Amid a brutal rash of injuries and a slight sophomore slump for quarterback C.J. Stroud, the team fell into a bit of a rut, although they still managed to finish at the top of the AFC South and advance to the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
However, they effectively repeated their 2023 campaign, once again winning 10 regular-season games and falling to a clearly superior opponent in the postseason after a promising Wildcard Weekend victory. Hopefully, an influx of talent from the 2025 draft and free agency can help take this team over the hump.
The arrival of new offensive coordinator Nick Caley should help, especially with Stroud and the rest of the Texans' air attack. If he can replicate the success he found as the passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, these three players for Houston could turn out to be steals for the 2025 fantasy football season.
Which Houston Texans are getting drafted the highest for the 2025 Fantasy Football season?
1. Nico Collins
After a breakout season in 2023, Nico Collins was on pace to smash expectations last year before injuries robbed him of a chunk of his campaign. Despite only appearing in 12 games, he still grabbed 68 catches for 1,002 yards and seven touchdowns, finishing as the eighth-highest average scoring wide receiver with 17.8 full-PPR points throughout the first 17 weeks.
With full health and a revitalized offense, there's no reason Collins can't finish as a top-five wideout in fantasy next year. He's currently registered an average draft position (ADP) of 13, ranking as the sixth receiver off the board. Early drafters are anticipating big things from Collins in Caley's new offense, but it wouldn't be surprising for him to rise past even those lofty expectations.
2. Joe Mixon
Like Collins, Joe Mixon was held back by injuries last season, missing three weeks in the early campaign. Still, he proved to be a reliable workhorse for the Texans in his first year in Houston. He racked up 245 carries for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also added 36 receptions for 309 yards and another score.
Nick Chubb's arrival will likely take away a bit of his volume, but having another reliable back on the team could also amplify his explosiveness and lead to more home-run plays. At the least, early drafters aren't too worried about Houston's new running back committee, as Mixon has garnered an ADP of 52.5 so far, ranking as RB19. This is a bit of a fall from 2024, when he was RB15 with an ADP of 38.6, so he could turn out to be a steal in some leagues.
3. Jayden Higgins
Early drafters have high hopes for Texans rookie Jayden Higgins. Due to Tank Dell's injury, the 34th-overall pick could earn quite a few targets coming out of the gates if he performs well in training camp and preseason.
Higgins had a monster senior year for the Iowa State Cyclones, totaling 87 catches for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns. At 6'4", 214 lbs with a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash and a 39-inch vertical, he projects to be a dangerous vertical threat in the NFL. That big-play ability could win drafters quite a few matchups in the 2025 fantasy season.
This sentiment seems to be registering in early drafts, as he's currently registered an ADP of 131.5, making him the 54th wide receiver off the board. That's still pretty low, especially if he can establish himself as the WR2 for the entirety of the season, potentially ahead of Christian Kirk, who's working back from a season-ending collarbone injury in 2024.
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