Player Outlook
Only Fantasy managers in Superflex/two-QB leagues will have interest in Mills, but perhaps it shouldn't be that way. Despite a leaky O-line and inferior receivers beyond Brandin Cooks, Mills finished 2021 with at least 18 Fantasy points in four of his final five games. He definitely favored his receivers (63.4% of his completions) and running backs (21.6%). You may consider that finish a stepping stone for Mills to eventually hit bigger Fantasy numbers as he's one of three second-year Fantasy-relevant players on offense the team is looking for an improvement from. It's not enough to chase Mills in one-QB leagues, but he's absolutely on the radar as a mid-round pick in formats that can start multiple quarterbacks.
Player News
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Texans coach Lovie Smith said Monday that Mills is the team's quarterback, while offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton used the term "potentially our starting quarterback," Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports. The 2021 third-round pick won just two of 11 starts last season, but both came in the final five weeks -- a stretch where he completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 7.4 YPA with nine touchdowns and only two interceptions. While he may have done enough to earn his shot as the Week 1 starter, Mills doesn't offer much fantasy upside for single-QB leagues, as he rarely runs (18 carries for 44 yards last year) and is stuck on one of the worst rosters in the NFL. The Texans have had a quiet offseason in terms of veteran additions, mostly settling for discount additions like RB Marlon Mack and WR DaeSean Hamilton. They did sign Brandin Cooks to an extension, locking in Mills' favorite target from last year, and the draft will bring more talent after trades netted Houston extra picks in Rounds 1, 3 and 4. The problem for Mills is that one of those picks could be a QB who threatens his starting spot, be it this summer or later down the line.
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Mills completed 23 of his 33 passes for 301 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 28-25 loss to the Titans. Mills led a vaillant comeback attempt, bringing the Texans back from down 21-0 to ultimately lose by only a field goal. He connected with five different pass catchers for gains of at least 20 yards-- two of which went for touchdowns. While Deshaun Watson's future with the team remains unclear, Mills has made the case to remain the starter in 2022 with the opportunity to prove himself as the long-term quarterback in Houston. Though his Week 17 performance was uninspiring, Mills started the team's last five games and averaged 7.4 yards per attempt with nine touchdowns compared to only two interceptions.
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Mills completed 21 of 32 pass attempts for 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 23-7 loss to the 49ers. Mills maintained his recent string of accuracy, finishing with a completion rate above 60 percent for the fourth straight game. The rookie quarterback wasn't able to take many shots downfield, as the Texans' inconsistent offensive line struggled to contain the 49ers' pass rush. The 167 total yards (four rushing yards) were the signal caller's lowest yardage output since Week 7. Mills has shown some flashes at times this season, but inconsistent play keeps him off of most fantasy radars heading into a tough matchup against Tennessee next Sunday.
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Mills completed 19 of 30 passes for 209 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the Texans' 30-16 win over the Jaguars on Sunday. He also rushed once for two yards. The rookie signal-caller didn't put up anywhere as pretty a stat line as in the Week 14 loss to the Seahawks, but Mills was more than serviceable on the road against a division opponent. Mills connected with favorite target Brandin Cooks for both of his touchdown tosses, with the speedster doing almost all the work on the second, a 43-yarder in the fourth quarter. Mills appears to have benefited plenty from the experience he garnered while starting in Tyrod Taylor's stead earlier in the season, but he may have an uphill battle trying to add to his recent solid body of work in a Week 16 home date versus a stingy Chargers secondary.
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Mills completed 33 of 49 passes for 331 yards and a touchdown while adding eight yards on two rushing attempts in Sunday's 33-13 loss to the Seahawks. Mills hit his first 14 passes for 150 yards, including a five-yard touchdown to Brevin Jordan to cap the opening drive. He cooled down after Brandin Cooks was tackled just short of the goal line, missing the next two throws as the Texans had to settle for a game-tying field goal. It was all Seahawks after that, though Mills continued to pile up passing yards with the Houston running game failing to get anything going. Having been named the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, Mills will look to build on this promising performance in Week 15 against the Jaguars.
Recent Tweets
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10:10 pm ET / @McClain_on_NFL
John McClain
Davis Mills says OC Pep Hamilton 'wants the best' out of Texans' quarterbacks https://t.co/SK0Oo2Bpje via @thetexanswire
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5:19 pm ET / @AaronWilson_NFL
Aaron Wilson
Xavien Howard @Iamxavienhoward youth football camp #Dolphins @D1__JW @Raekwondavis_99 https://t.co/B4rFFQnBXv
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5:14 pm ET / @AaronWilson_NFL
Aaron Wilson
Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Raekwon Davis @Raekwondavis_99 at teammate @Iamxavienhoward annual youth football c… https://t.co/oAivLtuU5b
Completed Games
WK | OPP | PAATT | PACMP | PAYD | PATD | PAINT | RUYD | RUTD | FPTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
*1 | JAC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2 | @CLE | 18 | 8 | 102 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 8 |
3 | CAR | 28 | 19 | 168 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
4 | @BUF | 21 | 11 | 87 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | -5 |
5 | NE | 29 | 21 | 312 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 |
6 | @IND | 43 | 29 | 243 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
7 | @ARI | 32 | 23 | 135 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
8 | LAR | 38 | 29 | 310 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
*9 | @MIA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
10 | BYE | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
*11 | @TEN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*12 | NYJ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
13 | IND | 14 | 6 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 2 |
14 | SEA | 49 | 33 | 331 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 19 |
15 | @JAC | 30 | 19 | 209 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
16 | LAC | 27 | 21 | 254 | 2 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 22 |
17 | @SF | 32 | 21 | 163 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
18 | TEN | 33 | 23 | 301 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 33 |
PROJECTION | 530 | 347 | 3581 | 22 | 19 | 63 | - | 227 | |
* indicates player did not play that week |
Scheduled Games
WK | DATE | OPP | OPP RANK | OPP FPTS |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 09/11 | Indianapolis Colts | 23 | 20.06 |
2 | 09/18 | @Denver Broncos | 6 | 16.82 |
3 | 09/25 | @Chicago Bears | 25 | 20.29 |
4 | 10/02 | Los Angeles Chargers | 17 | 19.18 |
5 | 10/09 | @Jacksonville Jaguars | 15 | 18.94 |
6 | BYE | - | - | - |
7 | 10/23 | @Las Vegas Raiders | 22 | 19.78 |
8 | 10/30 | Tennessee Titans | 11 | 18.78 |
9 | 11/03 | Philadelphia Eagles | 16 | 19.00 |
10 | 11/13 | @New York Giants | 8 | 18.12 |
11 | 11/20 | Washington Commanders | 32 | 24.00 |
12 | 11/27 | @Miami Dolphins | 7 | 17.94 |
13 | 12/04 | Cleveland Browns | 10 | 18.53 |
14 | 12/11 | @Dallas Cowboys | 4 | 16.22 |
15 | 12/18 | Kansas City Chiefs | 31 | 22.70 |
16 | 12/24 | @Tennessee Titans | 11 | 18.78 |
17 | 01/01 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 15 | 18.94 |
18 | 01/08 | @Indianapolis Colts | 23 | 20.06 |
Team Trends
Red Zone Trends
Career Stats
Season | CmpPct | PaYd | PaTD | PaInt | RuYd | RuTD | FPTS |
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2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 66.8 | 2664 | 16 | 10 | 44 | 0 | 188 |
3 Year Avg | 66.8 | 2664 | 16 | 10 | 44 | 0 | 188 |
Career | 66.8 | 2664 | 16 | 10 | 44 | 0 |