Panic Meter: First Round Wide Receivers

For many fantasy managers who invested their late first or early second round picks in Malik Nabers and/or Nico Collins, there’s no doubt that they’ve been patiently waiting for some semblance of consistency. Nabers currently finds himself as WR9, which would be great if it wasn’t completely buoyed by a 167 yard, 2 TD performance in week two. That week 2 explosion is currently sandwiched by two lackluster efforts in weeks 1 and 3. Collins, on the other hand, has been more consistent, but finds himself as WR21 as the Texans are still searching for their first win. In this article, we’ll dive into how fantasy managers should be feeling about these guys on a scale of 1-10: 1 being no reason to panic at all, and 10 being to sound the alarm, it’s all over.

Malik Nabers: Panic Meter: 5

This rating of 5 on the panic meter is much less about Nabers himself, and much more about the players around him. Despite the Giants investing in their offensive line time and time again, it still remains a major weakness on the team. This, combined with the unknown that rookie Jaxson Dart presents, makes Nabers’ situation one of the murkiest of all first round picks. While his talent is undeniable, and will certainly lead to big weeks here and there, consistency will be hard to come by for an offense that will often be stuck in mud. The best course of action for fantasy managers very well could be to wait for Nabers to have one of his explosion weeks, and then proceed to sell high on him on the trade market. Otherwise, it’s likely that managers will find themselves frustrated with his receiving line more often than not.

Nico Collins: Panic Meter: 4

Collins' panic meter comes in at a notch below Nabers simply because Collins has improved his fantasy score each week. After a dismal week 1, he’s found the end zone in two consecutive weeks. The bigger concern for Collins and the Texans is that CJ Stroud looks much closer to his second year self, as opposed to his rookie season self. Following one of the best rookie seasons we’ve ever seen in 2023, Stroud turned in a lackluster 2024 campaign, and that has continued into 2025. Additionally, it turns out that Houston trading away their best offensive lineman, Laremy Tunsil, to the Commanders this offseason, did not end up helping what was already a weak offensive line. With the question marks surrounding this Texans offense, it’s looking less and less likely that Collins will be able to give fantasy managers a substantial return on their investment in him.