News: The Eagles signed ex-Texans pass rusher Connor Barwin to a six-year deal.
Analysis: Playing in three seasons with Houston (he missed most of 2010 with a broken ankle), Barwin had 109 tackles, 19 sacks and two fumble recoveries. When the Texans moved to the 3-4 Barwin flourished, leading the Texans with 11 1/2 sacks, but he had only three last season. He's not expected to be productive enough to warrant regular Fantasy use.
News: Texans linebacker Connor Barwin picked up his first sack of the season, which resulted in a safety during Sunday's contest against the Ravens in Week 7. Barwin took down Joe Flacco in the first quarter and finished with four tackles and one pass deflected in a 43-13 victory.
Analysis: Barwin has a fumble recovery, a sack but has yet to record an interception this season. He has 15 tackles through his first seven games and should be viewed as merely a low-end option in the deepest of Fantasy formats moving forward.
News: Texans linebacker Connor Barwin was listed as active as he'll get set to face the Broncos on the road Sunday despite dealing with an elbow injury. Barwin turned in a quiet performance last week against the Jaguars as he registered just one tackle
Analysis: Barwin seems like he is ready to go against the Broncos on Sunday as he'll look to have a bounce-back performance after a subpar game in Week 2. Fantasy owners should view him as a stready source of sacks, making him a viable option in deeper IDP formats in Week 3.
News: Houston linebacker Connor Barwin had full participation in practice again on Friday and is expected to play Sunday against the Broncos in Week 3. Barwin, who is listed as probable, turned in another quiet performance last week against the Jaguars as he registered just one tackle.
Analysis: Barwin seems to be healthy enough to play Sunday as he is looking to bounce back after a subpar performance in Week 2. He'll have a tough task at hand against Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Manning has a rich history against Houston when he was a member of the Colts. Barwin was a steady source for sacks last season, which makes him a viable option in deeper IDP formats moving forward.
News: Houston linebacker Connor Barwin turned in another quiet performance during Sunday's game against the Jaguars in Week 2. Barwin recorded just one tackle in a 27-7 victory.
Analysis: Barwin is looking to build off a career campaign in 2011 but he has not made much of an impact thus far. He has missed chances to bring down two inexperienced quarterbacks in Ryan Tannehill and Blaine Gabbert through two games. He was a steady source for sacks last season, which makes him a viable option in deeper IDP formats moving forward.
News: Houston linebacker Connor Barwin had quiet afternoon during Sunday's opener against the Dolphins in Week 1. Barwin failed to bring down rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill down for a sack as he finished with three total tackles, including one for a loss in a 30-10 victory.
Analysis: Barwin is coming off a career campaign in 2011 as he registered 11.5 sacks for Houston. He missed a golden opportunity to bring Tannehill in his rookie debut. He was a steady source for sacks last season, which makes him a viable option in deeper IDP formats moving forward.
News: Texans DL Connor Barwin collected a sack in Week 15 against the Panthers, raising his season's total to 10.5. He also recorded three tackles in the game.
Analysis: Barwin has emerged in recent weeks as a steady source of sacks. He is worth starting in most IDP formats.
News: Texans DL Connor Barwin, who went without a sack last week after recording four Week 12 at Jacksonville, got back on board with a sack Week 14 at Cincinnati. He also forced a fumble in the contest. Overall, he had five tackles, including four solo. He now has 9 1/2 sacks on the season and 7 1/2 in his last five games.
Analysis: Barwin got off to a slow start this season, but he has become a menace over the last few weeks. He seems to be getting the hang of the 3-4 defense, so if you're looking for sacks off the waiver wire, he's still highly available in Fantasy IDP leagues.
News: A week after recording four sacks, Texans DL Connor Barwin failed to record a sack Week 13 vs. Atlanta. However, he was still disruptive. Barwin was credited with four quarterback hits and two pass defenses. He finished with one solo tackle.
Analysis: The Texans came into the season with high hopes for Barwin, who they considered a player on the verge of breaking out. Well, that didn't happen for the first half of the season, but Barwin is hitting his stride late. He has 6 1/2 sacks in his last four games and is becoming a nuisance for opposing offenses. Consider Barwin a viable Fantasy DL until he cools off.
News: Texans DL Connor Barwin had a dominant game Sunday at Jacksonville in Week 12. Barwin had 10 tackles, including seven solo, with four sacks. He now has 7.5 sacks on the season.
Analysis: Barwin had an outstanding game against the Jaguars, and we hope he can keep it going for the rest of the year. Consider him a potential No. 2 DL in IDP leagues heading into Week 13 against Atlanta.
News: Houston DL Connor Barwin recorded 1.5 sacks of Tampa Bay QB Josh Freeman on Sunday in the Week 10 win. Barwin had three total tackles in the game.
Analysis: Barwin has 2.5 sacks in his last two games and 4.5 on the season for the Texans. He's not much of a tackle guy, however, so his Fantasy value remains low in IDP formats. The Texans have a bye in Week 11.
News: Texans DL Connor Barwin totaled three solo tackles and one sack in Week 9 vs. Cleveland. It was his third sack of the season.
Analysis: Barwin now has a career-high 21 tackles. The Texans pinned him as a breakout player in 2011. While Barwin is making an impact, he isn't quite a breakout Fantasy player. He still has low-end Fantasy appeal.
News: The Houston Chronicle reports Texans DL Connor Barwin said he is healthier than ever as he returns to the field in 2011 after missing most of the 2010 season with a disclosed ankle. He is transitioning to an outside linebacker position under first-year coordinator Wade Phillips, who is moving the Texans from a 4-3 defense to 3-4 scheme. "Just the versatility of the defense is exciting to me," Barwin said. "I think the way you can disguise things is going to really help me with the rush and the drop." Even coach Gary Kubiak is looking for big things out of Barwin. "I thought he would've been a breakout player last year, I really do," Kubiak said. "He's taking to what they are doing, very smart young man. I think there could be many (breakout players) and hopefully he's one of them."
Analysis: Barwin had 4 1/2 sacks as a rotational defensive end in 2009 for the Texans, which was part of the reason the team was excited about his 2010 outlook before he got hurt in the first game. If Barwin keeps his DL eligibility in Fantasy, then he is an intriguing late-round Fantasy sleeper because he could get some decent sack totals as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. If he is an LB in your league, then Barwin might not be as valuable because the tackle totals won't be there.
News: With Wade Phillips joining the Texans as their defensive coordinator, Connor Barwin is expected to move to outside linebacker and rush the quarterback. Barwin dislocated his ankle in Week 1 and was out for the year and had 4.5 sacks in 16 games last year.
Analysis: So long as Barwin heals from the ankle break, he'll have a shot to put up some numbers in 2011. His tackles won't be plentiful, but perhaps he can land a sack every few games and do some damage in between. He'll be worth a late-round flier in IDP drafts this summer.
News: Houston DE Connor Barwin left Sunday's Week 1 game against the Colts with a dislocated ankle, and coach Gary Kubiak said after the game that Barwin is out for the season. Barwin was taken off the field on a stretcher after writhing on the ground in agony.
Analysis: Barwin had the chance to play well in 2010, but now he will be out for the year. Hopefully he can return at 100 percent in 2011, but he should not be owned in the majority of leagues for the rest of this season.
News: Texans DL Connor Barwin, who recorded only one sack in his first 10 games, recorded one Week 15 at St. Louis to give him 2 1/2 over his last four games. The sack was his only tackle of the game.
Analysis: Barwin has upped his production in recent weeks, but he still doesn't get big enough stats to serve as more than a low-end option in Fantasy IDP leagues. You can leave him on waivers in most leagues.
News: The Texans had several defensive players do well Sunday against the Colts, led by rookie LB Brian Cushing, who had 11 tackles and an interception. Bernard Pollard had 10 tackles. Dunta Robinson had seven tackles. DeMeco Ryans had seven tackles. Mario Williams had two tackles and a sack. Connor Barwin had one tackle and a sack. Brice McCain had an interception.
Analysis: The Texans have some solid defensive players in Williams, Ryans and Cushing. Plan on using all your regular Texans in IDP leagues in Week 13 at Jacksonville.
News: Along with adjusting to the size of the players, Texans second-round pick Connor Barwin is receiving a crash course in learning Houston's defense and on improving his technique. His learning curve might be a bit steeper than most rookies after spending just one year on defense in college after being a tight end for the first part of his career at Cincinnati. He immediately excelled at the position, piling up a Big East-best 12 sacks and finishing with 53 tackles. He broke an NCAA record for most sacks in a player's first season on defense. Barwin also starred on special teams for the Bearcats, blocking three kicks in 2008, which may help him get on the field even earlier for the Texans. Kubiak is impressed with his work ethic but knows Barwin has a lot to learn.
Analysis: Barwin is a competitive athlete with great quickness and excellent skills, but he's not expected to play a ton as a rookie and might fit in only on passing downs. He could also sneak in on goal-line plays for the offense. Ultimately, he's only worth a late-round flier in seasonal leagues, but the potential is there for him in the long-term, making him a useful early- to middle-round pick in rookie-only drafts and a late-round choice in dynasty/keeper formats.
