2014 Record: 9-7
2015 Non Division Opponents: NFC South, AFC East, Kansas City, Cincinnati
2014 in review: The Texans were a quarterback away. They had an excellent running back in Arian Foster. They had a super defense behind the incomparable JJ Watt. They had just about every piece a team needs. Except their quarterback was Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick did enough to keep the Texans competitive, but not enough to get them into the playoffs. An upgrade under center was the most glaring need for Houston going into 2015.
2015 offseason: They did not get a quarterback. In fact, Houston downgraded and signed Brian Hoyer, who will battle Ryan Mallet for the starting gig this upcoming season. They released Andre Johnson and replaced him with the underrated (and SFTB favorite) Cecil Shorts III. The Texans did make some good signings on defense, adding veterans Rahim Moore, Vince Wilfork, and Akeem Dent to an already solid squad.
2015 draft: Houston continued on the defensive side, and drafted two starters with their first two picks. Cornerback Kevin Johnson out of Wake Forest, and Linebacker Benardrick McKinney from Mississippi State. They are in excellent positions as both will start but they are not players that will be game planned for. That should allow them both to shine.
Player on the hot seat: Whoever wins the quarterback battle will be on the hot seat. The Texans have an excellent defense, but teams only play as well as their quarterback. Either Mallet or Hoyer has to grab this job and run with it, because the Texans can be a playoff team, but only with productivity from the QB position.
Players you want on your fantasy team: Up until an hour ago, Arian Foster was the obvious choice. However, he was carted off with a groin injury and may miss 4-6 weeks. It’s only August 4, so there’s plenty of time before your drafts, but you should knock him down a few pegs because of this. We’ve been waiting for Alfred Blue to light it up for years, but I don’t see that happening. DeAndre Hopkins is the #1 WR and has plenty of value in your every week lineups.
Season Prediction: This team goes as far as the quarterback position takes them, just like last year. The Texans were 9-7 in 2014, and the quarterback downgrade knocks a few games off of that record. The 2015 Texans will finish 7-9.