James Houston

James Houston is a 27-year-old LB entering Year 5 with the Dallas Cowboys, boasting a dynasty score of 9.0 and a trade value of 221. His ascending trend is underscored by a 28.0% defense snap share in 2025, up from 2024, and a 5.5-sack finish across 17 games.

Houston’s 28.0% defense snap share in 2025 indicates a growing role within the Cowboys’ west coast scheme. The 5.5-sack finish across 17 games and 13 solo tackles demonstrate a dual-threat capability that scales in custom scoring. The 2025 baseline — 6 TFL and 19 pressures on 241 snaps — shows a defensive line item that benefits from Brian Schottenheimer’s pro-style west coast system.

Houston carried full participation in practice across every reported injury check in 2025, with no missed game time, 17 games logged at a 28.0% defense snap share, and 13 solo tackles. His zone-heavy scheme and rotational role minimize injury exposure.

Snap share continues to climb, with a 28.0% average in 2025 up from 2024. The Cowboys run a zone-heavy west coast system under Brian Schottenheimer, and Houston’s 5.5-sack finish across 17 games confirms a volume profile that rivals other LB2 assets. No LB1 threat exists on the depth chart.

Brian Schottenheimer’s west coast scheme with a run-first mentality is built around Houston’s zone-heavy capabilities — the defense stretches horizontally and expects zone coverage rather than blitz-heavy rhythm. The 19 pressures on 241 snaps reflect designed zone drops and pass-rush opportunities, both of which pay in this scoring format.

Rising Houston’s defense snap share increased to 28.0% in 2025, up from the 2024 season, indicating a growing role within the Cowboys’ west coast scheme.

Ceiling clears 5.5 sacks if pressures expand past 19 and zone drops increase — the combination pays heavily in this custom format with +6 sacks and +0.5 zone drops. Floor tracks near 5.5 given locked 28.0% defense snap share and an unchanged scheme. A mid-season injury is the only realistic path to meaningful regression below that line.