KayshonBoutte

News: 2 days agoBoutte said Wednesday that he's been developing chemistry with QB C.J. Stroud since his trade from the Patriots to the Texans on Aug. 24, Cole Thompson of USA Today reports.

Spin: Boutte ended up being the odd man out last month in a New England receiving corps that added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs in the offseason. Prior to their respective arrivals, Boutte was a regular in the Patriots' passing game the last two seasons, combining for a 76-1,140-9 line on 114 targets in 29 regular-season contests during that span. He joined Houston in the wake of Jayden Higgins' torn ACL, so Boutte will be in the mix for looks from Stroud behind Nico Collins and alongside Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel (hamstring) and Jared Wayne to begin the campaign.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Boutte was traded to the Texans in August. Reportedly a cut/trade candidate throughout most of the 2025 offseason, Boutte went on to lead the AFC champion Patriots' wide receiver room in routes and touchdowns while playing 67% of the offensive snaps when active. Despite the generous usage in a good offense, Boutte wasn't a reliable fantasy option, averaging 8.9 fantasy PPG. After seeing a career-high nine targets in Week 1, Boutte didn't clear five in a game the rest of the regular season. The 2023 sixth-round pick has finished in the range of 500-600 yards each of the last two seasons and has yet to produce a top-50 fantasy campaign. Now with Houston, Boutte will compete with Xavier Hutchinson and Jaylin Noel for Houston's No. 2 receiver role behind Nico Collins. Even if he wins that job, he doesn't figure to see enough work to find his way into the weekly flex discussion.