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The Houston Texans went into last season with what many thought would be the best receiving corps in football and a quarterback primed to break out and win MVP. C.J. Stroud experienced a sophomore slump, though, and Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Stefon Diggs struggled with injuries.
Dell will miss the 2025 season, and Diggs now plays for the New England Patriots. So, how will Collins perform in fantasy football this season?
Nico Collins' 2024 fantasy football statistics
Expectations were sky-high for Collins coming into the 2024 season. In 2023, the receiver collected 80 catches for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. He was expected to take a leap heading into his fourth season after building chemistry for over a year with Stroud.
When Collins was healthy last season, he was effective, but he was limited to 12 games because of a hamstring injury. Before that injury occurred in Week 5, though, Collins' 567 yards were the most in the NFL. Collins quickly got his feet back under him when he returned, and still managed to earn a Pro Bowl nod because of his 68 catches, 1,006 yards, and seven scores.
Those marks made Collins the number 20 fantasy football receiver with 142.6 standard points, according to fantasypros.com. He ranked slightly worse (23rd) in PPR leagues with 210.6 fantasy points.
Nico Collins' 2025 fantasy football projection
Had it not been for injury, Collins likely would have finished 2024 as one of the best receivers in fantasy football. He is back to full health now, so the massive numbers he was projected to put up last year are expected of him this year. Collins is projected to have 98 receptions for 1,346 yards and eight touchdowns, according to ESPN.
Collins is a physical specimen, and Stroud should target him with frequency this season. Diggs and Dell won't be competing with Collins for targets this season, and Joe Mixon has been dealing with injury issues during training camp. That leaves Christian Kirk and rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel as Collins' biggest competition for targets.
Furthermore, a bounce-back season can be expected from Stroud. He had arguably the best rookie season ever in 2023, evidenced by him joining Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only players ever to lead the league in passing yards per game and touchdown-to-interception ratio. Defenses figured some things out about Stroud in year two, but he has likely made the adjustments to retake a competitive advantage, and an MVP-caliber season could be the result.
Fantasy football receiver rankings
Collins will be drafted in the late first round of some leagues, but he still might be undervalued. The Michigan product could be worthy of a mid-first-round pick, yet he might fall to the second round in plenty of leagues. Currently, Collins' average draft position is 13.5.
He is ranked as the number seven receiver and number 13 player overall, according to fantasypros.com. Collins will be slightly better in standard leagues than in PPR leagues, but leading the NFL in receiving yards and/or receiving touchdowns is a legitimate possibility for the number one option in Houston.
Collins' 6-foot-4 frame allows him to be a threat in jump-ball and contested catch situations. In turn, he thrives in the red zone and against man coverage. The receiver also has better speed and route running than many give him credit for. Collins is one of the best possession receivers in the NFL and has had some big moments as a deep ball threat, too.
Drafting him higher in fantasy football leagues than he is projected to go could be a league-winning decision. Ja'Marr Chase is the projected number one fantasy player this year, but the other receivers projected above Collins all have flaws. Malik Nabers and Justin Jefferson have questionable quarterback play on their teams, and Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and George Pickens have more competition for targets.
![Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) can’t haul in a reception before an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/771877852-travis-hunter-bobble.jpg)
