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Fantasy impact: Texans TE Daniels done for '09

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John Juhasz

John is an Editor for the FOXSports.com Fantasy group.MORE>>
 
Updated Nov 2, 2009 6:15 PM ET
     
 
Sometimes, the fantasy football gods can be merciless. They like to yank important cogs off your team when you can least afford to say goodbye to them. Those of you who drafted Owen Daniels probably didn't take him too high when you selected him, but he turned into a major sleeper and overachiever. You had struck fantasy gold since there are only a select few tight ends who are elite for fantasy purposes. After that, there's everyone else, which can pretty much be classified as a mishmash of below-average contributors who you'd never want to own or start. Daniels was certainly one of those elite guys this year. He had 519 receiving yards and five touchdowns going into Week 8. To put that into perspective, Larry Fitzgerald and Marques Colston also have five touchdowns each, but neither of them recorded that many receiving yards through seven games. However, those are the statistical numbers with which Daniels will finish the 2009 season. Daniels tore the ACL in his right knee early in Houston's Week 8 game in Buffalo, and the surgery he's set to undergo will force him to miss the remainder of the season. This is a really tough pill to swallow for Daniels owners. He was producing like a WR1 on some weeks, and the tight end scrap heap you're about to find on your waiver wire while you look for a replacements is going to be kind of depressing. Whether Daniels was really that good or just a product of Matt Schaub's brilliance is up for debate, but it won't take long to get a definitive answer on the matter. So, what are you supposed to do in the mean time? Enter backup Houston tight end Joel Dreessen, who was drafted by the Jets in 2005 and was never a factor for them (or the Texans after signing with them in 2006, for that matter). The Texans travel to Indianapolis in Week 9, and since you're not going to find many better options on the waiver wire, I'm actually willing to give Dreessen a shot and pick him up off the waiver wire. Sure, Schaub didn't have a great game in Buffalo. However, his season has been nothing short of outstanding so far, and the tight end is obviously a major factor in the Texans passing attack. Rather than rewrite the entire passing playbook, I think Texans coach Gary Kubiak will at least give Dreessen a few chances to make plays and find out whether he can make any kind of impact. I'm not expecting Daniels-like numbers from Dreessen this season, but I do think he has the potential be a little better than the typical TE you probably see sitting on your waiver wire right now. You already know what those guys can provide, but Dreessen has never had the full-time gig before. I'd guess that maybe five percent of fantasy players out there know who Dreessen is at the moment, so you should grab him and give him a shot before they do. If it works out, then you might be lucky enough to pick up where you left off. If it doesn't, well, are you really any worse off than you were before?

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