Houston Texans @ Carolina Panthers

This game features the top two picks from the 2023 NFL Draft in our first look at what is hopefully a long rivalry between Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud.

Both teams are coming off of their bye and will hope their young squads can take a step forward, particularly on the offensive side.

The Texans have been better than expected this season, sporting the fifth-best passing yards per game in the NFL through 7 weeks. Despite their success throwing the ball, they aren’t exactly a run-first offense, as they have the fifth-lowest neutral pass rate in the NFL. The Panthers are more middle of the pack but still rank in the bottom half of the league. 

With a 43-point game total, this isn’t expected to be one of the higher-scoring contests of the week, but there is definitely the potential for fantasy points, especially on the Houston side.

The Panthers' defense has given up 31 points per game, tied with the Broncos for dead last. They have been particularly vulnerable to opposing rushing attacks which gives some hope for Dameon Pierce to finally get going this season. 

Pierce did see a season-low snap share and rush attempt share in Week 6, but he should be back to full strength coming off the bye and could be in line for a monster week if he gets back to the 20+ touch workload he had in weeks 4 and 5. 

The Texans’ offense will also get a boost with the return of Tank Dell this week. With a team-leading aDOT of 12.5 yards, he will bring back an explosive element that should benefit the entire offense.

With all his weapons back, Stroud checks in as the QB10 in the Fantasy Life consensus rankings. Nico Collins is a solid WR2 for the week, while Pierce and Dell are in the flex conversation, depending on your scoring format.

For the Panthers, their 0-6 start is disappointing any way you look at it, but there have been some positive signs in recent weeks, with Bryce Young posting his two highest passing yardage totals of the season in his two most recent games. 

The Texans' defense hasn’t been particularly tough, so the Panthers’ offense should be able to move the ball to some degree which makes Adam Thielen a borderline WR1 in PPR scoring as he has absolutely dominated targets in this Carolina offense.

Apart from Thielen, it is tough to start any Panthers with confidence. The backfield is poised to be a true committee with Chuba Hubbard, the more efficient player on the season, and Miles Sanders working back from an injury that caused him to miss Week 6.

From a betting perspective, the Texans are three-point road favorites, and if forced to bet on this game, I would back them to cover that spread. 

Finally, given the soft rush defenses and run-heavy approach of both teams in neutral game scripts, the under on 43 points is my favorite action on this game.