X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Will Bill O'Brien's Firing Change Anything In Houston?

The Houston Texans fired head coach Bill O'Brien after an 0-4 start to the 2020 NFL season. Justin Carter examines the fantasy football impact on players like Deshaun Watson in redraft and dynasty.

On Monday, the thing Houston Texans fans had wanted for years finally came true, as the team fired head coach/general manager Bill O'Brien.

An exciting hire back in 2014 to replace Gary Kubiak after he'd helped steady a heavily sanctioned Penn State program, Texans fans eventually soured on O'Brien, whose uncreative playcalling and failure to win in the postseason became an issue. Things got worse when he took over the GM job, which culminated in some terrible personnel moves that we'll talk about in a minute.

So, does this move improve the prospects of the Houston Texans players from a fantasy perspective? Let's discuss.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

How Did We Get Here?

The Texans are 0-4 and don't have a first or second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. That's why we're here.

Those picks were shipped away in various deals from GM O'Brien. The first-rounder was included in a trade with Miami for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. That would have been fine, but then this offseason they turned around and traded star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona in a deal that didn't bring back a first-round pick.

It did bring back a second in the 2020 draft, which O'Brien used on defensive lineman Ross Blacklock, whose highlight so far was punching an opposing player and getting ejected.

Meanwhile, Houston's own 2020 second was traded to the Rams in a deal for Brandin Cooks, who has not been a huge factor so far.

Their own 2021 second was part of that Tunsil trade.

This could all be made slightly better if Houston was winning. But O'Brien's gotten off to a horrendous start, looking overmatched as the team dropped those four games. A win in Week 4 over Minnesota could have saved his job, but losing to another winless team was the nail in the coffin for the O'Brien era. Romeo Crennel takes over as the interim head coach, and this offseason Houston will have the chance to find a head coach who can help quarterback Deshaun Watson take the next step.

 

How Does This Change Houston's Fantasy Outlook?

So, here's where I might deviate from a lot of people who are out there shouting things about how Deshaun Watson is free and things of that nature.

I don't actually think this improves the short-term outlook of the Houston Texans that much.

Crennel is taking over as the head coach. He's a defense guy, which means he won't have anything to do with the team's offensive playcalling, which will all fall onto the shoulders of offensive coordinator Tim Kelly.

The problem? Kelly was the play-caller for the first three games of the season before O'Brien took the role back over on Sunday against the Vikings.

Kelly is an O'Brien guy through and through. He started his coaching career as a defensive guy before he joined O'Brien's Penn State staff as a graduate assistant in 2012. In 2014, he went with O'Brien to the NFL, working as an offensive quality control coach, then an offensive line assistant, then a tight ends coach, and finally as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons.

Kelly's links to O'Brien should be concerning to anyone expecting a quick turnaround for this Texans offense. Sure, there's always the possibility that he opens this playbook and we see Watson ripping the ball down the field, but it's hard to expect wholesale changes from a playcaller who has 1) been the play-caller in 75 percent of the games this season and 2) has never been an offensive coach outside of this specific system.

That's not to say the Texans offense can't improve. Watson has been a borderline fantasy QB1 this season when he was drafted to be a high-end QB1. Watson is likely to improve, as he's a multi-dimension quarterback who is currently ninth in air yards per attempt. When he's facing defenses that aren't as good as teams like Baltimore and Pittsburgh, those intended air yards will be more likely to be converted into completed air yards.

But it's hard to know if that improvement will be from Kelly or just from Watson's talent, and no offense to Kelly, but I'd be hesitant to attribute anything to him.

One thing that I do believe is that things can't get worse under Kelly. O'Brien's play-calling was a serious issue in the waning minutes of his final Texans game. The team was first and goal at the four needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion, and they called consecutive runs up the middle then tried to run an option to the left with Watson and David Johnson. That all led to what was almost a miraculous fourth-down touchdown pass from Watson to Will Fuller V, but it was called back after review.

But Houston shouldn't have been in the position to have that final play overturned. You have one of the six or seven best quarterbacks on the planet. How do you call three runs play in a row in that situation? It was the worst potential moves that O'Brien could have done short of just kneeling the ball and intentionally losing

Kelly can't call plays worse than that one.

The best-case scenario for the O'Brien-less Texans in the short term is that Kelly mostly calls the same plays the team was calling before, but does so in a slightly smarter way. If that's how things shake out, the Texans players can reach the fantasy level we thought they'd be at when the season began.

That would mean Watson's a QB1. Will Fuller is a WR2. David Johnson is probably a WR2. But the rest of the offense -- Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb, Kenny Stills, Jordan Akins, Duke Johnson Jr. -- will still suffer from "too many mouths to feed" syndrome. They'll still be inconsistent plays who can go off one week and then post three fantasy points the next.

 

Looking Down the Road

Again, Houston's long term outlook is better now. They'll bring in an offensive-minded coach like Eric Bieniemy who can actually do some interesting things with the football. They'll figure out the logjam at wide receiver, likely by letting at least Stills go this offseason and potentially moving on from the oft-injured Fuller as well. This move is a big plus arrow for Watson in dynasty.

But forgive me if I'm not optimistic that this suddenly becomes a top-level offense in 2020. Kelly will either coach just like O'Brien or will coach like a better version of O'Brien. But all the things that made this offense struggle -- no true No. 1 receiver, a lot of offensive line issues, and a very good quarterback who might need to stop holding the ball so long -- are still present.

O'Brien's firing is the right move. But it won't necessarily pay immediate dividends for the Texans offense or for fantasy managers.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ketel Marte13 mins ago

Diamondbacks Working On Extension For Ketel Marte
24 mins ago

Emeka Egbuka To Fall To Round 2?
Los Angeles Rams30 mins ago

Rob Havenstein Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Frankie Montas35 mins ago

Playing Catch From 60 Feet
Trea Turner41 mins ago

Returns To Wednesday's Lineup
Max Scherzer47 mins ago

Hopes To Resume Throwing On Friday
DL Hall51 mins ago

Scheduled To Throw A Bullpen On April 15
Aaron Ashby1 hour ago

Set To Throw Bullpen April 11
Derek Hill1 hour ago

Remains Out With Back Tightness
Jack Leiter2 hours ago

Removed From Wednesday's Start With A Blister
Michael Soroka2 hours ago

Listed As Sunday's Starter
Esteury Ruiz2 hours ago

Dodgers Acquire Esteury Ruiz
Kristian Campbell2 hours ago

Red Sox Sign Kristian Campbell To Eight-Year, $60 Million Extension
Cleveland Browns2 hours ago

Mike Hall Likely To Miss Offseason Program After Having Knee Surgery
New England Patriots2 hours ago

Christian Barmore Expected To Be Ready For Offseason Workouts
2 hours ago

Saints Expected To Visit With Quinn Ewers
Jake Moody3 hours ago

49ers To Bring In Competition For Jake Moody
Pittsburgh Steelers3 hours ago

Steelers In Play To Draft A Running Back
Tobias Myers3 hours ago

To Make First Rehab Start On Tuesday
Aaron Civale3 hours ago

To Throw Off A Mound On Saturday
Miami Marlins3 hours ago

Maximo Acosta Stellar In First Taste Of Triple-A
Christian Yelich3 hours ago

Out Wednesday Against Lefty
Bryan Reynolds3 hours ago

Dealing With Triceps Soreness
Luinder Avila3 hours ago

Strikes Out 11 In Second Triple-A Start
Alexis Díaz4 hours ago

Alexis Diaz To Begin Rehab Assignment This Weekend
Andrew Abbott4 hours ago

To Make Another Rehab Start On Sunday
James Triantos4 hours ago

Productive At The Start Of Triple-A Regular Season
Christian Encarnacion-Strand4 hours ago

Back In Reds Lineup
Green Bay Packers5 hours ago

Packers Not Ruling Out Jaire Alexander Returning
Tennessee Titans5 hours ago

No. 1 Overall Pick Might Not Be For Sale
Kenny Pickett5 hours ago

Browns Feel Good About QB Situation, Kenny Pickett
Cleveland Browns5 hours ago

Browns Unlikely To Trade Up To No. 1 Overall For Cam Ward
Cincinnati Bengals5 hours ago

Bengals Still Working On Contract Extension With Trey Hendrickson
Dyami Brown6 hours ago

Jaguars Intrigued By Dyami Brown's Potential
Pittsburgh Steelers6 hours ago

All Options On The Table For Steelers At Quarterback
Jordan Mason6 hours ago

To Factor Into Short-Yardage, Goal-Line Situations
Bennedict Mathurin6 hours ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Joe Milton III6 hours ago

Patriots Have Received Multiple Trade Inquiries For Joe Milton III
Myles Turner7 hours ago

May Miss Another Game Wednesday
Al Horford7 hours ago

Considered Doubtful Wednesday
Jrue Holiday7 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Kristaps Porzingis7 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Jaylen Brown7 hours ago

Could Remain On The Shelf Wednesday
Cade Cunningham7 hours ago

Likely Out For Fifth Straight Game
Anthony Davis7 hours ago

Probable Wednesday
Evan Bouchard9 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Victory
Jake Guentzel9 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Kirill Marchenko9 hours ago

Scores Hat Trick On Tuesday
Tage Thompson9 hours ago

Stays Hot On The Scoresheet
Lane Hutson9 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers In Overtime Victory
Alex Ovechkin9 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Cameron Young14 hours ago

A Player To Avoid At Valero Texas Open
Kurt Kitayama14 hours ago

In Search Of Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim15 hours ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valero Texas Open
Evan Engram15 hours ago

Sean Payton Excited About Evan Engram In Joker Role
Caleb Williams16 hours ago

To Spend More Time Working Under Center
Tom Hoge16 hours ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Daniel Jones16 hours ago

Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones To Split First-Team Reps This Offseason
Terry McLaurin17 hours ago

Commanders Interested In Extending Terry McLaurin
Rashee Rice17 hours ago

Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Matt Fitzpatrick19 hours ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners19 hours ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay19 hours ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Gary Woodland19 hours ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia20 hours ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti20 hours ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
Guerschon Yabusele21 hours ago

Out Against Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns21 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Jevon Carter21 hours ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry21 hours ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Julian Phillips21 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Jalen Smith21 hours ago

Available Against Raptors
Lonzo Ball21 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
Kevin Huerter21 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday's Matchup
Josh Giddey21 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Dalano Banton21 hours ago

Starting Against The Hawks
Royce O'Neale21 hours ago

Unavailable Against Bucks
Jerami Grant22 hours ago

Out Again On Tuesday
Bradley Beal22 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud22 hours ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Jacob Trouba22 hours ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Troy Terry22 hours ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Jonathan Marchessault22 hours ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere22 hours ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn23 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro23 hours ago

Returns Against Predators
Olli Määttä1 day ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway1 day ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Jordan Staal1 day ago

Doubtful For Wednesday
Matt Roy1 day ago

Not Traveling With Team
Josh Norris1 day ago

Not Traveling With The Team On Tuesday
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Jordan Spieth1 day ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp1 day ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim1 day ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood1 day ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau1 day ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole1 day ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Casey DeSmith1 day ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment1 day ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Sam Stevens2 days ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA2 days ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman2 days ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland2 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg2 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall2 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara2 days ago

Gets Submitted
Édgar Cháirez2 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.2 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira2 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez2 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas2 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez2 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron2 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones2 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry3 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres5 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer5 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum5 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales5 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.5 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira5 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings: Overvalued, Undervalued Players (2025)

Dynasty fantasy football rankings constantly shift, especially as we inch closer to the new season and fantasy drafts. Dynasty managers know the importance of finding those underrated players who could be steals in drafts or trades. They also know some players are overhyped due to unsustainable trends or past production. I'll break down two overvalued […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best Fantasy Football Moves During 2025 NFL Free Agency

It has been a wild offseason so far in the NFL. Plenty of players have switched teams in free agency, and some stars were even traded. Deebo Samuel Sr. was dealt to the Washington Commanders, Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, and DK Metcalf has a new home with the Pittsburgh Steelers. These […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Ashton Jeanty's Top Potential Landing Spots For 2025: Fantasy Football NFL Draft Outlook

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will enter the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class. Jeanty just ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns across 14 games this past college season. Those 2,601 rush yards were the second-most of all-time in FBS history, only behind Barry Sanders's 2,628 rush yards […]