Week 1 – DeAndre Hopkins vs. Washington Redskins
After an inconsistent rookie season that saw him collect 52 receptions and 802 yards, Hopkins had a really good training camp and is ready to push Andre Johnson for the team lead in receptions. New QB Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn’t thrown for a lot of yards during his career, but he is steady, completing 60 percent of his passes along the way. Look for Hopkins to have an average game versus Washington in the opener.
Fantasy Upside
Hopkins posted reasonable enough totals in his rookie season -- especially given the team's struggles at the quarterback position. Hopkins was good for a team-best 15.4 yards per reception while catching passes from Matt Schaub and Case Keenum. Hopkins demonstrated his potential in the Week 2 overtime win against the Titans in which he pulled in seven catches for 117 yards, including the game-winning score. Better still, reports out of Houston indicate that Hopkins entered training camp in excellent shape and was easily the Texans' premier receiver with Andre Johnson dealing with a hamstring strain. "He's one of the guys out there that I think is much improved from April 7, when we started, to where we are now," new HC Bill O'Brien said.
Fantasy Downside
Like most rookies, Hopkins disappeared at times last season. But did we mention the QB issues? As the Sports Xchange suggested, "It's ridiculous that the two starters combined for only seven touchdowns (Andre Johnson added five scores to Hopkins' pair of TD catches). That's a problem resulting from poor play at quarterback and inadequate play calls."
Bottom Line
The play caller will change this year with Bill O'Brien taking over as HC. It remains to be seen whether Ryan Fitzpatrick or rookie fourth-round pick Tom Savage will keep Keenum off the field. Either way, Hopkins' value will be tied to improvements at that position. It's not guaranteed, but Hopkins is a player capable of out-performing expectations.
