It hasn’t been an ideal start for the Houston Texans. Losers in their first two games, difficult questions are being asked up and down this roster. But Dalton Schultz has been unimpeachable; the veteran tight end continues to be a strong pass catching option for CJ Stroud on a week-to-week basis. With Nico Collins out, that presence has mattered even more. If Collins remains out for Week 3 against the Colts, will Schultz be a must-start in all fantasy football formats?
Houston pass catchers in Week 2
The Texans fielded a relatively healthy receiving core in Week 1, and Schultz took his customary backseat. Nico Collins led the team in targets, receptions, and yards, and caught a touchdown. Schultz was a decent second fiddle, catching four of eight targets for 35 yards, a respectable day in PPR formats. Then Collins went down for Week 2, forcing Schultz into a massive role. Throwing to Dalton was the best way for the Texans to move the ball, and it resulted in huge numbers.
30-year-old Schultz reeled in 12 of 14 targets for 140 yards, racking up a massive 26 PPR points. Despite no receiving touchdowns, Schultz was TE1 in PPR scoring and was certainly part of a lot of winning teams. With Collins’ status still up in the air, it’s time to consider if Schultz is a must-start this week against the Colts.
Two things to consider here: workload and matchup. Workload has certainly been there for Schultz this year: he leads the team in routes run, is second in target share, first in targets per route run, and first in yards per route run. We’ve seen his upside without Collins, even in a week when the offense scores only six points. So, what about this matchup?
So far, tight ends have been a sore spot for this Indianapolis Colts defense. They did an okay job in Week 1, holding Mark Andrews to four catches for 49 yards. But they got thrashed in Week 2 by Travis Kelce; the Chiefs star tight end put up a 9/101/1 receiving line on their heads. It’s a continuation of last season, when Indianapolis allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.
Check the boxes on workload and matchup. How high does that put Schultz in the start/sit hierarchy?
Start or Sit?
I’m not going to put an exact number on how many tight ends have a clearly better PPR case than Schultz, but I can count them on one hand. If Collins remains out, he’s a surefire TE1 start unless you have one of the elites. Given the injuries at the tight end position, Schultz’s status is only boosted, and he makes a great case for a FLEX spot if you have another great tight end.
