The Houston Texans are right in the thick of the AFC playoff race as they enter Week 14. The offense has been very good all year, as rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is going to be the runaway Rookie of the Year. The ground game has been very good at times, and other times, it hasn’t been able to do much.
With that in mind, should fantasy football managers play either Dameon Pierce or Devin Singletary?
What Is Dameon Pierce’s Fantasy Outlook for Week 14?
Pierce was back after missing some time with an injury, and he finished the game against the Denver Broncos with 15 carries for 41 yards. One big positive for the Texans and his fantasy managers is the fact that he was able to score a touchdown.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
That touchdown was big, as it gave him 10.1 fantasy points. He is going to have to score touchdowns to have any fantasy value, and that isn’t something he has done all year. The touchdown on Sunday was only his second rushing score of the season and the first since Sept. 24 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
During games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons in early October, he had 147 yards in two games. In the other seven games he has played this season, he has rushed for 235.
What makes him scoring touchdowns so important is that he isn’t a big part of the passing game. He has only 10 catches for only 88 yards this season. That inability to catch the ball out of the backfield is big, as it is something that Singletary has shown he can do throughout his career.
With Pierce, he just hasn’t shown the potential for a big game this season. At this time of year in fantasy, he isn’t good enough to have in your lineup. His teammate, though, could potentially be a guy to have in a Flex position, as he has had some big games this year.
What Is Devin Singletary’s Fantasy Outlook for Week 14?
While Singletary hasn’t put up the biggest numbers this year, he has shown his ceiling is much higher than Pierces. Singletary leads the team with 525 rushing yards and has been way more consistent running the ball.
On the season, Singletary has rushed the ball 128 times, one less than Pierce. However, Pierce is averaging only three yards per carry, as he has 382 yards on the season. When Pierce was out, Singletary had a two-game stretch where he rushed for 150 yards and 112 yards in back-to-back weeks.
Not only did he have a lot of yards, but he got to carry the ball 52 times in those two games.
Another place where Singletary has an advantage is catching the ball out of the backfield. He has 19 catches on the season, and in his last three years in Buffalo, he had 38, 40, and 38 catches.
Simply put, the Texans offense has been better with Singletary in their lineup. It is hard to trust either of these running backs because of how much they split. If you have other options, I would go with them in your lineup. However, if you have to choose between these two, Singletary is the play.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!