Tyrod Taylor

Fantasy Upside
It's possible the free-agent signing of Tyrod Taylor will be among the most important of the offseason. With last year's starter Deshaun Watson facing off-field issues and his stated intention of never playing for the Texans again, signing Taylor to an incentive-laden deal (at less than a $6 million base salary, Taylor will get solid backup money with upside if he ends up starting), the Texans have crafted an insurance policy for the game's most important position. If Houston is without Watson, they would at least have Taylor and his 47 games as an NFL starter as their fill-in signal-caller. Plus, Taylor worked with Houston's quarterbacks' coach/passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton with the Chargers last year, so there's some familiarity with the team's staff.

Fantasy Downside
While he would certainly be a serviceable option for Houston given the circumstances, with a less-than-dynamic supporting cast (beyond wideout Brandin Cooks, it's not a promising group at wideout), viewing Taylor as being of great fantasy interest would be a reach.

2021 Bottom Line
Again, serviceable is a word that comes to mind here. In 10 NFL seasons, Taylor has passed for 9,770 yards with 54 touchdowns and 20 interceptions and rushed for 1,850 yards and 16 touchdowns. With the chances of Watson's return -- at least his return and willingness to take the field for Houston -- seemingly minimal and with Davis Mills unlikely to be ready to assume the starting role without some developmental time, Taylor appears to be locked in as the most likely starter for the Texans this season.