Who Should I Start? Nico Collins or Michael Mayer

Sunday, January 4, 9:47 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (coach's decision) will not play in Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Indianapolis Colts, according to Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. Collins isn't injured, but Houston is resting him in order to ensure that he stays healthy for the playoff run. The 26-year-old finishes his fifth regular season with 71 catches, 1,117 yards, and six touchdowns. So far, he ranks as the overall WR7 in full-PPR leagues, which is the highest mark of his career. His absence on Sunday should create more opportunities for rookie receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. Holding Collins out is an interesting move for the Texans, who could finish in any of the three Wild Card seeds and also still have a chance to clinch the No. 3 seed as the AFC South champion. Even without Collins, though, Houston is projected to defeat Indianapolis. DraftKings currently has the Texans favored by 10.5 points on the road.

Sunday, January 4, 7:54 AM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer should continue to operate in a high-volume role during Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders recently placed Brock Bowers (knee) on injured reserve, ending his season and putting Mayer into the starting role for the final two games of the year. Last weekend, he exploded as the top target in Geno Smith's offense, catching nine of 10 targets for 89 yards. In total, throughout the three games that Bowers has missed and Mayer has played this year, the latter tight end has 15 catches, 149 yards, and one touchdown. A quarterback change is expected in Week 18, though, as Kenny Pickett steps in for the injured Smith (ankle). Pickett struggled to the tune of 64 yards and one turnover in his lone start this year, but he should still be able to support a fantasy-relevant role for Mayer on Sunday. At worst, Mayer will operate as a security blanket in case Pickett struggles to throw the ball deep or needs to get the ball out quickly. As it stands, he ranks as the overall TE8 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 18.