As of Week 17, the Houston Texans have 17 players on IR and 13 other players appeared on their Week 17 injury report. So, the fact they’ve got any chance of making the playoffs is pretty mind-blowing. Do you know what else is mind-blowing? Trying to pick DraftKings bargains when 30 players might not be available to start the game!
The Indianapolis Colts on the other hand only have 14 (that’s still a lot) on IR (including starting QB Anthony Richardson who only played 4 games) and another 10 featured on Week 17’s injury report. Their ascent to the top of the AFC South is nothing short of breathtaking.
Saturday Night DraftKings DFS Bargains Texans at Colts
The Guy Who Should Be Comeback Player Of The Year Pick – John Metchie III
With 5 injured receivers, it’s really a case of the last man standing in Houston right now. And Metchie III is one of those who is standing. He’s more than standing, he’s running. This is remarkable given that he missed his rookie season after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. And he received that diagnosis while recovering from a serious ACL injury! It’s impossible not to root for Metchie III.
And he’s averaging 9.8 yards per touch in 2023. Metchie III has caught 15 passes for 153 yards this season. He’s also run the ball once for 4 yards too. If the Texans are going to overcome the division leaders who beat them 31-20 back in Week 2, they’ll need to use Metchie III as the joker in their pack.
This week he should line up opposite Chris Lammons as Kenny Moore is injured. Lammons has only played in 4 games this season, so he won’t have seen anyone quite like Metchie III. The real reason to be excited about Metchie III this week is that in the last two games, he’s played with C.J. Stroud at QB he’s been targeted 8 times. If he gets 8 opportunities with Lammons covering him, he could haul in his first TD of his NFL career. He will cost just $1,000 on the DraftKings DFS slate this week, 7 receivers cost more.
The Journeyman DraftKings DFS Pick – Trey Sermon
Sermon has had quite the career; he was drafted by the 49ers back in 2021 but they released him in 2022. Then he was picked up by the Eagles, but they waived him in September of last year. And now he’s a Colt. And with Zack Moss injured he’s now one of Jonathan Taylor’s main backups.
Last week Sermon carried 5 times and caught his 2 targets. He ended the game against the Raiders with 41 yards from scrimmage. Overall, Sermon is averaging 4.6 yards per touch this season and the Texans defense is conceding 3.1 yards per carry to running backs. Running backs have scored a total of 12 touchdowns against the Texans this season and they are allowing 20.1 DraftKings DFS points per game to the running back position.
He’ll cost $2,600 on this DraftKings DFS Captains Showdown slate, making him the fifth most expensive back in the game.
The Trending Upward Rookie DraftKings DFS Pick – Xavier Hutchinson
The Texans could have rebranded as “the exciting rookies” before the season started. Stroud, Anderson Jr., and Dell amongst others have all impressed under Ryans this season. And Hutchinson is another rookie who has started to show that he’s more than capable of mixing it with the big boys.
It’s always a gamble picking exciting rookies in a DraftKings DFS lineup because talent doesn’t necessarily equate to opportunity. But with so many injured Texans Hutchinson is definitely becoming an important part of their offense. He’s seen 12 targets in the last 5 games, and he’s recorded 75 yards in those games. Before that Hutchinson had been used to running the ball on receiver reverses. He’s gained 49 yards on 5 attempts. He’s averaging 11.5 yards per touch this season. So, at just $800 he’s well worth a spot in any lineup.
The Low Key Important Guy DraftKings DFS Pick – Brevin Jordan
Dalton Schultz has had an odd season in Houston, in one 3-week period he recorded 233 receiving yards on just 16 catches. But last week he only caught 2 passes. Jordan also hauled in 2 catches last week and one was a touchdown.
This week he costs just $3,000, that’s $2,400 less than Schultz. In their last meeting in Week 2, Jordan caught 2 passes for 27 yards, if the Colts’ defense is preoccupied with Schultz Jordan could be even more productive this week. The Colts are conceding 13.1 DraftKings DFS points per game to the tight end position in 2023 too, so there should be plenty of chances for both Schultz and Jordan.
The Forgotten Man Pick – Dameon Pierce
Pierce averaged a little over 2 yards per touch when these teams met in Week 2, and he’s been dealing with some injuries at various times this season. But this feels like the sort of game he’ll be up for. Only 3 teams have allowed more rushing touchdowns than the Colts in 2023. The Colts allow 27.1 DraftKings DFS points per game to running backs this season. So, at just $3,200 Pierce is a bona fide bargain and he has a real chance to score his first TD since the 3rd of December!
Main Photo: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
