Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Tank Dell

Wednesday, July 9, 3:34 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk was dealt from the division rival Jacksonville Jaguars for a late-round NFL Draft pick this offseason. The 28-year-old had a fantastic first season with Jacksonville in 2022, but injuries and offensive woes limited his production in 2023 and 2024. Last year, he tallied just 27 receptions for 379 yards and one score in eight games while Brian Thomas Jr. took over the WR1 role. Now in Houston, he is seemingly competing with rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel for the WR2 job behind Nico Collins. ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime believes Kirk might be the favorite to win that job. "The best way to step into the No. 2 or No. 3 role is building chemistry with CJ.. Stroud," Bien-Aime wrote. "And Kirk looked like a potential safety blanket for the third-year signal-caller." While this is promising for Kirk's fantasy prospects, the veteran has eclipsed 800 yards in just two of his seven NFL campaigns, and Houston's acquisitions of Higgins and Noel could suggest they were not comfortable with Kirk in the clear WR2 role. That said, his cost in drafts outside the top 50 WRs makes him an interesting dart throw in all formats.

Wednesday, July 23, 1:10 PM

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said on Wednesday at training camp that wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) is "doing great." "He's crushing rehab. He's in a great headspace. We're not putting any timetables timeline on Tank." It's good news that Dell is making strides in his rehab, but the fact remains that he's highly unlikely to play at all in 2025 after dislocating his knee and tearing his ACL, MCL and LCL in Week 16 last season. The Texans placed him on the Physically Unable to Perform list on Wednesday, and he won't be taking part in any practices this summer as the team gets ready for the 2025 season. If Dell is even ready to return next year, he might be a shell of his former self. Fantasy managers should leave him off their draft boards this fall.