Who Should I Start? Jaylin Noel or Malachi Fields

Wednesday, October 28, 3:19 PM

Houston Texans second-year wide receiver Jaylin Noel (toe) was placed on Injured Reserve on Wednesday and is expected to miss the rest of the season and undergo surgery for turf toe, a person with knowledge of the situation told Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. It is a major blow for the Texans' offense and for Noel, who was having a breakout year with a team-high 331 receiving yards on 19 catches and two receiving touchdowns. He was also serving as the team's primary return man on special teams. Thanks to the former third-rounder out of Iowa State, the Texans rank fourth in the league in passing yards and second in pass plays of 20-plus yards. Fellow second-year receiver Jayden Higgins (knee) is also out for the year, leaving Tank Dell and Marvin Harrison Jr. with elevated pass-catching roles the rest of the way behind veteran Nico Collins. The 24-year-old Noel will finish his second year in the NFL with a league-high 14.4 yards per target after posting a 26-292-2 line in 17 games as a rookie in 2025. He is now droppable in all single-year fantasy leagues.