The month of July is made for hot takes and bold predictions among NFL writers and analysts and Adam Rank is no different in that category.
Rank, a longtime contributor at NFL.com, previews every team in the league before the 2024 season, sharing his “hottest” fantasy football take for each squad. Not everyone will study up on all 32 teams before their drafts, so Rank tries to make sure at least one name from each roster is represented.
Who is the one player fans should know from the Houston Texans? According to Rank, it’s Tank Dell.
During his “State of the Texans” assessment last week, Rank said that Dell could be poised to take over as Stroud’s top target this fall. While Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs are the veterans of the room, Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud often turned to his fellow rookie when under duress to keep the drive alive.
Rank thinks the connection will be even stronger now in Year 2 of Bobby Slowik’s offense.
Tank Dell moving well out here. No noticeable limitations, which is a great sign pic.twitter.com/m1mQ2Wnixv
— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) May 21, 2024
The Texans gave up a second-round pick to acquire Stefon Diggs, and Nico Collins was great last year, but I think Dell — who finished second on the team with 709 receiving yards and seven touchdowns despite missing Week 6 with a concussion and then suffering a season-ending broken fibula in Week 13 — is in for an Amon-Ra St. Brown-like Year 2 breakout. Stroud obviously likes going to Dell, who collected the most targets (75) and TD catches (seven) in Houston between Weeks 1 and 12. Dell also matched Rams receiver Puka Nacua with two games of 140-plus receiving yards and at least one receiving TD, the most among rookies in 2023. Diggs’ presence should open up some more opportunities for Dell. Give the 24-year-old a full season in the lineup and watch out.
A third-round pick of the University of Houston, Dell was a security blanket for Stroud on the perimeter. While known for his speed, the rookie actually was known for his ability to move the chains on early downs while Collins served as the big-play target downfield.
Dell was on pace to break Andre Johnson’s rookie receiving yard record with over 1,200 yards before suffering a broken leg in early December that sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season and Houston’s postseason run. Still, his seven touchdowns were enough to surpass Owen Daniels’ rookie scoring receiving scoring record.
Tank Dell was one of the best receivers in the league on out-breaking routes last season…not among rookies but all receivers.
The fact that he hit or cleared an 80% success rate on all three of the comeback, out and corner routes in #ReceptionPerception while running them at… pic.twitter.com/pUnRfL9VZ6
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) May 21, 2024
Every receiver has a role in Slowik’s offense. Diggs and Collins are multi-purpose receivers who can win short and long depending on the route concept. Dell, who finished with 709 receiving yards last season, should be the top name to watch across the middle, seeing most of his production come on intermediate routes between 12-18 yards downfield.
Dell, who was shot during an altercation at a bar just outside his hometown earlier this offseason, has been full-go since returning for OTAs. No one is running at 100%, but no one would have known he was ever injured the way he’s been training back in Houston over the past four months.
Per Fantasy Pros, Dell’s current consensus fantasy football average draft position is No. 65 overall. He’s the consensus 32nd-ranked PPR wide receiver and third among the Texans’ trio behind Collins (No. 12) and Diggs (No. 20).
