• Tank Dell had multiple elite games as a rookie: Dell finished with over 25 PPR points in three games last season, which is uncommon for mid-round rookie wide receivers.
• It always took injuries to other receivers for Dell to see opportunities: Dell only shined in the Houston Texans offense when at least one wide receiver was injured. And now the team has more options after they traded for Stefon Diggs.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
The fantasy football player profile series gives the most in-depth view of a player using the best data points at PFF’s disposal. We will look at how well the player has performed, the player's competition for touches and how teammates and coaches will impact the player's performance.
Last updated: 5:00 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 8
Player Performance
The Texans drafted Tank Dell in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
At 5-foot-8, he was expected to be a slot receiver, but the Texans primarily played him on the outside. He was a backup in Week 1, but an injury to Noah Brown allowed Dell to start in Week 2. He caught 12 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns over his first two weeks as a starter. In Week 4, he only caught one pass for 16 yards, while Nico Collins recorded seven receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
Dell suffered a concussion in Week 5, missed Week 6 and had a quiet return in Week 8 after the Texans' bye in Week 7. Over the next four-game stretch, Dell was the third-most successful receiver in fantasy football, averaging 23.7 PPR points per game. Unfortunately, he suffered a fibula fracture the following week and missed the rest of the season.
Dell was incredible on a per-play basis as a rookie. He ranked in at least the 95th percentile for getting open, facing single coverage, facing off coverage, when lined up out wide and against zone coverage.
His performance on the outside was unprecedented for a receiver of his size. His 608 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns from the outside were the most for any wide receiver 5-foot-8 or shorter in the PFF era.
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