Nico Collins

Half of each Championship matchup in the AFC and NFC was decided on Saturday, after Seattle laid waste to the 49ers, and the Broncos sent Josh Allen and the Bills home empty-handed. The Denver victory was not without a cost, though (read more about that right here).

The final practice/injury reports for Sunday’s four remaining teams offer a glimpse into what fans can expect.

• The No. 5 seed Houston Texans will be without wide receiver Nico Collins (concussion), who was ruled out for the matchup with second-seeded New England.
• Fellow wideout Justin Watson, newly activated from the injured reserve (IR), is back on the shelf from a concussion he sustained in the wild-card round.
• Houston will have its full complement of offensive players available for the game before the inactives are announced.
• Patriots No. 3 tailback Terrell Jennings has still not cleared protocol from a concussion suffered in December and has not yet been activated. He was expected to suit up this weekend if cleared. Instead, signed/released/re-signed/elevated veteran D’Ernest Johnson will back up Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
• Tight End Hunter Henry has been dealing with a problematic knee injury for weeks, but is expected to be “full go” for the tilt.
• Davante Adams does not appear on the injury report and looks to be fully healthy.

• Matthew Stafford, wideouts Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith, and rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson were all full practice participants, and it’s assumed all four will be active for the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Rams’ matchup with No. 2 seed Chicago.
• Backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo did not practice this week and is questionable. (Ed. Note: Included in case his family is reading.)
• Rome Odunze (foot) practiced in full on Friday after being limited the two days prior. He is listed as questionable for the matchup. However, the injury is a pain-management issue at this point. Odunze is pushing to play, and it is expected that he will suit up.
• DJ Moore has been removed from the injury report after practicing in full on Friday. He’s ready to go.
• No other notable offensive players for Chicago are listed on the report, and both teams are mostly healthy for the game.

5 Houston Texans (12-5) at 2 New England Patriots (14-3) – 3:00 PM ET

5 Los Angeles Rams (12-5) at 2 Chicago Bears (11-6) – 6:30 PM ET

Author: Samwise (@BuyAndSellYou)

The absence of Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell from Houston’s pass-catching corps left the team shallow at wide receiver. The Texans remedy that with the second pick in Round 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft (No. 34 overall) by selecting Jayden Higgins from Iowa State. The high draft capital virtually assures that Higgins will start opposite Pro Bowl receiver Nico Collins in catching passes from C.J. Stroud on Day 1.

Higgins has been a fantasy darling among fantasy managers whose stock has risen throughout the draft process. Higgins logged a 4.47 40-yard dash time and slayed other combine measurables. While a 4.47 is not typical of a massively impressive time, the fact that Higgins is a Collins-like prototype at 6-4 and 214 pounds makes it eye-catching.

The 22-year-old Higgins finished his two-year career with the Cyclones, amassing 140 catches for 2,166 yards and 15 trips to paydirt.

Author: Sam Schneider (@BuyAndSellYou)

On offense, wide receiver Nico Collins, running back Joe Mixon and tackle Laremy Tunsil have all been awarded a Pro Bowl spot. Collins has missed 5 games this year but still has an impressive 63 receptions for 968 yards and 6 touchdowns. He’s averaging 88 yards per game, 4th best in the NFL this year. Joe Mixon, who missed 3 games himself, has 240 carries for 993 rushing yards, 304 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Laremy Tunsil logged yet another stellar season at left tackle – he has only allowed 2 sacks, 3 hits, and 19 total pressures on the year.   

From their defense, the Texans will send cornerback Derek Stingley to the Pro Bowl this year. Stingley has 5 interceptions, good for 6th best in the NFL and is 2nd in the league with 18 passes defended this season. 

Lukasz Stec, @Lukasz_FF01

In a season hampered by injury and in which C.J. Stroud has yet to take the second year leap we anticipated, the Texans have been cautious bringing back the key piece to their passing attack. Nico Collins has steadily increased his snap count from just 32 in Week 11, to 44 snaps in week 12 against the Titans. On only a 65% snap share Collins has already reclaimed his alpha receiver role. He lead the team in Targets (9), Receptions (5), Yards (92) and a Touchdown, which resulted in a WR 10 finish in PPR. And oh by the way, the aforementioned Titans are ranked 1st in pass defense on the year.

Despite their less-than-ideal results, the Texans are in pole position for the AFC south with the rest of the division struggling this year. Expect the team to lean on Collins and Mixon the rest of season, and breathe a sigh of relief if you are able to put Nico Collins back in your lineup to help clinch and hopefully win the playoffs. 

Lukasz Stec, @Lukasz_FF01

Nico Collins has been one of the best receivers to start 2024, but many people still hesitate to put him in the same conversation as Ja’marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. This is likely due to him being a late bloomer in the NFL and not being a blue chip prospect coming into the league. However, his production is undeniable at this point, and he demands to be valued as a tier 1 wide receiver, even in a crowded receiving room with Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs.

Through 4 weeks, he has 489 receiving yards and is on pace for 2,078 yards (which would break the NFL record by more than 100 yards). This currently puts him 103 yards ahead of the next closest receivers, Malik Nabers (who will miss week 5), and Chris Godwin (who already played his week 5 game on Thursday night). While some regression can be expected, Collins is truly in a league of his own right now, standing at 6’4″ and catching passes from one of the best QBs in the game, C.J. Stroud. The freakiest part about Collins is that he’s also 3rd in yards after the catch and is extremely dangerous once the ball in his hands, which isn’t typical for a player size.

Dynasty Managers looking for a top tier receiver should take a close look into Collins’ game, as he possesses a rare combination of size, speed, hands, and route running acumen that no other player does right now. Don’t be afraid to make a strong offer for Collins while there still may be owners who doubt his greatness.