Dalton Schultz — 2026 Fantasy Outlook

Schultz got off to a promising start in 2022 with seven catches for 62 yards in the opener for Dallas, then went largely quiet over the next five games (just two catches for 18 yards on eight targets, two zero-catch outings, and two missed starts due to a knee injury). He rebounded strongly over the final 13 games, including the postseason, tallying 60 catches for 619 yards and eight touchdowns on 90 targets. His three best fantasy performances all featured two-touchdown efforts.

His first season in Houston was a mixed bag. Schultz delivered one standout game (10 catches, 130 yards, and a touchdown) and reached double digits in fantasy points six other times, but his down days were genuinely damaging for fantasy managers (he had six appearances with two catches or fewer). Schultz finished 10th among tight ends in PPR scoring with 151.50 points.

2024 was his least productive stretch over five years despite playing on 77.8% of Houston's snaps, up from 66.4% the year prior. Across 19 starts, including the postseason, Schultz failed to reach 10.00 fantasy points in 17 appearances. His only worthwhile outings came in Week 13 (five catches, 61 yards, and a touchdown) and Week 16 (five catches, 45 yards, and a touchdown), a thin return for a tight end who saw that level of playing time.

Surprisingly, Schultz climbed off the fantasy mat last year to set career highs in catches (82) and targets (106), resulting in his second-highest total in receiving yards (777). He had weakness in scoring (three TDs) and his yards per catch (9.5).

His rebound season lifted Schultz to 10th in tight end PPR scoring (177.70) while finishing with nine double-digit fantasy days (5/60, 9/98, 6/77, 7/53/1, 6/51, 7/55, 8/76/1, 5/35/1, and 4/73). On the downside, Schultz had four targets or fewer in six of his final nine starts, a potential foreshadowing of his 2026 opportunity.

I view him as a 60-catch player who has a chance to deliver close to 600 receiving yards with low scoring, putting him in matchup-only mode as a TE2. The presence of Klare should present more of a problem over the back half of the season. Houston extended Schultz’s contract in March ($12.6 million for 2027), which shows their commitment to him.