One of the unfortunate byproducts of Deshaun Watson’s awful ACL injury is that Houston Texans receiver Will Fuller is suddenly just a very fast receiver.
Playing with Watson, Fuller was the most dangerous receiver in the NFL.
After making his return to the lineup following a preseason collarbone injury, Fuller put up numbers you seriously have to double-take, they’re so incredible.
The Notre Dame product made his first start in Week 4 and played four games with Watson as his special delivery man. In those four games, Fuller pulled down just 13 passes. But with those 13 receptions he went for 279 yards (21.5 yards per reception) and an astonishing seven touchdowns.
In four games, Will Fuller was tied for the NFL lead in that category. More than half his receptions went for touchdowns, and most of them were of the jaw-dropping variety (like this).
Now that Watson is done for the year, Fuller’s days as the NFL’s leading touchdown maker are done, too.
As a rookie last year, playing with the likes of Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage — the team’s new starter now — Fuller caught two touchdowns.
Two.
And while his blazing speed did come in handy a few times, Watson averaged just 13.5 yards per reception. The big difference between last year and the four games Fuller has played this year is quite obvious: Watson has a rocket for an arm, while Osweiler and Savage do not.
It’s kind of depressing, really. We’re talking about one of the most potent weapons in the entire NFL. And suddenly, it will be left significantly diminished. Through no fault of his own, Will Fuller has gone from fantasy football’s darling to a guy you might want to keep on your bench in the blink of an eye.