Nico Collins
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Could Nico Collins be primed for a record-setting season for the Houston Texans
In the 23-year history of the Houston Texans franchise, there have been 11 instances where a Texans pass-catcher put forth a season in which they averaged at least 80 receiving yards per game. 2024 Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Johnson is responsible for six of those seasons. Current Baltimore Ravens wideout DeAndre Hopkins had three such seasons. And Nico Collins, Houston’s 26-year-old stud, has replicated that feat two seasons in a row.
This surely isn’t the first time, nor will it be the last this year that you’ll read or hear about how Nico Collins is ready to go supernova in 2025. Everyone in fantasy football is all over the Texans star wideout. Collins was Matthew Berry’s Ride or Die runner-up, while ESPN’s fantasy expert Field Yates recently stated that he believes Collins has top 3 wide receiver fantasy potential. Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus listed Collins as the most undervalued WR in fantasy.
Over the last two seasons, Nico Collins has not only emerged as the unquestioned number one receiver on the Houston Texans roster… he’s established himself as an upper echelon NFL receiver, on par with the likes of Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb in various statistical categories.
In 2023 and 2024 combined, Collins ranks 5th in receiving yards per game, 2nd in yards per target, and is the league leader in yards per route run, an efficiency stat that tends to be a terrific indicator of how productive a receiver could be assuming all players receive the same volume. And Collins’ volume could very well end up skyrocketing in 2025.
The Path is Clear for a Nico Collins Breakout, But Can He Stay Healthy?
There’s no Stefon Diggs or Tank Dell in the picture taking away Nico Collins’ targets in 2025. It’s a relatively unproven wide receiver room outside of Collins and Christian Kirk. Additionally, without running back Joe Mixon for potentially the entire 2025 season, it’s possible that the Texans will need to lean on the right arm of quarterback C.J. Stroud more often this year than they did last year.
The big question is, will Nico Collins stay healthy enough throughout the season to actually break out? On a per game basis, Collins is one of the most productive wideouts in the NFL. But over the last two years, Collins has missed seven games, and he’s been hampered in a number of contests he’s suited up for. To chase down Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins in the Houston Texans’ single-season record books, Collins will need to play a full 17 game slate, and he knows that.
“I feel like the main thing is, just got to be healthy,” Collins declared after Houston’s postseason loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
What Texans Records Could Nico Collins Break in 2025?
Assuming Nico Collins is able to avoid any injuries that cost him games or even significant snaps, he should end up threatening some of Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins’ top single-season marks this year.
Over the last two seasons, Collins has averaged 85.3 receiving yards per game. Stretch that out over a full 17 game schedule and that equates to 1,450 yards on the season. That would be 148 yards shy of Andre Johnson’s single season record. All Collins would need to do to eclipse Johnson’s 1,598 yard season in 2012 is bump his per game average up by nine yards to 94.3 per game, and he’d become the first Texan to reach the 1,600-yard mark in a season.
DeAndre Hopkins holds the top three single-season touchdown marks in Texans history, with his best season coming in 2017, when he hauled in a league-high 13 scores. That season, Hopkins’ touchdown percentage was 13.8%, which is only marginally higher than Collins’ mark in 2023 (10.0%). Assuming Collins sees an uptick in both targets and receptions, is it out of the question that he could end up with 14 scores in 2025?
I don’t think so, and that’s why in every single fantasy draft I’m in, I’m targeting Nico Collins. I’d advise you — and C.J. Stroud — do the same.