The fantasy soccer panorama shifts every week, bringing recent alternatives and surprising challenges that separate the ready from the pretenders. Savvy managers know that final week’s efficiency tells solely a part of the story, and diving deeper into the underlying metrics reveals the correct image.
This week presents some intriguing selections. Right here’s perception about key Houston Texans gamers heading into their matchup with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs that will help you craft a profitable lineup.
C.J. Stroud, QB
Does this season really feel bizarre to anybody else?
It does to me, so I regarded into it.
Final 12 months, by means of 13 weeks, 20 instances did a beginning quarterback throw 10+ passes, win the sport, and rating lower than 10 fantasy factors.
That’s a little bit of a mouthful, however it’s principally a have a look at how typically a crew has wanted principally nothing from their QB to get the specified outcome on the scoreboard.
We’ve had 28 this season, an inventory that C.J. Stroud joined for the primary time final week in opposition to the Colts, a sport that noticed him throw 35 passes however end with zero touchdowns.
For the season, he has simply 11 TD passes on 277 makes an attempt, and dealing with the seventh-best purple zone protection within the league isn’t precisely a get-right spot for him.
This protection appears to maintain each sport tight, regardless of how the offense is performing, and which means the teaching employees is proud of Stroud so long as he doesn’t make a significant mistake.
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His aDOT is much like final season (8.2 from 8.3), however the proportion of passes thrown 15+ yards downfield has fallen from 22.9% to 18.8%. He’s choosing and selecting his spots primarily based on the circumstance, and that’s an awesome plan for the Texans.
It leaves us wanting extra, with little path to getting it.
Stroud was fantasy’s top-scoring QB again in Week 5, however that’s his solely top-10 end of the season, and I don’t assume we see that change right here. Regardless of a scarcity of a working sport and a game-breaking receiver, Stroud is on the skin wanting in at streaming choices in every week that has 4 groups on a bye.
Nick Chubb, RB
Woody Marks was dinged up early and returned, however that opened the door final week for Nick Chubb to carry a bit of extra worth than we anticipated, a chance he cashed in on with a four-yard rating within the second quarter.
I don’t assume it issues.
The Texans have made it clear they need the rookie to guide their backfield in a major means, which leaves Chubb with out a position that issues for us. It is a low-volume participant who isn’t used within the passing sport and is just actually good at getting what’s blocked at this level in his profession … and this offensive line isn’t nice at transferring our bodies.
Chubb has been nice to fantasy managers prior to now, however in 2025, he doesn’t have to be rostered.
Woody Marks, RB
Any participant analysis is three-pronged: position, expertise, and scenario.
Working backs that verify not less than two of these bins have a means of discovering their means into our lineup.
I’m not offered on the scenario when it comes to run blocking or respect given to the passing sport being optimum. That leaves position and expertise.
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The position is there and unquestioned at this level. Getting into Week 14, solely 4 working backs have 16+ carries and a reception in every of their previous three video games: Jonathan Taylor, James Cook dinner, Javonte Williams, and Marks.
That’s an inventory that Christian McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Bijan Robinson aren’t on, however Marks is. I say that to not promote you on Marks, however to promote you on the position of Marks. It’s locked in and one thing we are able to depend on (the Nick Chubb landing final week got here as Marks was working his means again from an early journey to the locker room as a consequence of a foot harm).
So now the million-dollar query: is Marks “good”?
The very small pattern that we have now places him on the flawed aspect of common. However we’re speaking a couple of fourth-round choose who has 152 touches in his profession, making any drastic claims onerous to make.
That leaves us at 1-1-1 in my three bins. He has the position, not the scenario, and the expertise dialogue is within the eye of the beholder. For me, that makes him a low-end RB2 with the flexibility to maneuver up 5-7 spots within the rankings when the matchup dictates.
We may see that within the coming weeks (residence video games in opposition to the Cardinals and Raiders await), however I’m not offered we do on Sunday. The Chiefs are the ninth-best protection after contact, rating fifth in common time of possession, giving them the flexibility to carry onto the ball. Marks can do numerous issues, however scoring fantasy factors when Houston is taking part in protection isn’t one in all them.
He’s my RB23 this week, and I count on to be significantly larger within the coming weeks because the matchups lighten.
Christian Kirk, WR
Christian Kirk wasn’t focused on 17 routes in opposition to the Colts, and this misplaced season is formally lifeless after he confirmed minor indicators of life the week prior with 5 catches within the win over the Payments.
This crew likes what they’re getting from Jayden Higgins as a complement subsequent to Nico Collins, and Dalton Schultz has been a dependable chain mover for almost all of the season.
The concept of drafting Kirk, a veteran subsequent to a star WR1 with a complementary talent set, was logical, however at no level this season has he lived as much as expectations, and there’s no motive to carry onto him on the finish of your roster as you construct out your depth for the postseason.
Jayden Higgins, WR
Jayden Higgins is transferring in a constructive path for a crew that’s transferring in a constructive path, a pleasant alignment of priorities, however not one thing that I count on to land him on our weekly radar.
The profile the rookie has put forth is spectacular and will definitely be one I’ll contemplate for subsequent season. He’s a viable depth piece for the ultimate month of 2025 (4-5 receptions in 4 straight video games), however on this matchup in opposition to the fourth-best protection when it comes to limiting deep completions (2.3 per sport), there’s extra draw back in getting cute with a play like this than there’s room for actual reward.
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My Higgins weekly rating (often within the 30-40 vary) has as a lot to do with C.J. Stroud because it does the receiver himself: Are you snug in asking him to assist three move catchers?
I’m not.
Nico Collins, WR
Nico Collins had reached his anticipated level complete in simply three of his first eight video games this season, however he’s now carried out it in three straight, and all of it feels sustainable.
Final week in opposition to the Colts was the fourth time this season that he noticed over 30% of the targets go his means, and it was the fifth time in six video games that he cleared 100 air yards.
Leveraging his athletic profile is one factor, however how a couple of gadget reverse from seen yards out to get him the primary speeding rating of his profession?
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I’d argue it took too lengthy, however higher late than by no means. The Texans are embracing a really sharp plan of getting the ball to their finest participant repeatedly, they usually’ve gained 4 straight. Collins’ finest manufacturing this season may very well be in entrance of him, and whereas that is clearly a tricky matchup, this can be a participant who, on the peak of his powers, is matchup-proof.
CeeDee Lamb scored 24.2 PPR factors in opposition to the Chiefs in the course of the Thanksgiving upset, and that was regardless of Dallas typically disclosing its plan to “go to 88.” I don’t assume the Texans have to announce it; they only have to do it.
Dalton Schultz, TE
No one goes to fall in love with the upside of Dalton Schultz, however I encourage you to take a look at the place greater than the boxscores.
For the reason that Week 6 bye, Schultz has been a TE1 in 5 of seven video games, getting there nearly solely primarily based on quantity 8+ targets in 4 of his previous 5 video games).
This offensive line struggles to run block, and with Jayden Higgins working his means into the WR2 position, the receivers C.J. Stroud is taking a look at most are vertical choices. That signifies that Schultz is, in some capability, their working sport by way of brief passes.
I wouldn’t wager “overs” on his yardage totals, however you don’t want the yards if the receptions are piling up as they’ve for him this season (5+ grabs in 9 of his previous 11).
The Chiefs are going to goal to stress Stroud and take away Nico Collins: sure, their protection is gifted, however isn’t that the right run out for a low aDOT TE like Schultz?
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