Who Should I Start? DK Metcalf or Nico Collins

Friday, September 5, 7:07 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf will get his first game action with the team in a Week 1 road matchup against the New York Jets. Metcalf is coming off his least productive campaign since his rookie season, though he still averaged an impressive 15 yards per catch in 2024. Now with a new contract and a new quarterback, Metcalf will hope to re-establish himself as a true WR1. This won't be an easy task, however, against a New York defense that ranked top-10 last season in receptions, yards, touchdowns, and fantasy points allowed to receivers. Still, Metcalf's potential target volume is tough to overlook given Pittsburgh's lack of depth at the position. While an explosive outing is relatively unlikely, Metcalf is a viable WR2 or flex play in most fantasy leagues this week.

Friday, September 5, 10:42 PM

Houston Texans Wide Receiver Nico Collins is usually a target magnet, and he could be even busier than usual in Week 1 since the Texans won't have offseason additions Christian Kirk (hamstring) or Braxton Berrios (hamstring) in addition to Tank Dell (knee), who is expected to miss most or all of the season. The rest of the Texans' targets are inexperienced, with rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel possibly getting a chance to step up, along with third-year receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who has just 20 regular-season catches. Collins is coming off his second straight 1,000-yard season despite being limited to only 12 games. He had seven regular-season touchdowns and was a top-10 receiver in fantasy points per game for the second straight year. Without many other proven options, C.J. Stroud could look his way early and often against the Rams. He'll be the focus of the passing game but will also get plenty of attention from the defense, leaving him as a strong starting option in all formats as the No. 9 WR in the RotoBaller rankings.