Deshaun Watson: One of Dynasty’s Great Cheat Codes
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson gets love everywhere for a good reason. His blend of passing excellence inside and out of the pocket combined with his ability to break tackles on the run has made him not just one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but one of the league’s best players.
In 2019, Watson put up his finest season yet, emerging as an MVP candidate for a good majority of the season while also securing his first playoff win after coming back down 16-0 in the Wild Card Round against the Bills. In 15 regular-season games, he had totals of 3,852 yards, 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 413 rushing yards, and seven rushing touchdowns.
These totals gave Watson the fifth-most fantasy points according to FantasyData, and the fourth most for a quarterback (ranking behind Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, and Russell Wilson). While he couldn’t match his 2018 total of points (331.7), he put up more fantasy points per game (21.3 to 20.7).
Simply put, only injuries and the frustrating coaching of Bill O’Brien can stop Watson. Even in his worst games, he’ll find a way to be a cheat code for your dynasty and fantasy teams. Long-time dynasty owners are familiar with how good the face of the Texans is, but when should newcomers draft him?
As usual, let’s intrigue that answer by checking out some of the best of the best from Watson’s third season in the NFL.
Though his running ability isn’t as game-changing as Lamar Jackson’s, Watson is still an excellent runner thanks to a combination of elusiveness and toughness. At times he makes cutbacks on designed runs as if he’s Le’Veon Bell in Pittsburgh, and he’s one of the more challenging players to bring down on the run.
On this option play, Watson keeps the ball and gets to the end zone in a way few quarterbacks in the NFL can. Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus tries to chase after him, but Watson uses a sweet inside cut and feeds the lineman with a turf meal. Any efforts to contain the quarterback end up futile as #4 goes headfirst into the end zone for one of many rushing touchdowns on the season.
Watson’s best run of 2019 came in the Wild Card Round, and this also resulted in a touchdown. He uses play action on shotgun in a two-back set and gets a nice big gap to run through. However, near the tail end of the play, two Bills defenders appear to have Watson cornered.
This is where the quarterback’s strength comes into play. Somehow, someway, Watson grinds his way through the tacklers and finds himself in the end zone for the score. For all of Bill O’Brien’s faults with game management, he at least understands his quarterback’s ability to run and allows him to thrive in these situations from time to time.
But for as excellent as Watson is as a runner, let’s face it; He’s best known for his magical escapability in and outside the pocket.
This play never counted in one of the worst calls of last season. See, Watson experienced what is called a “grasp sack,” where refs will blow the play dead if they consider the quarterback’s safety to be in peril. It’s understandable as it’s used to prevent scary injuries and unnecessary hits, but it’s also an infuriating rule, as evident by the fact that it erased one of the very best plays of Watson’s career.
Watson should’ve been credited with escaping two sacks on this play. His slipperiness and balance allow him to keep the play alive long enough to find DeAndre Hopkins for the touchdown, or at least it would have if the “in the grasp” rule wasn’t enforced. Still, this should be celebrated as one of the greatest highlights of Watson’s NFL career, as it’s a rarity for any QB in the league to be able to make this play.
Soon after that botched call, Watson found himself in a similar scenario where he threw for the touchdown. Thankfully, this play counted this time around.
It’s hard to see in full motion, but this is the play where Watson accidentally got kicked in the eye (if you look closely, the left edge defender, Arden Key, inadvertently kicks Watson after he spins out of his grasp). Just before he can get tackled to the ground for a sack, Watson gets this throw off to Hopkins for what ends up as the game-winning touchdown for the Texans.
It’s a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful play, and it’s made even more impressive considering Watson threw this with one eye open!
While most people are familiar with his magic extending the play, Watson has made the necessary improvements as a pocket passer in his third season, and is more of a surgeon in the pocket now than ever before.
This play occurs just after Will Fuller couldn’t handle a touchdown in the back of the end zone. This time, Kenny Stills is the recipient of this play, but work has to be done so that this can get to him.
Fortunately, that’s exactly what Watson does. He wisely feels the edge pressure, keeps his eyes up, and climbs up the pocket before setting his feet and throwing an absolute dime to Stills for a huge touchdown. Watson’s mechanics are generally smooth, and his refinement as a pocket passer has made all the difference for the Texans offense.
A healthy Deshaun Watson pretty much guarantees the Texans at least ten wins per season regardless of how bad the offensive line, coaching, and defense are. I would not hesitate to draft him in the early rounds of your dynasty draft, preferably somewhere around the sixth round. It’s common for owners to overdraft quarterbacks and get them earlier than that, but perhaps it’s deservedly so because of a player of Watson’s talents.
Watson is easily a top-five quarterback in the league. He’s a special talent who combines creativity with discipline in a way that makes him one of the league’s most complete players and one of its most lethal cheat codes. Don’t miss out on him if you’re starting a new dynasty team.
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