Texans WR Xavier Hutchinson tallied 3 receptions for 30 yards among five targets in Sunday's loss to the Broncos. That ranked just fourth among Houston players in targets and catches but positioned him ahead of rookie WR Jayden Higgins. The second-round pick caught his only target for 4 yards, losing playing time to the returning veterans at WR.

Houston played without WRs Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring) in Sunday's win over the 49ers. Rookie WR Jayden Higgins took advantage, logging the most snaps of any Houston player at the position and leading the team in routes and targets. Higgins caught four of his eight chances for 34 yards and a TD, scoring from 12 yards out in the middle of the second quarter. Xavier Hutchinson followed Higgins closely in usage and led the team in receiving yards for the game. He posted a 5-69-1 receiving line on six targets, catching C.J. Stroud's other TD pass from 30 yards out.

Texans WRs Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring) are out for Sunday’s game vs. the 49ers. Neither guy practiced all week. Collins should have a good chance to make it back for Week 9, but Kirk could miss more time. Their absences this week leave Houston with WRs Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, and Braxtos Berrios. Higgins and Noel land in WR4 territory in the Week 8 rankings.

Texans WR Nico Collins (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday. He was concussed just two days ago and remains a long shot to be cleared in time for Sunday's game vs. the 49ers. WR Christian Kirk (hamstring) was also sidelined on Wednesday and looks unlikely to play this weekend. That'll leave Houston with Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, and Braxton Berrios atop the WR depth chart. Rookies Higgins and Noel are worth stashing in fantasy leagues of 12+ teams but would be tough to trust in Week 8 lineups.

The Texans opened Monday night's game at Seattle without No. 2 WR Christian Kirk (hamstring injury). They lost WR Nico Collins to a fourth-quarter concussion. And they completed just six passes for the game to WRs not named Collins ... among 49 total pass attempts. TE Dalton Schultz took advantage of the situation, matching Collins' team lead in targets (10) and easily leading all Texans with 9 receptions and 98 yards in the loss.

Texans WR Nico Collins sustained a concussion in the fourth quarter of Monday night's game vs. the Seahawks. It's his first documented concussion. But with just six days to clear protocol, Collins is unlikely to play vs. the 49ers on Sunday. His absence would leave Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, and Xavier Hutchinson as Houston's top three WRs, assuming Christian Kirk doesn't make it back from his latest hamstring injury. Higgins and Noel are worth speculative stashes, but they'd be tough to trust in Week 8 fantasy lineups with Houston's offense continuing to struggle.

Texans WR Christian Kirk (hamstring) is out for Monday night's game vs. the Seahawks. He seemingly injured his hamstring on Friday and did not practice on Saturday. This could very well turn into a multi-game absence. Kirk's absence will mean more snaps and target opportunities for WRs Xavier Hutchinson, Jayden Higgins, and Jaylin Noel.

Texans HC Demeco Ryans said Tuesday that WRs Christian Kirk and Braxton Berrios are "progressing very well" and are expected back for this weekend's game against the Jaguars. Both guys have missed the first two games of the season with hamstring injuries. Kirk was in line to open the year as Houston's No. 2 WR and will probably take over that spot soon considering the team has been slow-playing rookie WRs Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Kirk is worth a roster spot in fantasy leagues of 12+ teams, although we wouldn't want to trust him in Week 3 fantasy lineups.

Texans WR Christian Kirk (hamstring) did not practice on Thursday. That's not a good start for his chances of returning for Monday night's game vs. the Buccaneers. Houston deployed a rotation of Xavier Hutchinson, Justin Watson, Jayden Higgins, and Jaylin Noel behind Nico Collins with Kirk out last week.

Texans WR Christian Kirk (hamstring) is out for Sunday’s opener vs. the Rams. He didn’t practice all week, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggested on Thursday that Kirk could miss more games. His absence leaves Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, and Xavier Hutchinson as Houston’s No. 2 through 4 WRs behind Nico Collins. Noel is the most natural replacement for Kirk in the slot, but it’s unclear exactly how snaps will be divvied. We’d try to avoid the situation in Week 1 fantasy lineups, but Higgins and Noel should be stashed in virtually all fantasy leagues.

Texans WR Christian Kirk (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. It's the first we've heard of a hamstring injury for him, but his Week 1 status is now up in the air. Kirk was set to operate as Houston's No. 2 WR at least early in the season. His absence would free up opportunities for rookie WRs Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. We'll update Kirk's status again on Thursday.

Texans’ rookie WR Jayden Higgins has been rotating with Xavier Hutchinson for the third WR spot when Houston is in 11 personnel, according to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.

The Texans selected Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins with the 34th pick of Round 2 in the 2025 NFL Draft. At nearly 6'4, 217 pounds, Higgins’ experience (and best fit) is at X receiver. Higgins spent his first two college seasons at Eastern Kentucky, racking up 87 catches, 1,151 yards, and 13 TDs. He transferred to Iowa State in 2023 and boosted his NFL draft stock over the next two seasons. His total production (140-2,166-15) closely mirrored teammate Jaylin Noel, another incoming rookie. Higgins led the Cyclones in receiving yards in 2023; he paced the team in catches in 2024. He had a 9.63 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) based on his predraft testing. He also ranked sixth among Combine WRs in 2024 Target Share at 30.6%, and first among those WRs in PFF Receiving Grade with a 90.5. He is currently 22 years old with a Breakout Age of 19.7. He ranked eighth among WRs in our Draft Sharks predraft Rookie Model scoring a 7.24. Our Comp for him in our Rookie Guide is Gabe Davis. If he can develop as a route runner, the 22-year-old could become an early-career starter.

Former Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins made an impact at the NFL Combine running a 4.47 40-yard dash along with a 39" Vertical (92nd Percentile) and 10'08 Broad jump (92nd Percentile). He achieved these while weighing in at 6'4 1/8 and 214 pounds. Higgins has likely locked himself into the top-100 of the NFL Draft.