It’s been a rough season for Christian Kirk ownership in fantasy football. After missing the first two weeks of the season, Kirk returned for the Houston Texans’ past three games. But now a hamstring injury is going to sideline the WR2 for a Monday Night Football matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. Without Kirk, are any of the Texans’ receivers — aside from Nico Collins — worth streaming in fantasy football?
Analysis
There are two names to monitor seriously. First and foremost is Xavier Hutchinson. The 25-year-old has drawn 14 targets in five games, which is the fourth-best mark on the team. Second is Jayden Higgins, the 34th overall pick in this past draft. He’s been involved from the jump and will step up in Kirk’s absence. The Iowa State product playing as a “big slot” has been a boon for Houston in the early going.
But it’s still tough to find production here. Hutchinson was second in total snaps in both games that Kirk missed to begin the year. That snap share only churned out four catches for 59 yards combined. Higgins, who was third in snaps during that stretch, didn’t fare much better with 60 total yards. Neither receiver scored a touchdown in those two games.
Hutchinson did have a strong game in Houston’s dismantling of the Ravens last week, catching two touchdowns. But against their decimated defense, it’s hard to project that carrying over against the Seahawks. Can Hutch or Higgins deliver value as a streamer against this Seahawks’ secondary?
The verdict
Losing Kirk is frustrating, but I don’t see either of his replacements filling his cleats. This Texans’ passing game has not looked good and barely has enough capacity to sustain the values of Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz. If you’re forced to look elsewhere without Kirk, widen your search beyond Houston. Their floor is way too low, and their upside isn’t worth the risk.
