Who Should I Start? Cam Akers or Dameon Pierce

Sunday, September 8, 12:18 PM

Houston Texans running back Cam Akers and wide receiver John Metchie III are healthy scratches for Week 1 of the regular season against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Texans are rolling with starter Joe Mixon and backups Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale as their three RBs to open the year against the Colts. The 25-year-old Akers saw plenty of action in the preseason, but for now he'll just be RB depth in Houston and remains well off the fantasy radar. Metchie has plenty of talent but has been hurt by injuries so far in his NFL career, and the Texans now have a crowded receiver room that features Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Robert Woods and others. The 24-year-old is also battling for a position with Xavier Hutchinson and Steven Sims. Obviously, Akers and Metchie both belong on the waiver wire in your league.

Tuesday, August 27, 2:46 PM

It was clear early last season that running back Dameon Pierce wasn't a fit in the Houston Texans' zone-blocking system, making Year 2 a frustrating one for the power back. Things haven't changed this preseason for Pierce, who won't start now that Joe Mixon is back at practice, and Cam Akers has impressed in recent action in his bid to make the roster. Dare Ogunbowale seems like a lock for his special-teams and third-down value, and Houston might still want to develop rookie Jawhar Jordan rather than lose him to the waiver wire. While it's unlikely the Texans would release Pierce, he remains a trade candidate and still could be a solid reserve. The 24-year-old was approaching 1,000 rushing yards as a rookie before his season-ending injury in 2022. If an RB-needy team such as the Dallas Cowboys offered a late-round pick for him, it wouldn't be shocking to see Houston pull the trigger.