Big Board
Board
WR · HOU · Houston Texans · Bye 8 · Iowa State

Jayden Higgins

ADP 11.06 · 126 · Underdog / consensus 2026-08-18

12-team, half PPR, redraft, 1QB

Compare

Last three years

Iowa State · Regular season. College years are labeled NCAA.

YearTeamGRecYdsTDTgtTgt %
2025NFLHOU174152566812.3%
2024NCAAIowa State13871,1839
2023NCAAIowa State13539836

NFL from nflverse regular-season totals. College from ESPN. Target share is of team targets in the games the player played (NFL WR/TE only).

HoldPriced inConviction highData high

Projected Texans WR2 behind Collins.

Staff and depth chart are unchanged.

ADP
11.06 (126)
Target
11.06
Move
0
As of
2026-08-25

What changed

5 real changes. The rest held.

Pass blocking

neutralmedium

Was Ersery / Tytus Howard / 2025 interior

Now LT Aireontae Ersery, LG Wyatt Teller (added), C Keylan Rutledge vs Jake Andrews, RG Ed Ingram, RT Braden Smith (added). Howard traded to CLE.

Teller and Smith in, Howard out. Center is still a camp job.

Run blocking

upgrademedium

Was Howard as the veteran RT; 2025 interior

Now Teller (run-block add) at LG; Smith at RT; Howard gone

Teller is the interior upgrade. Howard leaving is the offset, not a scheme flip.

Pass catchers

neutralmedium

Was 2025 Texans WRs

Now Same core around Stroud

No published WR1-level reset.

Tight end

neutralmedium

Was 2025 TE room

Now Caley is a former TE coach — TEs stay involved

TE usage should not collapse.

Backfield

neutralmedium

Was 2025 backs

Now David Montgomery signed into the room

Montgomery is veteran volume, not a committee wipe.

Continuity

Quarterback

neutralnone

Was C.J. Stroud

Now C.J. Stroud

Locked starter.

Play caller

neutrallow

Was Nick Caley

Now Nick Caley (OC since 2025)

Year two of Caley calling with Ryans.

Head coach

neutralnone

Was DeMeco Ryans

Now DeMeco Ryans

Same HC.

Scheme & pace

neutrallow

Was Caley 2025

Now Caley 2026

Continuity year for Stroud.

Team environment

neutrallow

Was Ryans perennial playoff team

Now Same AFC South favorite range

Positive scripts are the base case.

Vacated volume

Targets
Carries
Red zone
Air yards

No high-confidence vacated-volume number published. Role change matters more than a target count.

Competition added

No meaningful new competition sourced.

This player

Projected role
Projected Texans WR2 behind Collins.
Usage
Complementary receiver behind Collins.
Injury
No Week 1 absence reported as of August 20, 2026.
Contract
Not flagged as a 2026 hold-in.
Camp
Training camp underway as of August 2026. Week 1 is September.

Upside

Teller and Smith in, Howard out. Center is still a camp job. No published WR1-level reset.

Downside

Camp could still change the job before Week 1.

Risks

  • Most of this looks like last year. Watch for a quiet camp role change.low

Sources

No source URLs were returned with this brief.

Notes come from the 2026 coaching and roster board (team sites, NFL.com, ESPN, The Athletic). Hold is the default when ADP already has the news.