Jayden Higgins

Jayden Higgins enters the 2026 fantasy season as one of Houston’s more intriguing mid-round receiver bets. After a quiet statistical rookie year, he still showed enough late-season growth that the Texans appear comfortable treating him as the full-time No. 2 option behind Nico Collins, with clear contingent upside if Collins misses time.

The strongest case for Higgins is role-based: he earned more playing time after Week 10 and flashed starter-level usage when given extra opportunity, which is the kind of usage fantasy managers want to see from a young receiver heading into Year 2. Recent fantasy analysis also notes that his rookie production was modest, but his late-season involvement and touchdown upside suggest he can become a useful weekly starter if his target share continues to climb.

There is also a believable pathway to more volume in 2026, especially with Christian Kirk no longer in the mix and with coaching comments describing Higgins as “bigger, stronger, and faster” and projecting a “really great year” based on his offseason work. That said, the Texans still look built around Nico Collins as the primary target, so Higgins’ ceiling is tied to either a meaningful role expansion or an injury ahead of him on the depth chart.

For fantasy drafts, Higgins looks best as a late-round depth target rather than a locked-in starter. Current ADP places him around the 11th round, and that price makes sense for a receiver with a solid size-speed profile, red-zone appeal, and top-36 upside if the offense breaks right, while also carrying a lower floor if target competition tightens or the passing volume remains modest.

Updated 06/08/2026