When you think of the best wide receivers in the NFL, you probably think of Justin Jefferson, JaMarr Chase, or Davante Adams. Those guys are tremendous and some of the best in the NFL, no doubt, but there is another receiver that has been underrated for too long and needs to be shouted out. What if I told you that the best WR in football was on the Houston Texans?
QB C.J. Stroud gets a lot of praise for his play early in his career, and rightfully so, but it also helps when you have a guy like Nico Collins to throw the ball to every time you step on the field. Collins is a guy that doesn’t get talked about nearly as much as the trio of guys I mentioned above, but he arguably has been the best at his position this season and leads the NFL in receiving yards (567).
According to Fantasy Points, Nico Collins is the only WR in the NFL that averages >3.50 YPRR against both man and zone coverage. That stands for Yards Per Route Run, and is a great metric at evaluating a WR that is also relatively stable. It's calculated by dividing a player's total yards by the number of routes they run. Nobody does it better than Collins, as he excels against any coverage you throw at him.
Unfortunately for the Texans, he is going to be out with an injury for the foreseeable future, as he just landed on the IR and therefore out for a minimum of four games. That obviously is going to have a major impact on Houston and how effective their offense can be. It also means that other guys are going to have to step up to the plate in his absence, such as Tank Dell and the veteran Stefon Diggs.
Both of them could be viable options this weekend against the New England Patriots, who the Texans should be able to handle even without the services of Collins. They are one of the worst teams in the NFL, but they could get a boost from newly announced starter Drake Maye, a rookie with a ton of potential.
I would assume that Diggs will benefit the most from Collins absence, as he has already seen 41 targets from Stroud over the first five games, which is just four fewer than what Collins has received. He isn’t the same threat that he used to be, but he still ranks second on the team in yards, catches and touchdowns this season. He’ll be the new No. 1 in Collins’ stead.
Dell exploded onto the scene as a rookie last season, becoming a serious down field threat until he injured his leg and ended his season. He hasn’t shown that same burst this season yet, and has already missed a game with an injury as well. Still, he’ll get much more of a look here with Collins being out of the game. He’ll have more opportunities to stretch the defense and do what he does best.
In a game against the Patriots, the loss of Collins won’t be felt as much. But against tougher opponents, he would be sorely missed and is not easy to replace.
Get up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets at BetMGM! All you need to do is CLICK HERE, sign up for a new account, make your first deposit and bet! Don’t miss out!
Related
