Who Should I Start? Nico Collins or Ladd McConkey

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.

Sunday, January 11, 5:44 PM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey was an inconsistent contributor throughout the 2025 regular season, but he'll have an opportunity to get back on track by making a big impact against the New England Patriots in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs on Sunday evening. McConkey had 66 catches for 789 yards and six touchdowns through 16 regular-season games, with his lone absence coming in Week 18 as Los Angeles rested key starters. New England ranked near the middle of the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to wide receivers in 2025, but they did allow the seventh-most touchdowns to the position. The best fantasy performance of McConkey's career came against the Patriots in Week 17 of the 2024 season, as he caught eight passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns. New England's defense has gotten much stronger since then, but nonetheless, the second-year wideout will look to use today's game as an opportunity to get back on track.