The Houston Texans are one of the pleasant surprise stories for this NFL season. With a 7-5 record heading into Sunday’s game at the New York Jets, they find themselves in position to secure a playoff spot for the first time since 2019. A big reason for the Texans' success this year has been the breakout season enjoyed by wide receiver Nico Collins. If you picked the third-year pro out of Michigan for your fantasy football team, chances are your team is also in the playoff hunt.
Thanks to the arrival of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, Collins has already set career highs for receptions (59), receiving yards (991) and touchdowns (six), and that’s even with him missing the Texans game at Cincinnati last month.
Considering Collins’ success, BetTexas.com, thinking with our Texas sports betting mindset, was curious about where the 24-year-old ranks among other receivers who have exceeded expectations this season. We utilized FantasyData.com to compile the current fantasy rankings of WRs after Week 13 of play in a standard point-per-reception (PPR) league and then found the average draft position fantasy rankings for a standard PPR league before the season. Only receivers ranked in the top 70 of the original ADP rankings were considered.
Top 2023 Fantasy Football League Winners: Wide Receiver
Stats, like you see below, are something that could hold weight in future prop bets if Texas betting apps were available. Here are the top 5 fantasy wideouts in relation to their average draft position.
Collins To Contribute Even More With Dell Out
Since returning from his calf injury that forced him to miss the Texans' 30-27 win against the Bengals, Collins has stepped up his game big time. In last Sunday’s 22-17 win against Denver, he posted season highs with nine catches and 191 yards. Over his last three games, he’s caught 25 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns.
While Collins is catching passes, which adds to his value in PPR leagues, he’s also making them worthwhile. His 16.8 yards per reception average ranks second in the NFL. He’s also sixth among receivers with an average of 90.1 yards per game, and only one other receiver in the top 10 in that category has fewer receptions than Collins’ 59.
And Collins’ production may continue to rise. Tank Dell was lost for the season after breaking his left leg in the first quarter of the Denver game. Dell had emerged as the Texans' No. 2 wideout in recent weeks. While that could mean defenses will be able to focus more on Collins, it could also mean Stroud will seek out his top threat more often.
DraftKings likes the Texans playoff chances, giving them odds of -425 to reach the playoffs this season. That means a $425 bet, if successful, would return a profit of $100. Sports betting is not yet legal in Texas, but BetTexas.com is your source for the latest developments on when that could change in the Lone Star State.
