Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans
Final Score: Texans 16, Titans 13
Writer: Brett Ford (@FadeThatMan)
A classic AFC South struggle between the Texans and Titans played just about as advertised. While the home team got out to a double-digit lead, the Texans fought back just enough to give kicker Matthew Wright a chance at a game-winning field goal as time expired, and he delivered. There are very few fantasy implications in this game, but we’re here to break them down nonetheless. Let’s dive in.
Two Up
- Nico Collins – Davis Mills’ favorite target pulled in a huge touchdown to help the Texans earn the win.
- Woody Marks – At this point, he can be considered the undisputed RB1 in Houston.
Two Down
- Tony Pollard – Pollard averaged just 2.0 yards per touch. And you wonder why he’s losing snaps to Spears.
- Titans WRs – Of the Titans’ top three receivers (Dike, Ridley, Ayomanor), two of them suffered in-game injuries while they all combined for just five receptions and under 40 yards.
Houston Texans
Quarterback
Davis Mills: 26/41, 274 Yards, TD | 2 Carries, 14 Yards
Any game that Mills is asked to throw the ball more than 40 times is probably not a good game for the Houston Texans, but Mills did just enough to get them the win. His best throw of the game – maybe the best throw of his career – came on the Texans’ go-ahead drive at the end of the game, floating the ball over a defender and dropping it just in front of another one to find a tightly covered Collins as he toe-tapped the sideline for a huge third down conversion to set up the game-winning field goal.
Davis Mills is elite. pic.twitter.com/MD7jOeoZ50
— Keylow (@TheyHoedMe) November 16, 2025
Running Back
Woody Marks: 18 Carries, 44 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
It wasn’t pretty; in fact, it was pretty ugly. But the good news for fantasy managers is that Marks is the clear and undisputed RB1 in the Texans’ offense. He played 65% of the offensive snaps, but more importantly, earned six times the opportunities as Chubb. The baton has been passed, and I don’t see Marks handing it back any time soon.
Nick Chubb: 3 Carries, 17 Yards | 2 Targets
Chubb has been relegated to merely a spell back to give Marks a breather when he needs it. Not much appeal for fantasy here, which is a shame because Chubb has overcome so much to get back to health for this year.
Dare Ogunbowale: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Nico Collins: 10 Targets, 9 Receptions, 92 Yards, TD
Collins has been Mills’ favorite target since taking over under center, with 16 receptions on 25 targets, 228 yards, and a score in the two games that Mills has played. If Mills continues to start, Collins will continue to see a boost in his production because the backup quarterback loves targeting the most talented receiver on the field so much.
what every Nico Collins manager was waiting for
TOUCHDOWN!!!!!pic.twitter.com/ZmRDHy2Wzy
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) November 16, 2025
Dalton Schultz: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 51 Yards
There’s something to be said for being a reliable safety valve tight end. Schultz has filled the role admirably, serving as an excellent check-down and short-route option for his quarterback, as well as a low-risk streaming option for fantasy managers. Maybe one of these weeks he’ll find the end zone, but even if he doesn’t, the volume alone is enough to consider him as a bye week replacement.
Jayden Higgins: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 55 Yards
Xavier Hutchinson: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 42 Yards
Higgins saw his highest snap share in a game that Collins was healthy, playing 43 of the 70 offensive snaps. He ran 27 routes (three more than Hutchinson) and pulled in four receptions for 55 yards. Hutchinson continues to see the rookie eat into his playing time and could continue to lose snaps to Higgins as the season progresses.
Christian Kirk: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Jaylin Noel: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 12 Yards
Of the two slot receivers, Kirk played twice as many snaps as Noel and was targeted more frequently than the rookie. Though the Texans leaned heavily on Marks and Higgins, it appears that Kirk is holding off the changing of the guard at slot receiver, at least for now.
Tennessee Titans
Quarterback
Cam Ward: 24/37, 194 Yards, TD | 3 Carries, 33 Yards, Fumble (Lost)
To Cam Ward‘s credit, he did his absolute best to will the Titans to victory with a long touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, capped off by a pass to Van Jefferson with under two minutes to play. Ward added a few nice scrambles on the day to boost his production, but he was still unable to reach 200 yards passing and struggled to move the ball in an offense that admittedly lost several pieces t0 injury throughout the afternoon. Ward isn’t close to fantasy relevance, even in Superflex leagues, but this game was a small step in the right direction.
Running Back
Tony Pollard: 10 Carries, 22 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 4 Yards
Tyjae Spears: 4 Carries, 3 Yards | 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 31 Yards
A wildly inefficient day at the offense for the Titans’ backfield, though that isn’t surprising given they were going up against a formidable Texans front seven. While Tony Pollard shouldered most of the load in terms of carries, it was once again Tyjae Spears who provided the more explosive plays. Neither are recommended starts in most formats, but if you’re in a pinch in deeper leagues, Spears is the better bet right now.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Chig Okonkwo: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 56 Yards
Okonkwo’s most impactful play of the game came on the most important drive of Tennessee’s day as he out-raced the coverage and came down with a 39-yard reception down the sideline on 3rd & long with the Titans down seven within the two-minute warning. Coming into the game, Okonkwo was the team leader in receptions, but that didn’t translate to much production throughout the first 58 minutes of the game, with Chig only coming down with two catches on two targets for 17 yards.
No better time for Cam Ward and the #Titans to uncork their biggest gain of the day.
Chig Okonkwo sets up the game-tying score, which Ward throws for his sixth touchdown this season.pic.twitter.com/Wu5x6syz2h
— Blaine Kellar (@sports_bk) November 16, 2025
Gunnar Helm: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 29 Yards
Helm has been one of the most reliable pieces of this Tennessee offense, pulling in receptions on 23 of his 29 targets so far this season. He remains a short-yardage option for Ward, who needs someone underneath to separate if his wide receivers aren’t going to do it consistently.
Van Jefferson: 7 Targets, 3 Receptions, 22 Yards, TD
Jefferson played the most snaps of any receiver in this offense, which isn’t an endorsement. He pulled in receptions on three of his seven targets, the most important of which tied the game at 13-13 with a touchdown on a crossing route late in the game. Jefferson doesn’t do much of anything remarkable, but if the volume is going to be there and nobody else steps up, he could be viable in the deepest of fantasy leagues.
👀🐊Former Florida #Gators WR Van Jefferson catches his first TD with the Tennessee #Titans, a game-tying score, also his first anywhere since Jan. 11. pic.twitter.com/XHTapLbjRu
— OnlyGators.com: Florida Gators news (@onlygators) November 16, 2025
Elic Ayomanor: 6 Targets, 2 Receptions, 11 Yards
Calvin Ridley: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 13 Yards
Chimere Dike: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards, Fumble (Recovered)
Ridley played just one offensive snap before pulling up lame. Dike left after 16 snaps with a concussion, and Ayomanor also visited the medical tent at one point in this game but finished with 50 snaps played, second only to Jefferson. Ayomanor has to figure out how to catch the ball consistently, even the ones that aren’t delivered perfectly. Ward needs someone in this corps to step up and be a reliable option for him, or else he’ll continue to turn to his backs and tight ends.
Mason Kinsey: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 14 Yards