Nico Collins Hits IR | Will Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell, Dalton Schultz and Others Benefit?

Probably the biggest injury news from week 5 of the NFL season was Nico Collins going down with a hamstring injury.

It was originally thought to be a short-term injury, but Collins was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, meaning he’ll miss the next four games at least.

Let’s take a look at Collins’ stats for the season, then look at some other pass catchers on the team who could benefit while Collins is out.

Explore the best in-season fantasy football tool to manage your team and get league rankings with the Fantasy Assistant. Use our  trade analyzer and trade value charts to break down trade scenarios with Fair Trade ratings. Need a fantasy expert on call for waivers specific to your league? Our AI Fantasy Expert can break down any player for you inside the Fantasy Assistant.

Collins’ Season Stats

Collins has been the go-to receiver in the Texans’ offense despite the team trading for Stefon Diggs and having Tank Dell in his second NFL season.

Collins has 567 yards and three touchdowns on the season. He caught 32 of his 45 targets and leads the team with seven red zone targets.

Up until the game he was hurt in, Collins had at least eight targets and four catches in each game. He had double-digit targets in weeks 2-4. He topped 100 yards in three games and has at least 75 yards in each contest. He’s posted above-average fantasy scores each week, and had been one of the best fantasy PPR wideouts in the game through four weeks.

It’s not easy to replace that kind of production, but Houston has the bodies to get the job done.

Other Pass Catchers

Along with Diggs and Dell, Houston also has tight end Dalton Schultz. Robert Woods and Xavier Hutchinson are among the receivers who could replace some of the snaps Collins was playing.

Schultz leads the team with 303 snaps played, but has just 116 yards on 14 catches and 22 targets. 

Diggs has played 289 snaps, going for 315 yards and two scores on 31 catches and 41 targets. Dell is at 137 yards and no scores on 13 receptions and 21 targets.

Woods has just 28 yards on three catches and five targets, while Hutchinson has 34 yards on three grabs and six targets. Backup tight end Cade Stover has 51 yards on four catches and targets across 96 snaps. 

John Metchie III and Steven Sims are other receivers on the active roster right now, while Johnny Johnson III, Xavier Johnson and Jared Wayne are all on the practice squad. 

Pass Catcher Fantasy Outlook

Diggs and Dell are the obvious choices to replace some of Collins’ production, but I think Schultz is being slept on a bit right now and could see his role increase the most after the injury.

Schultz is already on the field a bunch, and that’s a great start to being more involved offensively. I’m not saying Schultz will immediately become a fantasy star, but at a weak position, I think he’s definitely an intriguing starting option until Collins returns.

Schultz is available in about 40% of leagues. If you are lacking at TE, why not give Schultz a try, even if it’s just for a week to start.

Diggs is already owned in all leagues, and has done enough this season to have been starting even when Collins was around. Collins’ absence makes Diggs a must start for at least the next four games.

Dell is owned in most leagues. He’s currently sitting around 92% rostered, which means a few of you can land Dell still. 

Determining whether or not to start Dell revolves around the defensive matchup. The team’s next four games are against the Patriots, Packers, Colts and Jets. The Jets are the only defense that’s above average in slowing opposing receivers in that stretch, so I’d say Dell could be a flex starting option at worst most of those weeks. If he excels in his first game without Collins around, you can definitely keep starting Dell.

As far as the team’s other pass catchers go, I would not consider any of them in standard leagues right now. Woods would be my best guess for the player who steps up, but he’s likely only going to produce enough to be a deep league starting option. I wouldn’t start him until we see at least a decent fantasy showing.

Final Thoughts

So to quickly recap, I believe Diggs, Dell and Schultz are going to benefit most from Collins being out. All three are standard league options this coming week, and beyond if they keep producing. 

I wouldn’t start any other pass catchers this week, outside really deep leagues. Woods is a player to keep an eye on, as is Hutchinson. We’ll see if anyone else steps up in week 6.

Before we wrap up, I just wanted to mention C.J. Stroud and the team’s running backs quickly.

Losing Collins is not ideal for Stroud, but the Texans have enough offensive weapons to still trust Stroud as a fantasy starter until Collins returns. 

Stroud would be helped out if Joe Mixon or Dameon Pierce could return from their injuries. If the Texans have to rely on Dare Ogunbowale and Cam Akers again in week 6, expect the Texans to throw early and often. Mixon and Pierce would be risky starting options this week coming off multi-week absences, but with four other teams their bye weeks, you might be forced into that move.