If you started Darren Fells last week against the Raider, you were a very happy fantasy footballer. Fells caught all six of his targets for 58 yards and two touchdowns. That was his second two-touchdown game in four weeks. He is still touchdown-dependent, but what tight ends aren’t? Not many.
Fells has seen his usage go up with Kenny Stills hurt earlier in the season and once again when Will Fuller hurt his hamstring. Fuller is still out, and Keke Coutee was benched last week, which upped Fells and Jordan Akins’s workload. Akins did see good targets with five, but he caught just two for 11 yards and dropped two others. That won’t get him more work. , as he Fells saw his most significant snap percentage all season at 90 percent against Oakland, and if that keeps up, he has the potential to be a steady fantasy contributor. Also, over the last four games, Fells has six red-zone targets, tied for the team lead with DeAndre Hopkins in that span.
Fantasy football analysis: Houston Texans TE Darren Fells
The Texans take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in London or as Joey would say, IN LONDON! Football Outsiders has them ranked 22nd in DVOA at defending tight ends, and they rank 19th in fantasy points allowed to the position. Last week they gave up four receptions for 66 yards and two touchdowns to Jets backup tight end Ryan Griffin.
The Texans and Jaguars have a good 47 point over/under and 23.7 implied points. Gardner Minshew also looks poised for a strong game against Houston’s suspect pass defense, so this game could push into the over fairly easily, giving Fells ample opportunity to snag another touchdown. As with all tight ends in his range, a dud is possible, but his recent red zone usage and production give him a shot to be a good streaming option before you even wake up Sunday morning!
Traditional Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation
Start.
DraftKings DFS Recommendation
Fells isn’t available in the main slate due to his early start in London, but that makes it easy to play him in the Showdown at $5,800 stacked with DeShaun Watson at $11,600. If he finds the end zone, he’ll be worth his price, and he has a good chance.