JohnMetchie III

News: 2 days agoMetchie caught both of his targets for 13 yards in Sunday's 37-17 win over the Jaguars.

Spin: Metchie played 15 snaps as the No. 4 wideout. He's gotten opportunities in the wake of Noah Brown's groin injury, but rookie Tank Dell isn't losing his grip on a starting role in three-wide sets following a five-catch, 145-yard, one-touchdown performance Sunday. Metchie remains ahead of Houston's other rookie wideout, Xavier Hutchinson, who played only special teams against Jacksonville. Metchie has three catches on three targets for 30 yards in two games this season.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Metchie missed his entire rookie season while being treated for leukemia, but he's healthy and expected to make his NFL debut in 2023. The 2022 second-round pick emerged as one of Alabama's top targets in 2021, posting a 96-1142-8 receiving line while handling 24% of the team targets. He spent half his time in the slot (47% of routes) and was mostly used in the short area (8.4 aDOT). He's on the small side and not super fast, but he's a terrific route runner and profiles as a slot man in the pros. Houston's offense figures to have some growing pains as rookie QB C.J. Stroud develops, but the team's WR depth chart is wide open (Nico Collins and Robert Woods are the top veterans). Metchie, who is only 23, is an intriguing post-hype sleeper worth a look in the later rounds of deeper leagues.