The writing was on the wall for tight end Dalton Schultz when the Dallas Cowboys didn’t give him a long-term extension. Drafting Jake Ferguson meant the Cowboys were ready to part ways. Luckily for Schultz, he stayed in Texas after joining the Houston Texans.

It looked like a lousy signing after the former Stanford standout finished with only 47 yards in his first three games. But since then, he has picked up the pace by scoring a touchdown in his next three games. He has become vital to Houston’s offense, helping the team win three of their last four assignments.

Dalton Schultz has become a steady C.J. Stroud target

While it didn’t take long for C.J. Stroud to prove he is a viable franchise quarterback, his cohesion with Schultz started poorly. The tight end caught only eight passes out of 14 throughs in his first three games. He even had a forgettable season opener versus the Baltimore Ravens, tallying two catches for four yards.

Since then, Stroud and Schultz found their groove. The tight end caught all three catches thrown at him for 42 yards and a score against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He followed it up with a combined 11 receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns in the next two games.

Those numbers translate to an increase in his fantasy production. From 4.7 points in standard mode for his first three games, he had 10.2 in Week 4, 12.5 in Week 5, and 12.1 versus the New Orleans Saints in Week 6. He was in the top 10 among tight ends in fantasy points for Weeks 5 and 6.

More opportunities for Dalton Schultz to rack up numbers

Schultz will be able to keep the momentum going in their next three games. Next on their Texans’ schedule are the winless Carolina Panthers, a team that gives up 9.2 fantasy points per game for tight ends through Week 7. Establishing their rushing offense against the second-worst team in stopping the run will create more opportunities for Stroud and Schultz to link up.

After which, the Texans will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9. While the Buccaneers surrender only 7.6 fantasy points per game to tight ends, they give up 246.7 passing yards per game, the sixth-worst league average.

Capping off their next three games is a trip to the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that gave up 11.7 points per game to tight ends, the sixth-most in the league. These numbers indicate great opportunities for Dalton Schultz to pour in the points. Doing so can help him establish new career highs in receptions and yards.

- Lance Fernandez