Nico Collins
vs Lamar Jackson

“Jason: Dalton Schultz @ IND Doctor Schultz should be plugged right back into your lineup if Nico Collins misses another game due to a hamstring injury. He posted 12 catches for 140 yards last week against the Bengals, and should continue TE1 production as one of CJ Stroud ’s primary targets. Fantasy Forecast Mark Konezny-Imagn Images LAC @ BUF (BUF-7, O/U 50.5) Andy was tempted to make the Chargers his almost-upset of the week, but the Bills and Chargers have looked too opposite of each other to start the season.”

“Schultz is a must-start as long as Collins remains sidelined. That’s especially true this week against an Indianapolis defense that’s given up over 1,000 yards in two games and just got shredded by Travis Kelce . Beyond that, he appears to be headed for another top-10 fantasy season, something he’s accomplished in five of the last six seasons.”

“Nico Collins is Houston’s unquestioned No. 1 WR — he had the highest true target share, highest route participation and a touchdown on the same drive as his own erased deep shot. Collins commanded a true 12 targets (up from an already team-high 10 official targets) and a 28.6% adjusted target share.”

“Nico Collins – 10 targets, 7 rec Collins is the unquestioned alpha WR in Houston. He set a new career-high with 120 targets last season, and he has yet to play a full 17-game season. If he can stay healthy, he will likely be a target leader all season long.”

“Nico Collins finished eighth amongst all wide receiver options in PPR leagues last season. Collins crossed the goal line on six occasions and hauled in over 70 passes for 1,117 yards.”

“Playing in 15 games last season, Nico Collins had a 21.7% target share, catching 71 passes on 120 targets for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns. This season, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel have another season under their belt. The Texans’ running game should be better with David Montgomery .”

“Nico Collins is a bona fide stud, and we are hopeful that Jayden Higgins will emerge as a startable fantasy asset this year.”

“A healthy Nico Collins will also be a huge factor, as the connection between those two has consistently elevated Stroud's efficiency and touchdown production since coming into the league.”

“Nico Collins was discussed as a receiver whose combination of physical traits and offensive role keeps him firmly in the upper fantasy conversation. The analysis focused heavily on his ability to command targets while also producing explosive plays. There was a sense throughout the discussion that Collins has moved beyond simply being a breakout candidate and now belongs in the tier of receivers fantasy managers can trust weekly.”

“In both of his matchups with the Cowboys, Jackson has run for 181 yards and a TD.”

“Lamar Jackson has a massive ceiling in what projects to be a high-scoring matchup against the Cowboys. Dallas was getting torched by Jayden Daniels before he went down with an injury, which bodes well for Jackson’s outlook in this spot. With his ability to make plays through the air and on the ground, Jackson has the potential to put up a monster performance here.”

“But Jackson has looked far more like his electric self at the start of this season than he did in 2025. By the end of the season, he should be right up next to (OK, maybe behind) Allen as a top-tier fantasy quarterback.”

“Unfortunately, Jackson had arguably his worst season as a starter in 2025. He missed four games because of injury and played part of the year hurt. The superstar finished as the QB14 on a points-per-game basis among qualifying quarterbacks, averaging 19.8 fantasy points per contest. However, I expect a bounce-back season for Jackson, especially with Declan Doyle taking over as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator.”

“If Lamar Jackson can bounce back, Henry could inch back closer to his 2024 production (RB4 in fantasy points per game).”

“With plenty of time to recover from last season, Jackson is a ticking time bomb for fantasy production.”

“Jackson's 2025 performance was marred by injury and a subpar level of play (by his standards). Therefore, while he has tremendous leverage by virtue of the restructure and the $84.34MM cap number it created for 2027, he may want to come to the negotiating table on the heels of a better season.”

“Jackson mentioned that Doyle is running a completely different system from what Todd Monken deployed last season, while there are some concepts from what Greg Roman ran in 2022. Jackson expects more "explosiveness" this season, and Doyle is proving to be a very creative playcaller. "I feel like there's going to be a lot of explosiveness this year," Jackson said. "The way Declan calls plays and his creativity with his mind — how detailed he is — it's mind-blowing. I'm excited."”

“It was only a season ago that we saw Jackson finish as the QB1 with 425 fantasy points. That was his second time surpassing 400 fantasy points, a threshold that Allen has never exceeded.”

“Over his final eight starts, Jackson was the QB29 in fantasy points per game (11.9). He completed just 57.6% of his passes (28th) with 7 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He had the highest inaccurate throw rate in the league over that span (15.8%).”