Start Malik Nabers or Nico Collins? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Nico Collins over Malik Nabers in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Nico Collins at 14.8 points and Malik Nabers at 15.5, a gap of 0.7. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. Nico Collins still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player, ADP 22 against 35, and that outweighs a gap this size.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 15.5 fantasy points for Malik Nabers, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Malik Nabers is 74 receiving yards, 5-6 receptions and 0.4 touchdowns (11, 9 and 10 market sources).

Player markets imply 14.8 fantasy points for Nico Collins, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Nico Collins is 66 receiving yards, 5-6 receptions and 0-1 touchdowns (13, 10 and 13 market sources).

That puts Malik Nabers 0.7 points ahead of Nico Collins on the market projections.

Week 9 matchups

Malik Nabers and NYG visit PHI on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

PHI allowed 39.4 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 8 games, the 2nd most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 183 yards and 1.3 touchdowns a game against PHI.

Nico Collins and HOU visit LAC on Sunday at 4:05 PM ET.

LAC allowed 30.3 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 16th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 133 yards and 0.9 touchdowns a game against LAC.

By points allowed to the position, Malik Nabers has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Malik Nabers is not on the injury report.

Nico Collins is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 7, Malik Nabers played 76 percent of NYG snaps, drew 30 percent of the targets, earned 36 percent of the air yards and had 15 percent of the red zone chances.

Malik Nabers, Week 4 against ARI: 51 of 67 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 112 yards, 1 touchdown.

Malik Nabers, Week 5 against WAS: 80 of 89 snaps, 20 targets and 11 catches for 121 yards, 1 touchdown.

Malik Nabers, Week 6 against NO: 66 of 77 snaps, 15 targets and 12 catches for 165 yards.

Malik Nabers, Week 7 against HOU: 48 of 66 snaps, 9 targets and 7 catches for 111 yards.

Through Week 7, Nico Collins played 71 percent of HOU snaps, drew 22 percent of the targets, earned 30 percent of the air yards and had 13 percent of the red zone chances.

Nico Collins, Week 4 against DAL: 38 of 55 snaps, 8 targets and 7 catches for 118 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Nico Collins, Week 5 against TEN: 47 of 66 snaps, 7 targets and 5 catches for 56 yards.

Nico Collins, Week 6 against JAX: 46 of 63 snaps, 1 carry for 5 yards, 5 targets and 3 catches for 74 yards.

Nico Collins, Week 7 against NYG: 41 of 61 snaps, 5 targets and 2 catches for 6 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Malik Nabers played 4 games for NYG and scored 57.1 PPR points, 14.3 a game, finishing WR101.

He caught 18 of 35 targets for 271 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 3 red zone targets and 219 air yards.

He was on the field for 78 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Nico Collins played 15 games for HOU and scored 226.2 PPR points, 15.1 a game, finishing WR8.

He caught 71 of 120 targets for 1117 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 16 red zone targets and 793 air yards.

He was on the field for 77 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 9 calls

• Start A.J. Brown over Malik Nabers.
• Start Amon-Ra St. Brown over Malik Nabers.
• Start CeeDee Lamb over Malik Nabers.
• Start Nico Collins over A.J. Brown.
• Start Amon-Ra St. Brown over Nico Collins.
• Start CeeDee Lamb over Nico Collins.