Texans RB Listed 'Sleeper Candidate' For Fantasy Football

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce can make a big impact in a limited role this year.

Jul 27, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (31) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / troy taormina-usa today sports

The Houston Texans travel to take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday to get their season underway, which should be an impressive campaign.

Ahead of the regular season kicking off, ESPN previewed every team in the league, making predictions while looking at the strengths and weaknesses of each squad. For the Texans, the weakness and strength both came on the offensive side of the ball.

Second-year star quarterback C.J. Stroud, equipped with star wide receivers Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell and running back Joe Mixon was listed as the strength — though the offensive line and potential injuries in the room is the weakness.

READ MORE: Texans Offense Has Promise, But One Major Concern

In the preview, ESPN's Matt Bowen took a look at a fantasy football sleeper on every roster, including the Texans. Houston's sleeper fantasy football player was running back Dameon Pierce, Mixon's backup.

"[Pierce] saw his numbers plummet in 2023 and begins this season as the backup to Mixon," Bowen wrote. "Although that doesn't create much excitement, Pierce did produce as a rookie in 2022, rushing for 939 yards and catching 30 of 39 targets. If Mixon were to go down with an injury, Pierce would elevate into the lead role for an explosive Houston offense that will move the ball and score points."

Now, Pierce is facing pressure this season. In his third year, Pierce has to prove that he can improve upon a down season from 2023. The backup snaps he gets will have to be impressive to ensure the Texans don't move on and look to find those snaps from another running back.

As Bowen alluded to, Pierce also adds relief to a potential Mixon injury, which provides comfort to the Texans as they aim to meet some high expectations in 2024.

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READ MORE: Texans Reveal Team Captains for Season

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