Week 4 at Indianapolis Colts
While his stats looked good, Deshaun Watson and the Texans had another disappointing performance last Sunday versus the Giants. In the loss, Watson threw for 385 yards and two fourth-quarter TDs. He also ran for 36 yards, but the offense sputtered for most of the afternoon, finally finding the end zone halfway through the final stanza. Watson has posted back-to-back 300-yard, two-touchdown games and will face a Colts defense that is in the middle of the pack against the pass. While the result may be another defeat, Watson is a hot fantasy player right now.
Week 3 vs. New York Giants
In the last-minute loss at Tennessee on Sunday, Deshaun Watson posted solid numbers—310 passing yards with two TDs and 44 yards on the ground. He connected with both of his big-time WRs, DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller, for over 100 yards and both scores. Watson will finally get to play at home this week versus a Giants pass defense that likely looks better statistically than it is—having faced the Jaguars and Cowboys, who each built early leads and coasted to wins. He is our No. 3 ranked quarterback for Week 3.
Week 2 at Tennessee Titans
In the loss at New England last Sunday, Deshaun Watson was limited to 176 yards through the air and 40 on the ground. He completed just 50 percent of his passes (17-of-34) with one TD and one interception. It didn’t help that Watson was without Will Fuller, who continues to battle a hamstring injury. Ryan Tannehill threw for 230 yards versus the Titans last week, so look for a better game from Watson and the Houston offense, who are again on the road.
Week 1 at New England Patriots
What a breakout performance DeShaun Watson had last year in Week 3 at New England. He threw for 301 yards and 2 TDs and ran for an addition 41 yards. His rookie season was cut short by a torn ACL, but he had a solid training camp and shouldn’t have any lingering effects. The Patriots' defense had trouble containing Watson in 2017 and the Texans' offense will be able to move the ball on the road again. Watson should be your starting QB in the opener.
Fantasy Upside
Watson was having an epic rookie season before a torn ACL cut it short. In fact, he was on pace for 43 touchdown passes before he got hurt in practice. Watson played at a high level by combining a mix of spread concepts with more traditional drop-back designs. Along the way, he catapulted DeAndre Hopkins back into the elite conversation and turned Will Fuller into a legitimate weekly must-start for fantasy managers. Perhaps of greater interest, however, was the rookie's week-to-week consistency. As NFL.com pointed out, no player in the NFL averaged more fantasy points per game (24.1).
Fantasy Downside
Of course, Watson is coming off reconstructive surgery (he resumed running in February and was able to take part in OTAs -- albeit on a limited basis) and opposing defenses will make adjustments based on Watson's rookie success; how he reacts and adapts to overcome those efforts remains to be seen.
2018 Bottom Line
Although the knee and his ability to get past defensive adjustments are at least minor questions, those looking to cash in on Watson's second season potential will have to pony up some serious fantasy draft capital to do so. But landing a player with as high a ceiling as Watson boasts doesn't seem like an unreasonable gamble for those already inclined to draft their quarterbacks early.
Week 9 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Last week, on the road and in a hostile environment, Deshaun Watson continued to impress. All he did against the Seahawks was become the first player in the Super Bowl era to throw for over 400 yards, run for more than 50 yards, and complete 4 TD tosses. Despite all of that, Watson’s efforts weren’t quite enough, as the Texans were unable to get the win. Back at home this week, the rookie should be able to keep things going against a 31st-ranked Colts defense. There is no question Watson is your starting QB this week.
Week 8 at Seattle Seahawks
It’s too bad the bye week had to come because Deshaun Watson was tearing up defenses in the four contests before the time off. During that month-long stretch, the rookie averaged 267 passing yards, 30 rushing yards, and accounted for 15 touchdowns. At least Watson and the Texans had two weeks to prepare for a very good Seattle defense. It’s tough to keep him out of your lineup with the performances he’s shown, but temper expectations in a hostile environment on Sunday.
Week 6 vs. Cleveland Browns
Thanks to some garbage time yards and TD tosses, Deshaun Watson had a monstrous fantasy game last Sunday night in the loss to the Chiefs. The rookie ended up throwing 31 passes for 261 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also ran for 31 yards. In the past two weeks, Watson has thrown for 9 scores and ran for another. Fantasy owners should continue to ride with the Houston QB, as he’ll be going against a Browns defense allowing nearly 230 passing yards per game. Continue to start Watson.
Week 5 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
It didn’t seem possible, but Deshaun Watson put on an even bigger performance last week in the stomping of the Titans than he did the week before at New England. Versus Tennessee, the rookie threw for 283 yards and 4 touchdowns and also ran 4 times for 24 yards and another score. In the past two weeks, Watson has thrown for nearly 600 yards and accounted for 7 TDs. The Titans and Patriots defenses are near the bottom of the league in total defense and Watson gets to face another defense that has had troubles stopping the pass this week in the Chiefs. The Chiefs are ranked No. 25 in yards allowed through the air, so look for a nice primetime performance from the Houston QB.
Week 4 vs. Tennessee Titans
What a great game Deshaun Watson had last Sunday in New England. He threw for 301 yards and 2 TDs and also ran for 41 yards. The rookie definitely was not intimidated playing against the Super Bowl Champion Patriots and nearly got his team the win. While the Patriots' defense has resembled Swiss cheese through the first three games, the Titans defense hasn’t shown to be much better, allowing 275 passing yards per game, including 373 yards and 4 touchdown tosses to Russell Wilson last week. Watson should be used as a more of a QB2 option at home, however.
