Tank Dell Set to Return in Week 7 After 10-Month Knee Layoff
DeMeco Ryans says Dell will play against the Giants — his first game since a December 2024 knee injury that cost him all of 2025.
10 months off and a crowded WR room — stash, don't start yet.
- Dell's last game was December 2024
- Returns to practice window opened ~2 weeks ago
- 140 PPR pts over 14 games in 2024
- Texans riding two straight wins after 0-4 start
- MHJ debuted Week 6, Dell joins Week 7
Tank Dell is coming back. DeMeco Ryans told reporters Monday that the Texans plan to activate the receiver and have him in the lineup for Houston's home game against the Giants in Week 7 — Dell's first game action since the severe knee injury he suffered in December 2024.
That's roughly 10 months on the shelf. Dell was designated to return to practice about two weeks ago and will keep ramping up this week ahead of the planned return. The last time we saw him on a field in 2024, he put up 51 catches for 667 yards and three touchdowns across 14 games — good for 140 PPR points.
The timing matters for Houston's bigger picture. Dell rejoins the lineup a week after Marvin Harrison Jr. made his Texans debut, and suddenly a receiving corps that looked thin through the first month of the season has real depth behind Nico Collins. A win over the Giants would be Houston's third straight after that brutal 0-4 start.
Where everyone slots in
Collins remains the clear alpha — he's our No. 43 overall and WR8, with 74 PPR points through four games this season (2026). Harrison Jr. has been quiet in his new home, sitting at WR94 and just 26 PPR points over five games in 2026. Dell walking back into that mix doesn't bump Collins, but it does muddy the target math for everyone below him.
The fantasy fallout
Here's the honest read on Dell's ranking. He carries our No. 8 overall, WR2 tag — but that reflects his 2024 production and ceiling, not a guy who's played zero snaps in 2026. Rankings catch up fast when a player's been out this long, so don't treat that number as a Week 7 projection.
Bottom line: if you're holding Dell, keep holding — the upside is genuine and the Texans clearly want him on the field. But temper the first-week expectations. A receiver returning from a major knee injury into a three-man rotation is a watch-and-see start at best. Give it a game or two to confirm the snap count and target share before you trust him in your lineup.
