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


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
20.1 1.0 0.0 7.0 87.8 0.7

Ja'Marr Chase News

Ja'Marr Chase Not in Uniform on Wednesday

Wednesday, September 2, 2:44 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (knee) was not in uniform and did not practice on Wednesday, according to Gabi Sorrentino of FOX 19 Cincinnati. Chase hyperextended his left knee while trying to catch a pass last week in training camp practice and has not seen the field since. Head coach Zac Taylor said on Tuesday that Chase would be limited this week and that he "feels good about" where the 26-year-old is with the regular-season opener coming on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The five-time Pro Bowler might also be limited in some practices next week, but it does not sound like he is in danger of missing the start of the 2026 season. The former fifth overall pick from LSU in 2021 has five straight 1,000-yard campaigns to begin his career, including a whopping 520 receptions and 54 touchdown catches in 78 games played. With quarterback Joe Burrow healthy and throwing him passes, Chase is still the consensus top overall receiver for fantasy football managers in 2026.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
15.3 0.9 0.0 5.1 73.3 0.5

Nico Collins News

Nico Collins a Fantasy Riser as Large Target Share Continues to Increase

Friday, September 4, 6:09 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins was already viewed as a strong WR1 in fantasy football entering the preseason, but his stock continues to rise now that Jayden Higgins (knee) has been ruled out for the season. Higgins was on the inside track to being the Texans' No. 2 receiver this year, so his season-ending injury creates plenty of vacated targets. Many of those targets will now go to Collins, who was the overall WR8 last year and has been a top-12 fantasy receiver in two of the last three seasons. In 2025, he converted a career-high 120 targets into 71 catches, 1,117 yards, and six touchdowns. The quality of play from quarterback C.J. Stroud will determine Collins' exact fantasy outlook and upside, but for now, we'd expect that the loss of Higgins will boost Collins' fantasy stock. As it stands, he has an ADP of 21.8, which corresponds to the second round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 10th receiver off the board.


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 20.1 points this week while Nico Collins is projected to score 15.3 points.