Who Should I Start? Ja'Marr Chase or Nico Collins


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
18.7 1.0 0.0 6.7 84.8 0.6

Ja'Marr Chase News

Ja'Marr Chase Remains a Viable Overall WR1 Candidate Entering 2026

Monday, July 13, 11:38 AM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase turned in another highly productive season in 2025, recording 125 catches for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns on 185 targets across 16 games. The 26-year-old has now led the NFL in targets in back-to-back seasons, and he should be the focal point of the Cincinnati offense once again in 2026. While Chase's touchdown production fell from 17 in 2025 to eight in 2026, he showed an ability to remain a highly impactful fantasy wideout even in a season where Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow played just eight games. Chase finished 2026 as the WR3 in per-game PPR scoring, behind only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Chase may have the highest floor of any player in fantasy football, making him a logical choice as the number one overall player off the board in redraft leagues ahead of 2026.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
13.9 0.7 0.0 4.7 69.7 0.3

Nico Collins News

Nico Collins Fully Healthy Heading into Training Camp

Tuesday, July 21, 8:49 AM

Houston Texans Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins was limited in organized team activities this spring, but he explained that he wasn't dealing with any injuries, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. "Not at all, not at all. They did that. I listened to the coaches, listened to the GMs, saying yes sir. And they told me to be ready for camp, yes sir," Collins said. The 27-year-old former third-rounder in 2021 out of the University of Michigan has been a Pro Bowler in each of the last two years and has three straight 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, but he has yet to play a full season in his five years in the NFL due to injuries. He missed time last year with head injuries, and he missed five games in 2024 with a hamstring issue. When healthy, he's Houston's clear WR1 for QB C.J. Stroud, and he had 71 catches on 120 targets for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns in 15 regular-season games in 2025. Collins should continue to see a large target volume, but there remain questions about the Texans' offense as a whole, and both second-year wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel should have bigger roles in 2026. Collins should still be considered a WR1 in fantasy, he's on the lower end in RotoBaller's rankings in Tier 3.


Ja'Marr Chase vs. Nico Collins

Still trying to decide between Chase and Collins? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Ja'Marr Chase is projected to score 18.7 points this week while Nico Collins is projected to score 13.9 points.