Dell, as the arrival of Stefon Diggs in Houston, along with the potential for Dell’s injury to follow him into 2024 make his best ball ADP of 43 seemingly rich. He remains an incredible asset in dynasty leagues, as he is tied to C.J. Stroud long-term.
Tank Dell is out for the rest of the regular season after undergoing a successful surgery on his fractured Fibula Monday morning.
Fantasy managers are weeping across the country, as the most prolific rookie-to-rookie passing duo we’ve seen since Andy Dalton and A.J. Green is now over for the year between C.J. Stroud and Tank Dell. Dell was injured while run blocking near the goal line for a Dameon Pierce touchdown, and was carted off the field immediately after.
Dell is expected to make a full recovery, and there’s a possibility he returns for the playoffs if his recovery goes smoothly, and the Texans make a deep enough run. In the immediate, he is expected to be placed on IR and won’t return for the regular season. Fantasy Managers can safely drop Dell as they look to replace his production for the Fantasy playoffs.
For the Texans, Stroud is also dealing with the absence of Dalton Schultz, and had his first game in four weeks with under 300 passing yards in week 13 versus the Broncos. This can be attributed to Stroud being forced to play a majority of the game without two of his favorite weapons. Nico Collins becomes the clear cut WR1 in Houston, with Noah Brown set to see increased usage, as well as John Metchie.
The Texans star rookie Wide Receiver turned his nickname “Tank” into his official football name after a blistering hot start to the 2023 season.
Tank “don’t call me Nathaniel” Dell has officially put the league on notice after a phenomenal 3-game stretch where he has garnered at least 10 targets and scored a touchdown in each game. Opposing defenses are probably more likely to call him “the king of the out-breaking route” than any other name he’s asking to be called, as he has displayed unreal chemistry with C.J. Stroud on difficult routes that are often reserved for established veterans.
While the name change is a fun story, the real story lies in how Dell and Stroud are propelling the Texans offense to new heights. Dell has established himself as a clear favorite target to Stroud over the other Texans receivers, which is also demonstrated by how closely the two are intertwined as friends off the field. Dell should be considered a must-start going forward, with the ability to creep into top 10 wide receiver rankings on a weekly basis.
