Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins had a beautiful marriage over the last three seasons, and it seemed sure to continue for awhile. But then Bill O’Brien the general manager struck this offseason, sending Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in a trade for running back David Johnson.
O’Brien doubled down on a bad move, acquiring wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the Rams coming off the worst season of his career. Randall Cobb was signed in free agency, coming off a resurgent 2019 season with the Cowboys. So the Texans will essentially attempt a 2-for-1 strategy to fill the void left by Hopkins.
Watson came in as QB4 in fantasy for the second straight season in 2019. But narrow to Week 16, as Watson didn’t play Week 17 anyway, and he was QB2 last year. As a rookie in 2017, in seven games and six starts before a torn ACL, he was the No. 1 quarterback in fantasy points per game (24.12).
Losing his No. 1 wide receiver, let alone one of the best wide receivers in the NFL as Hopkins is, is not ideal. But is Watson still set to be among the elite fantasy quarterbacks in 2020?
