Who Should I Start? Jayden Higgins or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Tuesday, March 3, 5:34 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins put together a strong rookie season, and he's making a push to be the team's No. 2 receiver in 2026. Higgins finished his first NFL campaign with 41 catches, 525 yards, and six touchdowns, including 111 yards and two scores over his final two games. The second-round pick was Houston's third leading receiver behind Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz. He established himself ahead of Christian Kirk, who is headed for free agency this offseason. Other names in the mix in Houston include Jaylin Noel and Tank Dell (knee). Higgins is already ahead of Noel in the pecking order, and he'll likely have an early advantage over Dell given that he hasn't played since the 2024 playoffs due to a very serious knee injury involving his ACL, MCL, LCL, meniscus, and kneecap. The 23-year-old Higgins was the WR47 in PPR leagues last year, which is likely his floor going forward. He has top-30 potential in 2026, especially if quarterback C.J. Stroud is able to bounce back from a down campaign. Higgins is a strong target in redraft leagues, and his buy window in dynasty formats will close real soon.