DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, More Fantasy Outlook After Deshaun Watson Injury

Disaster reportedly struck the Houston Texans on Thursday, and there will be a direct impact on the fantasy value of their offensive playmakers.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported there was "fear" quarterback Deshaun Watson torn his ACL in practice. ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed the injury, noting "tests on-site revealed [a] tear."

Here is a look at how the setback will change the fantasy viability of wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller, as well as running back Lamar Miller. The presumption here is Tom Savage will start considering he started Houston's 29-7 season-opening loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

DeAndre Hopkins

Of the three, Hopkins is the most established star without Watson.

He was a Pro Bowler in 2015 with 1,521 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches, which marked the second straight campaign he topped 1,200 yards through the air. What's more, he put up those numbers with the combination of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett, so it's not as if he needs a top-notch quarterback to produce.

He even tallied 954 receiving yards last year in what was considered a down performance for him.

Hopkins is more than capable of making plays on his own:

While the talent is unquestionable, fantasy players should temper expectations without Watson. Mike Clay of ESPN.com highlighted why:

Hopkins is still a must-start wide receiver in fantasy football as a proven commodity, but he is no longer a top-five receiver option without Watson.

Will Fuller

This is a devastating blow for Fuller's fantasy value given the clear connection he had developed with Watson on the deep ball.

He is averaging 21.5 yards per reception this season and has seven touchdowns on 13 catches. Fuller is fast enough to burn most cornerbacks, and Watson had the arm strength to hit him in stride with seemingly the flick of a wrist.

Hopkins underscored how valuable the connection has been even for himself, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle:

Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports and Sean Koerner of STATS painted a concerning picture for fantasy players relying on Fuller:

Fuller scored in all four of his games with Watson this season and had two touchdowns in three of them. He was fantasy gold even without a high total of receptions because of the deep balls with the rookie.

Those won't be there anymore, making Fuller a flex option at best.

Lamar Miller

While Miller isn't directly relying on the quarterback position for all his fantasy production, this injury impacts the defensive fronts he will face.

Without the threat of the deep passes between Watson and the duo of Fuller and Hopkins, opposing secondaries can creep closer to the line of scrimmage and stuff the box. What's more, Miller's two touchdown receptions this year are tied for a career high, and he was more of a receiving threat when Watson would buy time with his legs and force linebackers up, creating holes underneath:

The Texans were also in more scoring situations with Watson, as Adam Levitan of DraftKings pointed out, so this will limit Miller's red-zone usage:

If there is a positive spin for the running back, it is the fact the Texans will likely try to manage the game and rely more on the rushing attack. That could lead to more carries for Miller, and it is clear he is the one to receive those in the backfield, according to Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus:

Miller is still a running back who tallied 1,073 rushing yards last year and should be in starting fantasy lineups, but his ceiling is now lower.