AFC SOUTH MIDSEASON RECAP

Standings after Week 10:

• Texans 6-4 (Week 14 bye)
• Colts 4-6 (Week 14 bye)
• Titans 2-7
• Jaguars 2-8 (Week 12 bye)

HOUSTON TEXANS

General Notes :: 

• C.J. Stroud has been solid but not spectacular this season. His production stalled a bit once Nico Collins went out of the lineup.
• Joe Mixon is the RB2 on the season and dominates the running back work. The Texans have three games left against high-end run defenses and three left against poor run defenses.
• Collins will return to the lineup on Monday night and was arguably the best WR in the league prior to hurting his hamstring.
• Tank Dell should benefit from the return of Collins as the offensive environment improves and he gets less defensive attention.
• Stefon Diggs was starting to fit in nicely for the Texans when he suffered a torn ACL. Third-year WR and one-time second-round draft pick John Metchie is starting to emerge as that third WR for Houston and could have some nice games down the stretch.
• Dalton Schultz plays a lot but has not had a great statistical season. He will probably have at least one big game before the season is over.

Offensive Outlook :: 

Houston’s offense has been solid this season but has not met expectations, as through 10 weeks the Texans have played only one game with both of their main offensive weapons – Joe Mixon and Nico Collins. Mixon left Week 2 with an ankle injury and was out through Week 5, while Collins suffered a bad hamstring injury during Week 5 and is finally returning this week against Dallas. They rank 23rd in offensive DVOA but have a 6-4 record and commanding lead in their division. If they can stay healthy down the stretch, we could see this offense return to near-elite status in the second half of 2024. 

Looking Ahead :: 

The Texans still have their Week 14 bye ahead of them and have a couple of high-profile matchups with the Chiefs and Ravens during the fantasy playoffs. Their defense has been great this season, ranking second in defensive DVOA, which has kept their game environments from getting out of hand so far this season. They have a couple of soft games coming up on the schedule against the bottom-tier defenses of the Cowboys and Jaguars, as well as showdowns with the high-powered offenses of Miami, KC, and Baltimore during the playoffs that could all open up this offense.

Fantasy Playoffs ::

• Week 15 — vs Dolphins
  • Run Defense DVOA — 25th
  • Pass Defense DVOA — 16th
• Week 16 — at Chiefs
  • Run Defense DVOA — 3rd
  • Pass Defense DVOA — 9th
• Week 17 — vs Ravens
  • Run Defense DVOA — 4th
  • Pass Defense DVOA — 25th

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

General Notes ::