Nico Collins has been the talk of fantasy football circles this week, and for good reason. After leaving Houston fans with some concern following Week 7, his status for the upcoming matchup remains a major storyline. The Texans’ offense has missed his explosiveness, and managers are eager to see if he’s trending toward suiting up.
Keep an eye on practice reports. This update could shift plenty of fantasy football lineups heading into Week 9.
Nico Collins Injury Update
Collins suffered a concussion in the Houston Texans’ Week 7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. That game was played on a Monday night, which made it difficult for Collins to progress through the concussion protocol and return to action in Week 8.
Collins has not had any setbacks and is expected to be ready for Week 9’s matchup against the Denver Broncos. Like any concussion, monitor Collins’ practice status to ensure he can return to the field. He was seen practicing on Wednesday, an ideal first step.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Dan Fornek
Collins Fantasy Outlook
As expected, the late concussion in Week 7 prevented Collins from taking the field last week against the 49ers.
The quality of looks has been a problem for Houston’s star, but the general role hasn’t been, and that’s why he is still a no-brainer start for me when healthy, something that has been the case for the vast majority of players a week after a DNP from a concussion.
For his career, Collins owns an 11.6-yard aDOT and a 24.8% on-field target share. This season, those numbers are 11.4 and 26.3% respectively, usage that I’ll trust given the upside in this profile.
Is this matchup great? Of course not. Is his supporting cast great? Not even close.
Is he one of the few players who can overcome that and punish you for doubting him?
For me, unquestionably yes. If the Texans are comfortable enough with his health, I’ll downgrade Collins a touch for the matchup, but not nearly enough to justify any actionable change on your part.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Kyle Soppe
