Nico Collins start or sit: Week 2 fantasy football advice

The Houston Texans came up short in the win column after a 20-20 tie with the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1, and now they head on the road as a tough opponent awaits them in Week 2. The Denver Broncos and their capable defense await the Texans, as their secondary poses a formidable challenge for the likes of wide receiver Nico Collins. Ahead of Sunday’s matchup, we dive deep into whether Collins is a start or sit this week.

Fantasy Football analysis: Texans WR Nico Collins

While the matchup is an obvious factor in deciding whether Collins is a start, his previous production also makes a compelling case. Against the Colts, Collins saw just three targets and he hauled in two catches for 26 receiving yards. His targets were fewer than running back Rex Burkhead, and his two catches matched the output of tight end O.J. Howard, who just recently signed with the team. While Brandin Cooks and Burkhead saw most of the looks go their way, Collins clearly got the short end of the stick.

With Denver’s secondary including the likes of Patrick Surtain II and Ronald Darby, there are a chance Cooks could be shadowed for the majority of the game. That in turn would open many more opportunities for the larger receiving corps, but that is a pretty specific situation to make a start or sit decision on. Denver allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards in Week 1 (177), so the likelihood of the Texans’ receivers as a whole struggling to produce is also a fair situation to consider.

Start or sit in Week 2?

The Broncos defense is already well constructed and they should be more advantageous coming off an upset loss while opening their home stadium in Week 2. There would be more of a compelling case to start Collins if he had a solid debut last week, but the lack of overall targets is a concerning factor. Perhaps he warrants some flex value against a more favorable opponent, but against the Broncos he’s a sit in Week 2.