Nico Collins start or sit: Week 1 fantasy football advice

There aren’t a lot of bright spots for the Houston Texans this year, but rookie Nico Collins is definitely one of them. A third-round pick out of Michigan, Collins played his way into a starting role during camp and the preseason. The team clearly thought highly enough of him during the spring to trade a handful of picks to move way up and grab him in the draft. He’s a big receiver, 6’4, who’s got a knack for making tough catches. He’ll certainly get that chance with the Texans this season.

Fantasy Football analysis: Texans WR Nico Collins

With Brandin Cooks entrenched as Houston’s clear No. 1, Collins is expected to be the second option in the passing game. That gives him some appeal in fantasy football on a team that’s going to be playing from behind a lot this season.

The Texans have a good matchup this week against the Jaguars, who ranked among the bottom three in pass defense last year. With Cooks likely to draw the most attention from the secondary, Collins should get some looks. Still, a rookie in an iffy offense that prefers to run the ball makes it hard to predict just how many chances he’ll actually get.

Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation

Collins could definitely turn into a good waiver wire pickup this season and a good stash in keeper formats, but it’s just too hard to know what to expect in Week 1. Sit him this week.