Who Should I Start? Nico Collins or Brock Bowers

Friday, January 16, 3:45 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (concussion) has officially been ruled out for his team's Divisional Round matchup against the New England Patriots, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Collins suffered a concussion during the second half of Houston's Wild Card Round win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and has been unable to clear the NFL's concussion protocol this week. His absence is a huge blow to the Texans' offense. Across 16 games during the regular season, Collins hauled in 71 receptions for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns. Without him, Houston will rely more heavily on wide receivers Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins, and Xavier Hutchinson. Kirk emerged as one of the stars of the Texans' win over the Steelers, recording eight receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown. Houston tight end Dalton Schultz, who finished second on the team behind Collins in targets during the regular season, could also be called upon to play a larger role.

Wednesday, December 24, 11:30 AM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) has been placed on Injured Reserve, ending his 2025 season, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Pelissero notes that Bowers has been battling a lingering knee injury since Week 1, and the 2-13 Raiders are now focused on making sure their star tight end is fully healthy for 2026. Across 12 games this season, the 23-year-old recorded 64 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns on 86 targets. With Bowers sidelined, Raiders tight end Michael Mayer is likely in line for a spike in both playing time and target share. Across a two-game stretch in Weeks 6 and 7 with Bowers inactive, Mayer recorded six catches for 60 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. For fantasy managers now left scrambling to fill the tight end position, Mayer could be a solid streamer in Week 17 against the New York Giants.