One of the week’s biggest matchups is between the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans. The winner will be in the playoffs, while the loser is out. The winner also has an outside chance of winning the division if the Jacksonville Jaguars lose to the Tennessee Titans.
A reason why both of these teams are playing well is they have gotten some great play at the wide receiver position. Michael Pittman Jr. and Nico Collins have both been great this year, but should they be in your fantasy football lineup this week?
Should You Start Michael Pittman Jr. in Fantasy This Week?
With 104 catches, 1,108 yards, and four touchdowns, Pittman has been an outstanding player all year for the Colts. In Week 2 against the Texans earlier in the season, he had eight catches for 56 yards.
Pittman has 10 games this year with at least eight catches and has been targeted at least five times in every single game.
When the Colts lost Anthony Richardson to an injury earlier in the season, there were thoughts Indianapolis might struggle. However, Gardner Minshew has played very well this year, but having a guy like Pittman has made his job easier.
Houston is 25th against the pass (240.4 yards), but they’ve been playing better as of late. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is starting to show the potential the team envisioned when they drafted him third overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has five interceptions on the year, and figures to be matched up against Pittman a lot in this game.
In the end, Minshew has shown a ton of faith in Pittman, and he’s going to throw to him early and often. If you have Pittman, he HAS to be in your lineup.
Should You Start Nico Collins in Fantasy This Week?
Like Pittman, Collins has been outstanding for the Texans this year, as he has 71 catches for 1,102 yards and seven touchdowns.
The third-year receiver from Michigan has taken his game to another level this season. In his first two years combined, Collins had 70 catches for 927 yards and three touchdowns. A huge reason for the breakout performance is that the Texans have gotten much better at the quarterback position, as C.J. Stroud has been phenomenal in his rookie year.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
When Tank Dell was injured earlier in the season, Collins became Houston’s unquestioned No. 1 receiving target.
Collins has had some huge games this year, and one of them was the first matchup against the Colts. In that game, Collins had seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. He has at least four games this year with at least 100 yards.
Indianapolis is ranked 17th in the league against the pass, so there will be opportunities for Collins to have a big game.
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Pittman is the player to start. His projected 16.6 points include a projection of eight receptions and 71 yards. That is a pretty good game for Pittman, but Collins is also projected a solid game with 14.6 points.
If you have to decide between one, then I am going with the optimizer. However, I think both of these guys are going to have big games, and that they both find the end zone.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
