Week 4 at Atlanta
With the ground game churning out yards last week versus Tampa Bay, the Houston offense totaled over 400 yards. Ryan Mallett threw for 228 yards, with almost half of that going to DeAndre Hopkins. DeAndre was targeted 14 times, leading to eight grabs, 101 yards and his third TD of the season. Hopkins has turned in to a must-start WR, regardless of who QBs the Texans. Go ahead and keep him in your lineup versus a Falcons team that is 25th at stopping the pass.
Week 3 vs. Tampa Bay
After scoring twice in Week 1, DeAndre Hopkins was held to 53 yards on five grabs last week at Carolina. With Ryan Mallett throwing on nearly every play during the second half, DeAndre was targeted 11 times, one less than Cecil Shorts. While Nate Washington led the team with 63 yards, 48 of those came on one play. Hopkins is still the No. 1 WR option for Mallett and has a decent matchup versus the Buccaneers on Sunday. Be sure to check the injury report, as he's going through the concussion protocol this week.
Week 2 vs. Carolina
While the Texans offense wasn’t doing too much in the season opener against Kansas City last week, DeAndre Hopkins did what DeAndre Hopkins does. He finished with a team-high nine receptions for 98 yards, both of Houston’s TDs and a two-point conversion. Of the 47 passes Texans QBs threw, 13 of them went in DeAndre’s direction. While Houston may struggle on the road at Carolina, you’ve got to keep starting Hopkins.
Week 1 – DeAndre Hopkins vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Now Andre Johnson has moved on to Indy, DeAndre Hopkins will be the main target in the Texans passing attack. Hopkins is coming off a strong sophomore season, catching 76 passes for over 1.200 yards and six TDs. He has averaged nearly 16 yards per reception over his two professional seasons and is a threat to go the distance on any play. Expect QB Brian Hoyer to look his way often, making DeAndre the only Texan worth starting in the opener.
Fantasy Upside
With Andre Johnson moving on, the Texans’ receiving corps is in a state of flux. About the only sure thing here is that DeAndre Hopkins is their top guy. “Obviously, DeAndre Hopkins we think is one of the best in the league,” HC Bill O’Brien recently said. And not without reason. Hopkins notched his first 1,000-yard season in 2014, his second year in the NFL. He caught 76 of 126 targets last season for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns. Hopkins was a favorite target on deep balls, and assuming Houston gets even decent play from their quarterbacks, Hopkins will have ample opportunity again this season working in a group that also includes Jaelen Strong, Cecil Shorts, Nate Washington, Keith Mumphery, Keshawn Martin, Damaris Johnson, Alan Bonner, EZ Nwachukwu, Jace Davis and Travis Labhart. With that list of suspects, Houston will need to lean heavily on Hopkins.
Fantasy Downside
The most obvious problem here would be the QB position in Houston. At this point, Ryan Mallett might offer the best hope of maximizing Hopkins' talents. Brian Hoyer, signed this offseason to compete with Mallett, had significant issues with accuracy last season.
Bottom Line
I'll still argue that Hopkins can be plenty effective despite shaky QB play. Remember, last year's totals came with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mallett, Case Keenum and Tom Savage all taking turns under center in Houston. In addition, they often looked Johnson's way first. Taking all this into account, Hopkins' current WR13 ADP might seem high; but remember that Johnson posted elite totals despite a career-long string of less-than-impressive QBs.
Week 17 – DeAndre Hopkins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Although he was questionable to play last week against the Ravens because of a sore ankle, DeAndre Hopkins was targeted 12 times by Case Keenum, leading to five receptions for 38 yards. Since his monstrous performance versus the Titans in Week 13, DeAndre has been under 80 yards with no TDs the past four contests. In the win at Jacksonville earlier this month, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for only 135 yards, with Hopkins leading the Texans with four grabs for 49 yards. With Keenum at QB, he makes for a low-WR2 play.
Week 16 – DeAndre Hopkins vs. Baltimore Ravens
With Andre Johnson out last week due to a concussion, DeAndre Hopkins led the Texans with five receptions for 77 yards. He was targeted 13 times by Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Savage. Johnson will be back on Sunday and now that Houston is on another QB in Case Keenum, expect DeAndre’s numbers to drop off a bit. Hopkins has been battling an ankle injury, but should be good to go on Sunday. He makes for a WR2 play this week, even against one of the worst defenses at defending the pass.
Week 15 – DeAndre Hopkins vs. Indianapolis Colts
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw the ball only 19 times last week in Jacksonville, so it wasn’t a big day for DeAndre Hopkins, as he led the Texans with four grabs for 49 yards. He is still averaging 83 yards per game and has scored six times this season. DeAndre had just a 12 yard reception in the loss to Indianapolis in early October; but if Houston is going to have a shot at knocking off the first place Colts they’ll need him to come up with a strong performance, especially with Andre Johnson possibly out due to a concussion last Sunday.
Week 14 – DeAndre Hopkins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
What a huge game DeAndre Hopkins had last week at home versus Tennessee. The second-year player had a career day, grabbing nine passes for 238 yards and two scores. In the two games with Ryan Mallet at the helm, Hopkins totaled only 119 yards, but he’s had a good rapport with Ryan Fitzpatrick all season. Look for the two to be on the same page again at Jacksonville on Sunday, so keep on starting Hopkins.
Week 13 – DeAndre Hopkins vs. Tennessee Titans
DeAndre Hopkins led the Texans with five receptions last Sunday versus Cincinnati, but for just 39 yards. Even though Ryan Mallett threw 45 times in the loss, he passed for only 189 yards. In the late October win at Tennessee, DeAndre led Houston with 95 receiving yards, as they dominated the contest. Hopkins averaged only 60 yards in the two games Mallett started, but had a good rapport with Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will again be the Houston QB, for the first nine games this season – averaging 76 yards per contest with four scores. Hopkins is in the WR2 conversation.
