Getty Houston Texans WR Will Fuller
It seems like just yesterday Houston Texans WR Will Fuller was beginning to take the NFL by storm. Technically, it was roughly four weeks ago that this was the case, but the 24-year-old wideout has cooled off a bit since that point. And while Fuller coming back down to earth a bit has scared fantasy football players, there may not be a major cause for concern.
Fuller had back-to-back weeks with two catches and fewer than 35 yards, but posted a nice game in Week 7, hauling in 6-of-8 targets for 68 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars. And in Week 8 on Thursday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins, the electrifying wideout finds himself in an interesting spot.
Fellow receiver Keke Coutee will miss this game, and that’s a big deal from a fantasy perspective. Let’s take a look at whether Fuller is a fantasy start or sit in this matchup with the Dolphins by breaking down the situation a bit.
Key Stats and Will Fuller’s Fantasy Outlook
I’ll break down the matchup along with a few other key numbers for Fuller and the Texans ahead of Week 8. All information on fantasy points and statistics for defense vs. position are from ESPN.
- Miami Dolphins vs. wide receivers in 2018: 78 receptions, 1,189 yards, five touchdowns (No. 11 fewest fantasy points per game)
- Fuller has played at least 81 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in each game he’s been healthy, per Football Outsiders
- Dolphins have allowed 268.6 passing yards per game this season (No. 10 most in NFL)
- Keke Coutee’s emergence has dropped Fuller’s snaps into the 80 percent range from the 90’s over the past two weeks
- Coutee will miss Thursday’s game due to injury
All signs point to a big night for Fuller from a fantasy perspective. His targets jumped back up last week to eight after just six total in the two weeks prior. If he can consistently see 8-10 targets per game, Fuller has the big-play potential to be one of the top fantasy wideouts in the league.
Should You Start or Sit Will Fuller?
I’m fully on board with Fuller this week from a fantasy perspective. The young wideout’s speed should destroy the mediocre speed of the Dolphins secondary and he’s thrived this season with Coutee out of the lineup. In two games with his fellow wideout sidelined, Fuller has totaled 13 catches for 214 yards and two touchdowns.
The Texans receiver is in play from a fantasy perspective in all leagues with 12 teams or more this week. The only thing even remotely keeping me from pushing him into play in 10-team leagues is the health of quarterback Deshaun Watson. Fortunately, that didn’t impact Fuller last week all that much, so I think he’s safe across the board.
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