Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce flashed some bell-cow fantasy RB potential in his rookie year, but will Devin Singletary and a rookie QB under center prevent him from breaking out in 2023? Let’s take a closer look.
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Dameon Pierce’s Fantasy Outlook for the 2023 NFL Season
The Texans’ offense wasn’t exactly filled with reliable fantasy options during the 2022 NFL season. However, Pierce looked like a reliable RB2 option for a lengthy amount of time during his rookie campaign, scoring 10+ points in PPR formats in nine of his 13 games played in 2022.
Although the efficiency and scoring opportunities weren’t always there, Pierce saw a feature RB-type workload during his rookie season. In 2022, Pierce was one of just six RBs to see 26+ carries in two or more games.
Furthermore, in his 13 games rookie campaign, Pierce saw fewer than 10 carries just once the entire year.
Lastly, his work in the passing game feels like it is being completely overlooked. He saw 3+ targets in eight of his 13 games last season. Of course, those aren’t Austin Ekeler-type numbers, but Pierce is a capable pass catcher.
Dameon Pierce mic’d up for his TD catch from CJ Stroud pic.twitter.com/imCDg6RgHo
— Jacob (@Stroud4ROTY)
Is Pierce a Good Fantasy Pick?
If you decide to forego the RB position the first three rounds, Pierce feels like a potential high-volume, low-ceiling RB option you can select in the fourth round.
This offense projects to be one of the lower scoring units in the league. But projected volume is often a problem with a lot of the RBs you are trying to decide on in the middle rounds.
Pierce averaged 19 touches per game in 2022, which would generate over 320 total touches when scaled out over an entire 17-game season.
There were 8 RBs who saw 300+ total touches in 2022. Do you know how many of them finished outside of the top 15 RBs in PPR formats? Zero.
If you believe Devin Singletary is going to prevent Pierce from seeing that type of volume again in 2023, then it is understandable why you would prefer to pass on him at his current price.
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Still, of all the other RBs going in the fourth/fifth-round range, Pierce projects as one of the best bets to see north of 300+ total touches.
Personally, I believe Pierce is worth the selection in the middle rounds. The fantasy ceiling may not be in the league winner category, but if Pierce maintains his per-game volume from last season, it is hard to imagine him not returning RB2 value in 2023.
- PFN Consensus Rankings: 48th overall
- ADP: 43rd overall
