The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts will kickoff Week 12 in the NFL with a Thursday night encounter at NRG Stadium.
For some fantasy owners, this is the first chance to get into the action of the week. Here are some recommended sits and starts from the matchup.
starts
Colts QB Jacoby Brissett — The former New England Patriots quarterback managed to throw for four touchdown passes in the Week 7 showdown at Lucas Oil Stadium. He gets the best protection in the league with 2.7 seconds in the pocket. Brissett is 4-0 against the Texans as a starter. Let Brissett set the tone for Week 12.
Texans RB Carlos Hyde — Houston’s run game averages 5.0 yards per carry, the third-best in the NFL, and Hyde has picked up the eighth-most first downs in the league with 38, same number as Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette. The Texans will give Hyde his chances to make an impact, even when the game is no longer consequential as seen with last week’s 41-yard run in an already decided game at Baltimore.
Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins — The two-time All-Pro is second in the NFL with 75 catches. The Colts defense knows the ball is headed his way, but Hopkins finds ways to get the job done. Hopkins has caught at least seven passes in his last six games, posting two 100-yard performances in that span. Where it’s a liability to start Hopkins is his yards per reception is down to 7.2, the second-lowest of his career.
sits
Colts RB Jonathan Williams — While Williams had a 100-yard performance last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, it is unlikely he will produce such an effort for the second straight week, even against Houston’s run defense, which gives up 4.6 yards per carry, tied with New England for the ninth-highest in the league. As the feature back, Williams will have to prove he can shine.
Colts WR T.Y. Hilton — While the Texans killer historically has strong games against Houston, even inside NRG Stadium, he is questionable coming off of a short week. Though the Texans expect him to play, there are questions as to how effective he can be. Stay away for this week.
Texans defense/special teams — The Texans defense generally has trouble with the Colts. It is reasonable to assume the Texans can still win the game, even with a poor defensive and special teams performance folks should steer clear of in fantasy. However, there are better defensive and special teams efforts to be had on Sunday, not Thursday night.