Kayshon Boutte will play in Week 1 vs. Bills

He led the team in receiving and didn’t have any contested drops today, so that’s a step up from where he’s been most of the year. Still, he played just 27-of-65 snaps. Kayshon Boutte (39-of-65) would be our main target as Houston’s third receiver if we thought the offense was good enough to warrant that kind of respect; they aren’t.

He managed to get his finger underneath a sideline ball for a 21-yarder, and the replay booth upheld the ruling of catch on the field. He also managed fewer targets than Xavier Hutchinson (five), as well as 10 fewer yards, despite Hutchinson playing 16 snaps to Boutte’s 32. The Nick Caley WR platoon will continue until morale improves, making nobody much of a FLEX play against the Titans in Week 5.

Boutte played 35-of-52 snaps, and if that sounds low, it actually lead the team in Nick Caley’s absolutely bizarre WR platoon situation where it seems like he is trying to find someone who he trusts. Boutte looks the best of the bunch, but we can’t recommend trying to eat these non-existent fantasy points. Jaylin Noel (2/17 on two targets) and Jared Wayne (1/20 on four targets including an inexcusable drop) continue to haunt the situation.

Expected to be “used a lot” by Ian Rapoport’s reporting, Boutte was on the field for 53-of-76 snaps. He either didn’t look completely comfortable with the offense yet or wasn’t fully integrated, depending on how nice you want to be about it — C.J. Stroud’s one near-pick was in his area on a ball he wasn’t expecting and it was clear he and Dalton Schultz weren’t on the same page. Boutte’s role should continue to grow next week assuming Nico Collins remains out but the Texans haven’t really embraced his talents yet.

Rapoport’s full quote is winding and hyperbolic, but it sounds like Boutte will be a featured receiver if the Texans believe he is ready to handle that role with WR Nico Collins (hamstring) sidelined. Rapoport notes that Boutte played in “the same” offensive scheme during his time with the Patriots, so adjusting to his new team’s playbook theoretically should have been easy. That said, Boutte caught just one pass last week. He can be treated as a volatile but viable FLEX starter in Week 2.

Boutte managed just 36-of-79 snaps, third-most among Texans wideouts, as they ran weird platoons that had Jared Wayne, Jaylin Noel, and Xavier Hutchinson all on the field for at least 24 snaps. Until someone conclusively wins this job, or at least we start getting some juice that someone might win the job, it’ll be hard to start any of these receivers in fantasy football.

The designation to return means that Dell is expected to contribute in some capacity this season, although he appears a ways off still. With Jaylin Noel still nursing an injury after experiencing a setback and Jayden Higgins lost for the season, recent acquisition Kayshon Boutte has all the runway to operate as the WR2 opposite Nico Collins to start the season. Xavier Hutchinson should also see an uptick in opportunities while tight end Dalton Schultz should see a significant boost in weekly volume.

The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero was the first to report the transaction. Boutte now gets a fresh start in Houston after being phased out of the Patriots’ offense following the additions of Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown this offseason. The 24-year-old receiver is in the final year of his rookie contract and has a chance to step into an immediate role for the Texans after they lost Jayden Higgins to a torn ACL last week. Boutte totaled 33 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns last season and has averaged 15.0 YPR in his last two seasons. He’s been used primarily as a field stretcher by the Patriots and will likely see a similar role in Houston, which could make meaningful fantasy production hard to come by.

Boutte has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason. Back in June, the Commanders and Raiders were linked to him in an ESPN report. Nothing has come to fruition thus far, and Boutte has received positive reviews throughout training camp. The Athletic’s Chad Graff described him as the camp “star” earlier this month. The Texans are attempting to improve their wide receiver corps after losing WR Jayden Higgins to an ACL tear recently. Fellow second-year wide receiver Jaylin Noel has also been dealing with finger and hamstring injuries. Boutte would give the Texans a solid vertical element if he ends up in Houston. He might warrant FLEX treatment in the right matchup.

Boutte, according to Patriots beat writers and coaches, has functioned as Drake Maye’s favorite target, especially downfield, while A.J. Brown struggles to connect with Maye while dealing with consistent coverage from all-pro CB Christian Gonzalez. “If [Boutte] keeps this up, he’s either increasing his value on the trade market or playing his way into a meaningful role with the Pats,” Graff said. Boutte had been rumored as a trade candidate after the Patriots acquired Brown and Romeo Doubs this offseason. He should be drafted in all 12-team fantasy formats in the coming weeks.