Although Nico Collins hauled in a 67-yard touchdown from C.J. Stroud early in Week 5, the Houston Texans‘ WR1 appeared to get banged up on the play. What happened to Collins on Sunday, and what’s his current injury status?
What Happened to Texans WR Nico Collins in Week 5?
Collins immediately headed for the blue medical tent along Houston’s sideline after catching his long touchdown late in the first quarter. After being examined, Collins went to the Texans’ locker room.
Texans WR Nico Collins was the only player with 70+ receiving yards in each of the first four weeks.
He has 78 yards in the first quarter today and this TD. 🚀pic.twitter.com/LbErau6GEE
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 6, 2024
Houston initially announced that Collins was questionable to return with a hamstring injury. However, he was formally ruled out at the start of the second half of Sunday’s game.
Collins was dealing with a hamstring injury heading into last week’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He popped up on the Texans’ injury report on Thursday and managed only a limited practice. However, Collins fully practiced that Friday and played in Week 4.
He was never listed on Houston’s injury report leading into Week 5.
On Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the team considers Collins day-to-day.
It’s hard to overstate how significant a loss Collins would represent for the Texans. He was lapping the NFL in receiving yards entering Sunday’s game; Collins (489 yards) had 103 more receiving yards than any other pass catcher through four weeks.
The star Texans wideout ranks second in the league in yards per route run (3.49) and fifth in team target share (29.1%). Only Malik Nabers, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Michael Pittman Jr., and Diontae Johnson have earned a high share of their clubs’ targets in 2024.
Losing Collins would create a tremendous void, but Stroud still has weapons in Houston. Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell would be WR1s if they didn’t play alongside Collins, while Dalton Schultz is a do-it-all tight end.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said, “I think he is the best receiver in football. When he gets out the game, it definitely is tough on us. A lot of things are predicated towards him and planned for him. I definitely do think we still have a lot of other guys who step up too, so I thought they did a good job doing that.”
Fantasy Implications of Collins’ Week 5 Injury
Collins continued his assault on the league with his 67-yard touchdown on Sunday. He has established himself as the alpha target earner for Stroud in Houston’s potent offense, and his absence would leave a number of impacted parties.
It goes without saying that Stroud’s status would decline. However, thanks to the pass-catching depth the Texans added this offseason, he’s still a starter across all formats.
Dell and Diggs would see their volume increase, but the quality of each look might decline. Dell, an undersized option, would take the bigger per-target look and assume the primary perimeter coverage while Diggs continues to work underneath. Both receivers would grade out in the high-end WR3 tier moving forward.
I’d argue that Joe Mixon, if healthy, becomes the most valuable Texans skill-position player. Houston ramped up its rush rate in Week 1 when the veteran was healthy and would likely lean into the run if Collins is sidelined. You can feel good about inserting Mixon into your lineup as an RB2 once he is cleared.
— PFN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe
