DameonPierce

News: 15 hours agoPierce returned three kickoffs for 135 yards in Sunday's 32-27 loss to the Titans in Week 12. He did not play a snap on offense.

Spin: Pierce returned the game's opening kickoff 80 yards to the Titans' 19-yard line, setting up Houston's first score just 18 seconds into the game. He also had a 48-yard return that was negated due to a holding penalty. It was interesting that Pierce did not get on the field with the offense, a unit that produced just 40 rushing yards and a 2.4 YPC. Dare Ogunbowale got the 13 snaps when Joe Mixon was not on the field; however, fantasy managers should not infer that Ogunbowale would be the starter if Mixon were injured.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Another offseason spells increased competition for meaningful work in Houston's backfield. Pierce might have a stake in this trend when we consider he ranked 66th out of the 68 backs with at least 50 carries last season in yards per touch. Given Joe Mixon's established profile and the potential presence of rookie Jawhar Jordan on the depth chart, Pierce is positioned as merely a late-round insurance policy in drafts.