Start Nico Collins or Rashee Rice? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Rashee Rice over Nico Collins in Week 1.

Nico Collins is priced by the books at 2.8 projected points and Rashee Rice is not priced at all, so we are leaning on where drafters take them. Drafters take Rashee Rice at ADP 17 and Nico Collins at 19.

What the books imply

No sportsbook posted a player market for Rashee Rice in Week 1.

Player prop markets imply 2.8 fantasy points for Nico Collins, with 33 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

Week 1 matchups

Rashee Rice and KC host DEN.

DEN allowed 14.7 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 3rd fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 37 yards and a touchdown against DEN.

Nico Collins and HOU host BUF on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

BUF allowed 40.0 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 8th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 193 yards and a touchdown against BUF.

By points allowed to the position, Nico Collins has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Rashee Rice was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Nico Collins was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Rashee Rice played 8 games for KC and scored 150.1 PPR points, 18.8 a game, finishing WR40.

He caught 53 of 78 targets for 571 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 18 red zone targets and 157 air yards.

He was on the field for 73 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Rashee Rice, Week 15 of 2025 against LAC: 52 of 61 snaps, 11 targets and 7 catches for 51 yards, 12.1 PPR points.

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.

Nico Collins, Week 17 of 2025 against LAC: 44 of 65 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 57 yards, 8.7 PPR points.

Nico Collins, Week 16 of 2025 against LV: 52 of 65 snaps, 9 targets and 4 catches for 59 yards, 9.9 PPR points.

Nico Collins, Week 15 of 2025 against ARI: 49 of 67 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 85 yards, 2 touchdowns, 23.5 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

Rashee Rice scored 9.9 PPR points and Nico Collins scored 21.2.

The call was wrong: Nico Collins outscored Rashee Rice by 11.3.

Rashee Rice, Week 1 against DEN: 57 of 69 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 19 yards, 1 touchdown, 9.9 PPR points.

Rashee Rice finished as the week's WR36 in PPR scoring.

Nico Collins finished 18.4 points above the 2.8 the props implied.

Nico Collins, Week 1 against BUF: 57 of 79 snaps, 1 carry for 7 yards, 10 targets and 7 catches for 75 yards, 1 touchdown, 21.2 PPR points.

Nico Collins finished as the week's WR8 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start A.J. Brown over Rashee Rice.
• Start CeeDee Lamb over Rashee Rice.
• Start Rashee Rice over Chris Olave.
• Start A.J. Brown over Nico Collins.
• Start Chris Olave over Nico Collins.
• Start Drake London over Nico Collins.