Dalton

Schultz

Schultz told the CBS booth before the game that he “hopes to not have stat lines” like he had in Week 2, an anecdote they related as he had just one catch in the fourth quarter. Sounds like news that fantasy managers wish they had heard yesterday. He didn’t have a catch in the first half and yielded a red zone touchdown to spoiler Foster Moreau. Schultz has low-end TE1 status against the Cowboys in Week 4.

Collins will miss his second consecutive game with yet another hamstring strain. Last week, the passing offense ran through TE Dalton Schultz, who earned 13 targets. Fellow Texans WR Xavier Hutchinson was next with eight targets, but he caught just three, making for a shaky FLEX option this week.

An incredible PPR scam as the Texans had him as the main checkdown receiver while trailing for much of the game. Eight of the 12 catches came in the fourth quarter as C.J. Stroud tried in vain to push the rest of this offense anywhere. Don’t expect this much next week with Collins apparently questionable again, but Schultz clearly elevates in the pecking order and has TE1 appeal.

He did most of his work on the offense’s final drive, catching back-to-back targets for 26 yards. Schultz managed 52-of-79 snaps. If you were going to pick anyone in this offense besides David Montgomery and Nico Collins to return consistent fantasy value, it’s probably Schultz. It’s just, you know, there are not often three Texans worth starting in fantasy football. He’ll be a high-end TE2 against the Bengals in Week 2.

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.

Injuries thinned the Texans’ tight end depth last season. This offseason, the front office signed TE Foster Moreau and drafted TE Marlin Klein, who is currently sidelined by a hamstring injury. Starting TE Dalton Schultz should continue to play a lot of snaps, though he is likely just a high-end TE2. Increasing 12 personnel sets decreases the number of snaps available to the wide receiver position, which could be a problem if the coaching staff decides to employ a rotation at the WR2 spot.

Schultz has never seemed like a perfect solution for the Texans since joining the team in 2023, but they keep coming up with little in the way of alternatives. He’ll likely remain in the low-end TE1/high-end TE2 pool as he enters his age-30 season. It’s hard to say confidently based on early reporting what the long-term cap impact of this is, but the 2027 extension will clash with a void year so perhaps the Texans already felt committed to him for that season in some way.

Schultz left the Texans’ Divisional Round loss to the Patriots in the first quarter and did not return. The good news is that it doesn’t sound like the calf injury will affect his offseason routine much, if at all. Schultz quietly led the Texans with 82 receptions this year. He finished second on the team in yards at 777. Houston has several young receovers fighting to see more work in 2026, but Schultz has proven to be a reliable check-down option for C.J. Stroud over multiple years. He will remain a solid TE2 fantasy option for the upcoming season.

Schultz pulled up running a first quarter route in the Patriots’ end zone and walked off the field very gingerly. He then made his way to the locker room without assistance, but at a slow pace. He was ruled out in the second quarter. The Texans’ de facto No. 1 pass catcher with Nico Collins sidelined, Schultz’s loss is a potentially enormous blow. C.J. Stroud ended the drive following Schultz’s departure with a horrid pick, and has been struggling with turnovers ever since.

Schultz fell victim to a defensive struggle as the game entered the fourth quarter with the Texans nursing a 7-6 lead before two defensive scores broke things wide open. The veteran tight end has a good chance to step into increased usage considering the concussion suffered by alpha wide receiver Nico Collins, particularly considering the tight end-funnel matchup against the Patriots in the Divisional Round.