DeAndre Hopkins Poised For Huge Fantasy Numbers Against Dallas Cowboys

By Walton Yeboah-Amoako @WaltYeboah on October 5, 2014

DeAndre Hopkins Start or Sit Fantasy Football Week 5

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Texans have a sure-handed No. 1 wide receiver who goes by the name of Andre — DeAndre Hopkins that is. Right now, whether the conversation is about fantasy football or actual football, it’s pretty clear that Hopkins has surpassed veteran WR Andre Johnson as the No. 1 explosive weapon in the Texans’ passing game. Hopkins is currently ranked 11th overall in the NFL among wide receivers in regards to fantasy points scored in standard leagues, and he can easily crack the top 10 this Sunday, since the Texans will look to dominate the Dallas Cowboys‘ pathetic secondary.

While Johnson leads the team in targets (34) and receptions (22), he still hasn’t found the end zone once this season, but this comes as no surprise since he’s only scored 11 TDs over the last three seasons. Hopkins, however, has quickly developed into one of the most deadly deep threats in the league, with three TDs over the first four games while averaging 16.2 yards per catch. Simply put, Johnson has be come Houston’s Roddy White, while Hopkins has become the Texans’ Julio Jones.

While early-season injuries have afflicted pass-catching RB Arian Foster and TE Garrett Graham, Hopkins has seized the opportunity to become Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s favorite big play target. Consequently, this tandem, coupled with the Texans’ turnover-forcing defense, has led the team to a 3-1 start — a huge improvement after last year’s pseudo 2-0 start, which was followed by 14 consecutive losses due to their nightmare situation at the QB position.

On Sunday, Hopkins will continue to take the top off the defense, while Johnson carries the load as the possession receiver, so expect Fitzpatrick to stay in sync with his second-year speedster in a good old fashion Texas shootout.

If you are fortunate enough to have him on your fantasy squad, start Hopkins as a WR1 or a WR2 at the very least, and expect him to annihilate the Cowboys’ well-documented, porous pass defense.

Walton Yeboah-Amoako is a Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @WaltYeboah, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.