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Should I pickup Jayden Higgins or Jaylin Noel as fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 9 of 2025? Read our fantasy football waiver wire outlooks.
The Houston Texans were missing both top wideouts in Week 8 in Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring). But their pair of day two rookie wide receivers from Iowa State, Jayden Higgins and Jayin Noel, took advantage of their opportunities and contributed to one of Houston's best offensive performances of the season in their Week 8 win over the 49ers.
It looks like both Collins and Kirk will be back in Week 9 against Denver, which obviously impacts both Higgins and Noel's outlooks going forward.
So should you pick up Jayden Higgins or Jaylin Noel ahead of Week 9? Let's dive in.
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Jayden Higgins Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
Higgins delivered his best game as a pro in Week 8, catching four of his eight targets for 34 yards and a touchdown. Without top target earner Nico Collins, Higgins stepped up to lead the team in both targets and first-read target share (23.3%). It was easily his highest route share of the season at 78.6%, but it is to be determined if that sticks with Collins and Kirk back in the lineup.
The rookie wideout's highest route share in another game was 57.4% in Week 7, right after their Week 6 bye. The post-bye rookie bump in playing time and usage is real, so it could be a signal of consistent run for Higgins over the second half of the season. It's also tough to say for certain, as Kirk also missed that game.
7️⃣ ➡️ 8️⃣1️⃣
📺 : @nflonfox pic.twitter.com/WXyBCDHWAk
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 26, 2025
But Kirk has predominantly worked out of the slot, while Higgins, as a bigger-bodied type, has run 109 of his 126 routes out wide this season. So Kirk's return could have a bigger impact on Noel than Higgins, which makes Higgins worth adding and holding through Week 9 to see which direction his routes trend and if he can continue to earn targets alongside two established vets.
Jaylin Noel Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
Noel has been productive over the last two weeks despite running only 50% of the team's routes. That limited usage has inflated some of his per-route numbers, but it doesn't take away from how great he's looked in his opportunities. His 30% targets per route run and 3.18 yards per route run are easily the highest on the team in that span, and he's also doing it on routes down the field with a 15.4 aDOT.
Operating mostly out of the slot, Noel will likely see the biggest hit from Kirk's return. His highest route share in the three games where the 28-year-old wideout was active was 34.3% in Week 5. And the Houston coaching staff, for whatever reason, was still reluctant to give him a full route share, as veteran Braxton Berrios cut into Noel's route share out of the slot.
First down factory!
📺 : @nflonfox pic.twitter.com/ySfTXfaF4S
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 26, 2025
The third rounder out of Iowa State showed a real connection with QB C.J. Stroud. His ability to separate in the short area of the field and win downfield is very reminiscent of Colts stud slot WR Josh Downs. Noel may not run as many routes as Higgins in Week 9, but he showed enough to warrant a bench spot through Sunday to see how his role evolves.
Should I Pickup Jayden Higgins or Jaylin Noel For Fantasy Football?
While both receivers present upside cases and the potential to emerge over the second half of the year, there is uncertainty with their roles for Week 9. Xavier Hutchinson is another Houston wideout who hasn't been mentioned yet, but has held a consistent role in their offense, running at least 60% of the routes in every game this season.
Hutchinson also had one of the highlight catches of the week against San Francisco in Week 8. So his sustained involvement, plus tight end Dalton Schultz, in addition to the returns of Collins and Kirk, don't make Higgins and Noel must roster options at this stage.
There is the possibility that Higgins and Noel keep prominent roles alongside Collins and push Kirk to the side. That seems unlikely, considering the Texans went out and acquired him via trade this offseason, but it's worth thinking about. If I had to pick one, I'd lean towards picking Higgins up, as it seems he has the clearest path to a consistent number of routes.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
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