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It does appear that Mahomes will be under center for the Chiefs, despite being banged-up and on a short week.
“He worked out this week, full,” head coach Andy Reid said at his press conference. “We’ll most likely end up playing him.”
However, that doesn’t mean that managers should trust wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins against Houston. The 32-year-old has been an asset since arriving in Kansas City, but his lack of consistency hasn’t been good for fantasy managers.
Hopkins topped 10 fantasy points in Weeks 12, 13 and 14 but failed to reach double digits in Weeks 10, 11 and 15. His PPR floor should prevent him from being an outright bust—Hopkins caught at least four passes in each of his last four outings—but managers should avoid risk-reward plays at this point in the year.
As previously noted, Mahomes’ injury could lead to a run-heavy approach. That might not be enough to make Pacheco a quality start, but it could outright tank Hopkins’ value. On top of that, Kansas City is has activated receiver Marquise Brown, and he’s expected to make his 2024 debut on Saturday, which may hurt Hopkins’ value further.
As a team, the Texans haven’t been very good against opposing pass-catchers (seventh-most fantasy points allowed), but Hopkins could see a heavy dose of star corner Derek Stingley Jr.—who has allowed an opposing passer rating of only 46.4 in coverage, according to Pro Football Reference.
