The Houston Texans (2-3) will host the San Francisco 49ers (5-2) in Week 8. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, specifically regarding WR Nico Collins.
Is Nico Collins Playing in Week 8?
Update: Collins will officially not play in Week 8 due to a concussion.
Collins (concussion) didn’t practice on Wednesday, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
We’ll continue to monitor the Texans’ injury report leading up to kickoff for any changes. You can also visit and bookmark our Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Collins in Week 8?
An apparent head injury (now deemed a concussion) cost Nico Collins the majority of the fourth quarter on Monday night, but was anything really going to change during the final 15 minutes?
He had a chunk play taken off the board due to a penalty early in addition to an inexcusable drop, but after that, he really wasn’t in a spot to succeed based on the type of target he was seeing in Seattle.
With C.J. Stroud fearing for his life, a lot of Collins’ targets were in traffic at best and ludicrous at worst. We are talking about basically jump ball situations, something I don’t mind with an athlete like this if they carry upside, less than 10 yards down the field because the pressure is getting home before he even hits the top of his drop.
Collins finished with 27 yards on 10 targets, his fourth game this season with under 55 yards and the third time this season he’s failed to come down with over 60% of his targets.
These high-risk, low-reward targets are generally a losing formula. We’ve seen Collins’ average depth of target (aDOT) slowly dip in each of his past four games, and with it, all upside is being sucked out of this profile.
You’re starting him because Houston is low on trusted options and Stroud’s reflex is to put the ball in the air for his WR1, but the ceiling is very much handcuffed by this situation. The 49ers have allowed a receiver to reach 11 PPR points in just two of their past five games, putting Collins (assuming health) at risk of another sub-standard performance based on the capital you spent on him this summer.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Cheat Sheet.
Collins’ Fantasy Points Projection in Week 8
Collins is projected to score 0.0 points in PPR formats. This includes 0.0 receptions for 0.0 yards and 0.0 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFSN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Week 8 Weather Impact: 49ers at Texans
Since the Texans play in a dome, there is no weather impact for this Week 8 matchup. Temperatures will be a comfortable 72 degrees Fahrenheit with no wind.
