The Houston Texans take on the Oakland Raiders in Week 8 at NRG Stadium. There are plenty of sits and starts to be had for the game. Here are three players to consider playing and keeping on the bench if they are on the roster.
starts
Texans QB Deshaun Watson
The Pro Bowl signal caller has chucked two interceptions in the past two games, but he is still a dual threat player in terms of adding points through the air conventionally as a passer but also on the ground as a runner, especially inside the red zone. The Raiders have 10 sacks on the year, tied for the fifth-fewest in the NFL, and opposing passers have compiled a 115.6 passer rating, the fourth-highest in the league. Watson should be good for points in Week 8.
Texans TEs Darren Fells or Jordan Akins
Sunday would be the perfect week to start either one of these Texans tight ends. According to Pro Football Reference, the Raiders defense has given up 60.9 fantasy points in six games, which is roughly 10 points per game, the sixth-highest in the NFL. Factor in that Oakland has given up a total of four touchdowns to tight ends, tied for the second-most overall, and it is safe to presume Fells or Akins is going to be a big red zone target for quarterback Deshaun Watson. Mark Andrews and Jason Witten owners ought to take a chance with Fells or Akins this week.
Raiders TE Darren Waller
What a boring game it must be if the tight ends for both teams are featured as starts. However, in the Raiders’ case, Waller is pretty much all they have as far as a passing threat. Waller has the best catch percentage in the NFL at 88.0%, and he will be the main target of quarterback Derek Carr. The secret on Waller may already be out in most fantasy leagues, but if he is sitting there as a free agent, with Andrews and Witten on byes, perhaps he makes sense as a pickup to get through Week 8.
sits
Texans RB Carlos Hyde
The Raiders are tied with the Chicago Bears for the fourth-lowest yards per carry in the NFL at 3.6. Week 8 isn’t going to be one of those games where Hyde looks like his old San Francisco 49er self. For the purposes of establishing balance, Hyde will probably do a good enough job to sell it to the Raiders defense to get the Texans’ passing game going. But in terms of having a game like Hyde did in Kansas City two weeks ago, that may not be the case Sunday.
Raiders WR Tyrell Williams
The temptation is to play a Raiders receiver in Week 8 because of the Texans’ injuries to at the cornerback position, but they will be healthy enough to counterbalance Williams. Plus, the same injuries they have at cornerback with Jonathan Joseph’s hamstring and Bradley Roby’s hamstring are also present at safety with Tashaun Gipson’s back injury. Given how dynamic Darren Waller has been for Oakland, the ball is going in that direction.
Texans defense/special teams
Houston is tied for the 12th-lowest yards per carry surrendered in the NFL at 4.1, which isn’t bad, but Oakland running back Josh Jacobs is averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Factor in that Texans’ opponents have compiled a 102.9 passer rating, the seventh-highest in the NFL, and the Houston defense is primed to have some yards churned against them. Odds-makers also have set the point total at 51.5, which is saying something given there have only been two times in the 11-game series history, playoffs included, that the point total has crested the 50-point mark. Sunday could be a track meet and not a defensive struggle or a takeaway-fest for the Texans defense.
