Texans Rookie Wide Receiver Jayden Higgins Emerges As Fantasy Football Sleeper

Jayden Higgins brings size, speed, and college production to Houston, but he’ll need to beat out veterans to become fantasy-relevant in 2025.

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (81) participates in a drill during an NFL football minicamp at NRG Stadium. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans drafted wide receiver Jayden Higgins in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, betting on his size (6'4", 215 lbs.) and explosiveness to translate at the next level. After two dominant seasons at Iowa State, Higgins enters the league with intriguing upside—but he’ll need to outshine Christian Kirk to crack the fantasy radar this fall.

Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans

Higgins began his college career at Eastern Kentucky (29/394/3 and 58/757/10) before transferring to Iowa State. His game progressed at the next level, leading to two competitive seasons (53/983/6 and 87/1,183/9). In his junior year, the Cyclones utilized him as a big-play threat, averaging 18.5 yards per catch, before shifting him to a high-volume receiver role the following season. 

Over 26 Division 1 games, Higgins gained over 100 yards in eight matchups (6/172, 7/104, 9/214/1, 8/116/1, 6/102, 10/140/1, 9/155/1, and 7/115). He had a higher consistency factor in 2024, highlighted by five catches or more in 11 of 13 games.

At the next level, Higgins will work the short areas over the middle of the field while also having success with back-shoulder throws on the outside. His size (6’4” and 215 lbs.) will create some mismatches, and he does run routes well despite having shortfalls when asked to change direction and working back to the quarterback. Higgins is a hands catcher who likes to snatch the ball at a high point.

At the NFL Combine, Higgins ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, a significant asset for a wide receiver of his size and build. I view his profile as closer to Michael Pittman's than Mike Evans's. The Texans drafted him in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Jayden Higgins Fantasy Football Outlook

Higgins brings an intriguing skill set to Houston’s offense, but he will have a learning curve in the NFL. In 2023, the Texans' third-best wide receiver had 40 catches for 426 yards and one touchdown and 47/496/3 last season (eight games by Stefon Diggs). Ultimately, Higgins must outplay Christian Kirk to be a fantasy asset in 2025. 

I view him as a must-follow over the summer to see if his reports are high enough to secure a WR2 role in this offense. At the very least, Higgins could be the best handcuff to Nico Collins.