RADIO
Kayshon Boutte Remains Only a Deep-League Flier in Week 3
Houston Texans wide receiver Kayshon Boutte will get another chance to step up for his new team with Nico Collins (hamstring) set to miss a second straight game. Boutte caught three of five targets for 37 yards, tying Xavier Hutchinson for the most receptions and receiving yards of the wide receivers against the Bengals. He gets a favorable matchup against the Colts, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers, but he remains a high-risk play in most formats since he is big-play reliant and is still adjusting to Houston's offense and playbook. In RotoBaller's Week 3 rankings, Boutte is the WR54, indicating he's best left on your bench or waiver wire unless you're desperate or in a very deep league.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Nico Collins Officially Ruled Out for Week 3
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) has officially been ruled out for his team's Week 3 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, per Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. It will be the second straight missed game for Collins, who is battling a Grade 1 hamstring strain. With Collins sidelined in Week 2, Texans wideouts Xavier Hutchinson and Kayshon Boutte were the team's leaders in snaps at the position. Veteran tight end Dalton Schultz led the team with 14 targets, while no other Houston pass-catcher was able to crack 40 receiving yards. In Week 3, Schultz profiles as a must-start tight end, while both Hutchinson and Boutte profile as low-end flex options.
Source: Houston Chronicle - Jonathan M. Alexander
Source: Houston Chronicle - Jonathan M. Alexander
Nico Collins "Very Much in Doubt" to Play Sunday
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) has not practiced this week, and his availability for Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts is "very much in doubt," according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Collins missed Week 2 due to the injury, which also sidelined him for back-to-back practices on Wednesday and Thursday this week. While there's still a chance he could progress to a limited or full status on Friday, it doesn't sound like he's trending in the right direction. That's brutal news for the Texans, who are off to a 0-2 start and would love to get their alpha receiver back for a crucial divisional battle against the Indianapolis Colts. Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, and Kayshon Boutte should step up as the Texans' top receivers on Sunday, but none of them are absolute must-starts in fantasy football.
Source: Ian Rapoport
Source: Ian Rapoport
Nico Collins Not at Practice on Thursday, Slated to Miss Week 3
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) remains absent from practice on Thursday, according to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. Per KPRC 2 Sports' Aaron Wilson, Collins is trending toward missing a second straight game in Week 3 against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts due to a Grade 1 hamstring strain that he suffered in practice last week. Fantasy managers need to keep the Texans' No. 1 wideout on the bench again this week and hope he can return for a Week 4 matchup at home against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Oct. 4. In last week's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with Collins sidelined, newcomer Kayshon Boutte was more involved, catching three of his five targets for 37 yards, but it was tight end Dalton Schultz who was the biggest beneficiary, catching 12 of 14 targets for a team-high 140 yards. Xavier Hutchinson saw the second-most targets (nine), and Jared Wayne surprisingly had seven targets in the passing game. Schultz will be in must-start status this weekend in Indy if Collins is ruled out again, with Boutte being on the flex radar for a second straight game.
Source: ESPN.com - DJ Bien-Aime
Source: ESPN.com - DJ Bien-Aime
Jaylin Noel Building Chemistry with his QB
Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel has been developing a better connection with QB C.J. Stroud, according to what the starting QB told Cody Stoots. Stroud said that Noel brings amazing quickness and is playing faster and faster. With Nico Collins (hamstring) unable to return to practice yet and likely to miss a second straight game, Noel could get a chance to show off that growing connection in Week 3's matchup with the Colts. With Collins out last week, Noel's targets and snap share increased, but he only managed to bring in one catch for 31 yards and added a 13-yard rush. The second-year receiver from Iowa State should have an opportunity to step into a bigger role this season in the absence of Jayden Higgins (knee) as well, but he has yet to put together a big game. The fact that Stroud is praising him speaks to his potential, though, and he's still a sleeper to watch as the Texans look for pass-catchers to step up and produce.
Source: Cody Stoots
Source: Cody Stoots
Nico Collins Not Practicing on Wednesday
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) was not seen at the portion of practice open to the media on Wednesday, according to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. Collins injured his hamstring at practice last Wednesday and did not play in the Week 2 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Texans are hopeful that the 27-year-old is not out long-term, but there is no guarantee that he will play this weekend on the road against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts. Fantasy managers who have Collins rostered should be prepared for a potential second straight missed game. Receiver Kayshon Boutte had a bigger role in his second game with Houston last week with Collins out, and Xavier Hutchinson was also targeted frequently by quarterback C.J. Stroud. Second-year wideout Jaylin Noel will remain in starting three-wide sets if Collins misses another game. But perhaps the safest fantasy floor will belong to tight end Dalton Schultz, who exploded for 12 catches and 140 yards on 14 targets last week with Collins sidelined.
Source: ESPN.com - DJ Bien-Aime
Source: ESPN.com - DJ Bien-Aime
Jaylin Noel Offers Deep-League Appeal
Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel stepped into a larger role in this offense in Week 2. Noel saw an expanded role in the passing attack with Nico Collins (hamstring) on the sideline this past weekend. Noel was targeted five times, but he only managed to haul in one of those passes for 31 yards in the loss. It doesn't sound like Collins is going to be ready to play in Week 3. That should mean that Noel will get another chance to prove himself this weekend. He'll get a better chance to do that against the Indianapolis Colts struggling defense. Noel hasn't given fantasy managers a reason to trust him, but he should be worth a look in deep leagues.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Xavier Hutchinson a Deep-League Waiver-Wire Candidate
With Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) potentially missing another game in Week 3 against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts this weekend, Xavier Hutchinson should be on the waiver-wire radar this week. Hutchinson did not exactly stand out in the box score in the Week 2 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday with Collins sidelined -- he caught three of his nine targets for 37 yards -- but he was targeted a team-high nine times and played 81% of the offensive snaps, which was the most among Houston's pass-catchers. If Collins misses a second straight game this weekend, Hutchinson will be in line for an elevated role again and could be a nice sleeper flex play in deeper leagues against a Colts defense that has allowed a league-high 337.5 passing yards per game through he first two weeks of the season. Through two games in his fourth NFL season, Hutchinson has six grabs on 15 targets for 69 scoreless yards. He is rostered in 5% of Yahoo leagues, so he is widely available.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Kayshon Boutte Looking For Breakout In Week 3
Houston Texans wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was targeted five times and caught three passes for 37 yards in Week 2's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Boutte has yet to breakout for the Texans through two weeks after a lackluster Week 1 performance against the Bills (one catch, 21 yards). The performance last week was even more disappointing with Nico Collins missing the contest with an injury and seemingly giving Boutte a route to more targets and greater role in the game. Acquired from the Patriots, Boutte may still be adjusting to his new team and getting familiar with quarterback CJ Stroud and the passing scheme for the Texans. The Texans do have a favorable matchup with the Colts in Week 3 so it might be worth fantasy managers giving Boutte another try.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Nico Collins Could Miss Multiple Games With Hamstring Injury
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins is already out for Sunday against Cincinnati, and the hamstring injury may cost him more than one game. Collins suffered a Grade 1 strain in practice Wednesday after opening the season with seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets against Buffalo. Aaron Wilson reports the current expectation is that Collins could also miss next week's road game against Indianapolis, though the situation remains fluid. That's a significant short-term hit for a receiver who immediately returned to his usual high-volume role in Week 1. The good news is that Collins avoided a more serious injury. The bad news is that hamstrings can linger, and Houston may choose to be cautious with his return. Sunday is already off the table. If the current expectation holds and Collins also sits in Week 3, fantasy managers could be without him for two straight games.
Source: Aaron Wilson
Source: Aaron Wilson
Jared Wayne Could Get More Work in Week 2
Houston Texans wide receiver Jared Wayne had an impressive training camp and a big preseason, so with Nico Collins (hamstring) unable to play in Week 2 against the Bengals, he could be in line for a bigger role. Wayne earned a spot on the roster this season after spending last year on the practice squad, and the 25-year-old from Pitt played 25 snaps in Week 1, the fourth-most of the team's WRs. He caught his only target for 12 yards, but with Collins joining Jayden Higgins (knee) and Christian Kirk (calf) on the sidelines this week, Wayne could have an opportunity to break out. He's RotoBaller's No. 119 WR this week, making him not worth starting in almost any format at this point. However, the Texans are looking for help at the position behind Collins even when he's ready to return, so Wayne could be worth stashing in extremely deep leagues based on his potential increased workload.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kayshon Boutte Is Set for a Bigger Role in Week 2
Houston Texans wide receiver Kayshon Boutte only made one catch in Week 1, but he'll need to be much more involved in Week 2, since Nico Collins (hamstring) is out. In his Texans debut, Boutte played 46% of snaps in Week 1, which was the third-highest total of Houston's WRs. He only had two targets and made one catch for 21 yards. C.J. Stroud will have to lean on Boutte, Jayline Noel, and Xavier Hutchinson much more in Week 2 after Collins dominated the target share with 10 looks in Week 1. Boutte definitely brings potential as a boom-or-bust deep-ball specialist, and more chances could result in him stepping into a larger role in Houston's offense for the rest of the year. He has a high ceiling without Collins, but he's still only RotoBaller's WR No. 46, so he's still only worth starting in deep leagues or if you are desperate for a FLEX play.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Xavier Hutchinson In Line for More Work against the Bengals
Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson played the second-most snaps of all his team's WRs in Week 1, and with Nico Collins (hamstring) out in Week 2, Hutchinson will have to carry more of the workload against Cincinnati. Hutchinson also had the second-most targets of any WR and caught three of his six opportunities for 32 yards. While Jaylin Noel and Kayshon Boutte will also have to be more involved, Hutchinson could end up leading this receiver group in a tough matchup against the Bengals, who looked sharp in Week 1 against the Bucs. Hutchinson is the No. 69 WR in RotoBaller's Week 2 rankings, so he remains a very high-risk start despite the potential extra work. If you need a flier for DFS or in deep leagues, his potential extra work puts him on the radar, even though he remains high-risk.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jaylin Noel Brings Deep-Sleeper Potential
Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel is an intriguing option for DFS value and streaming in Week 2, since his team will be without star WR Nico Collins (hamstring). In Week 1, the second-year slot receiver played only 30% of offensive snaps but caught both his targets for 53 receiving yards, the second-highest total on the team. Noel had five catches for 63 yards in the one game that Collins missed in the middle of last season, and he could see a huge target increase with Collins unavailable. The Bengals' defense was solid in Week 1 against the Bucs, but Noel could be set for enough volume to still be an excellent value option to consider. Even with more work, though, he's only RotoBaller's No. 64 WR for Week 2, so there's still significant risk along with his upside.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Nico Collins Ruled Out Against Bengals
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Cincinnati, according to Ari Meirov. Collins hurt his hamstring during Wednesday's practice and was limited before sitting out Thursday. He wasn't on the field Friday either. Testing reportedly showed a Grade 1 strain. Collins led Houston with seven catches on 10 targets for 75 yards and a touchdown in the opener against Buffalo, so there is plenty of work to replace. Kayshon Boutte, Xavier Hutchinson, and Jaylin Noel are all candidates for more opportunities. Noel had two catches for 53 yards last week, while Boutte caught one pass for 21 yards in his Texans debut. There isn't an obvious one-for-one replacement for Collins in this offense.
Source: Ari Meirov
Source: Ari Meirov
