With Thursday Night Football rapidly approaching, fantasy football players will be making crucial lineup decisions for tonight’s contest. With key injuries already affecting both the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants, who are the other guys around the league that can be counted on to come in and provide solid production?
One option you can lock in at the FLEX or WR3 spot is emerging third-year wideout Nico Collins. The 24-year-old has a lot going his way in terms of his fantasy stock.
For one, the target share is there. Collins appears to be the early favorite for Texans rookie signal caller C.J. Stroud, receiving 20 targets in his first two contests. Of those 20 looks, Collins has secured 13 of them for 226 yards and a receiving touchdown. Whether we are talking about standard leagues or PPR, these marks are still solid fantasy production.
The most important takeaway as to why Collins has been receiving more targets is his drastic improvement in route running on all three levels of the passing game. The 24-year-old currently leads all wide receivers in intermediate targets and receiving yards per Kyle Borgognoni of the Fantasy Footballers podcast.
Ya boi Nico Collins leads ALL WRs in Intermediate (11-19 yards) targets & receiving yards. pic.twitter.com/N6EaultzdB
— Kyle Borgognoni (@kyle_borg) September 19, 2023
His prowess doesn’t stop there. At 6’4” with blazing speed and athleticism, Collins possesses the ability to be a threat downfield, while also showcasing a knack for contested catches. With all of these tools at his disposal, it is easy to see why he has been a favorite target of Stroud’s thus far.
Looking at the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team possesses a great deal of talent defensively and ranks in the middle of the pack for fantasy points allowed to wide receivers, at 15th according to ESPN and Sleeper.com. On the offensive side of the ball, the Jaguars possess the playmakers to make this a high-scoring affair. If the Texans fall behind early and the passing game becomes a primary focus, Collins will be a primary beneficiary.
If you haven’t already and need a solid wide receiver option, Collins is the option to roll with.