Start Tee Higgins or Nico Collins? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Tee Higgins over Nico Collins in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Tee Higgins at 16.5 points and Nico Collins at 14.9, a gap of 1.6. Drafters take Tee Higgins at ADP 37 and Nico Collins at 22.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 16.5 fantasy points for Tee Higgins, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Tee Higgins is 74 receiving yards, 5-6 receptions and 0.6 touchdowns (13, 10 and 11 market sources).

Player markets imply 14.9 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 (7, 7 and 7 market sources).

That puts Tee Higgins 1.6 points ahead of Nico Collins on the market projections.

Week 9 matchups

Tee Higgins and CIN visit ATL on Sunday at 9:30 AM ET.

ATL allowed 30.1 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 8 games, the 15th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 149 yards and 0-1 touchdowns a game against ATL.

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, Nico Collins has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Tee Higgins is not on the injury report.

Nico Collins is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 8, Tee Higgins played 80 percent of CIN snaps, drew 23 percent of the targets, earned 41 percent of the air yards and had 7 percent of the red zone chances.

Tee Higgins, Week 4 against JAX: 60 of 76 snaps, 16 targets and 11 catches for 157 yards.

Tee Higgins, Week 5 against MIA: 45 of 65 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 22 yards.

Tee Higgins, Week 7 against BAL: 46 of 53 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 148 yards, 1 touchdown.

Tee Higgins, Week 8 against TEN: 65 of 74 snaps, 11 targets and 10 catches for 155 yards, 2 touchdowns.

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, Tee Higgins played 15 games for CIN and scored 211.6 PPR points, 14.1 a game, finishing WR15.

He caught 59 of 98 targets for 846 yards and 11 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets and 680 air yards.

He was on the field for 80 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 Amon-Ra St. Brown over Tee Higgins.
• Start CeeDee Lamb over Tee Higgins.
• Start Tee Higgins over Chris Olave.
• Start Amon-Ra St. Brown over Nico Collins.
• Start CeeDee Lamb over Nico Collins.
• Start Nico Collins over Chris Olave.