QB Jeff Driskel Signed to Houston Texans' 53-Man Roster

The Houston Texans have signed quarterback Jeff Driskel off the practice squad and added him to the active 53-man roster on Wednesday afternoon. The move comes after the former San Francisco 49ers 2016 sixth-round pick went 4-of-6 passing for 38 yards and a touchdown and added seven carries for 36 yards in the 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Texans rolled out a college style two-QB system in Week 14 and narrowly left Dallas a loser, easily covering the ridiculous 17-point spread the Cowboys were favored by.

What Does This Mean for Fantasy?

What makes the signing all the more intriguing is that Driskel threw only six passes and almost out-scored each of the last three QB performances from the full game starters in fantasy points, as his 9.1 points were nearly identical to Davis Mills' in Week 11 (9.8) and Kyle Allen's in Weeks 12 and 13 (9.8 and 6.1, respectively). This, of course, mostly stems from his 36 yards on the ground, but this is nothing new for Driskel's career, as he has made a living as an explosive back up quarterback in his time in the NFL and he has made use of his legs in each season he has had the opportunity to play, not just here in 2022.

Driskel has made the most of his limited time on the field, accruing 360 yards rushing on 34 attempts during regular season play and has added 273 yards on 28 carries in his time during the preseason. That's where his fantasy value would come if he were to get extended playing time, but that's where the issue lies when figuring out if you should swing over to your league(s) waiver wires to throw him into your lineup during the fantasy playoffs; what does "extended playing time" look like?

When prodded about the subject of the sport's ugliest "QB controversy" and who may get the start, head coach Love Smith was quoted as saying, "I'd like to answer your question, but me answering that question kinda tells you what we're gonna do with our plan. We have a plan." This would be an apt time to relate to everyone that the Houston Football Texans are 1-11-1 and had to make an executive decision to instate a journeyman backup to their active roster, but I digress.

Are There Statistics Up For Grabs At Other Positions?

Sadly, if the Texans are to continue to use this tactic with two QBs, or even if they elevate Jeff Driskel as their full time starter, it's likely going to equate to bad news to the team's skill position players in fantasy terms. Even with Chris Moore's breakout performance in this, his seventh year in the NFL, only ten of his 124 receiving yards came on passes from Jeff Driskel, as Driskel had a lowly 5.2 average depth of target on his six attempts and took the ball himself as much as he threw the ball, as six of his seven rushes came on designed runs.

The pecking order got slim after Chris Moore as well, with Amari Rodgers (four) the only other player to log more than three targets during the course of Houston's latest loss. Dameon Pierce —the only consistent fantasy asset in the Texans' offense— has now been updated to a three-week tag during his latest player news injury update, which will almost assuredly finish his fantasy season as well.

In the most important weeks of the season, it's likely best to avoid all Houston Texans pieces, regardless of format.