Jaylin Noel Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Per KPRC's Aaron Wilson, the Houston Texans have elevated WR Jared Wayne from the practice squad for the team's Week 1 opener in Los Angeles.

Texans WR Christian Kirk (hamstring) is out for Sunday’s opener vs. the Rams. He didn’t practice all week, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggested on Thursday that Kirk could miss more games. His absence leaves Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, and Xavier Hutchinson as Houston’s No. 2 through 4 WRs behind Nico Collins. Noel is the most natural replacement for Kirk in the slot, but it’s unclear exactly how snaps will be divvied. We’d try to avoid the situation in Week 1 fantasy lineups, but Higgins and Noel should be stashed in virtually all fantasy leagues.

Texans WR Christian Kirk has a strained hamstring that likely keeps him out of the opener against the Rams for Week 1. He could be out for additional time as the Texans proceed with caution. The Texans list rookie WR Jaylin Noel as Kirk’s backup.

Texans WR Christian Kirk (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. It's the first we've heard of a hamstring injury for him, but his Week 1 status is now up in the air. Kirk was set to operate as Houston's No. 2 WR at least early in the season. His absence would free up opportunities for rookie WRs Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. We'll update Kirk's status again on Thursday.

Texans’ rookie WR Jayden Higgins has been rotating with Xavier Hutchinson for the third WR spot when Houston is in 11 personnel, according to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.

The Texans selected Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel with the 79th pick of Round 3 in the 2025 NFL Draft. He will be paired with college teammate Jayden Higgins who the Texans drafted in Round 2. At just under 5'10, 196 pounds, he’s likely a slot target in the NFL. However, at the Senior Bowl he saw extensive work out wide, giving Noel versatility for the Texans. As a true freshman at Iowa State, Noel posted 39-269-0 alongside QB Brock Purdy. Noel spent the next three seasons with the Cyclones, with the last two turning up a spike in production (146-2,014-15). “I feel like I can run every route,” Noel has said. “But there’s always small things you can do to get better.” He had a 9.75 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) based on his predraft testing. He also ranked 11th among Combine WRs in 2024 Target Share at 27.7%, and 14th among those WRs in PFF Receiving Grade with an 81.7. He is currently 22 years old with a Breakout Age of 21. He ranked 12th among WRs in our Draft Sharks predraft Rookie Model scoring a 6.8. Our Comp for him in our Rookie Guide is Willie Snead.

Former Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins made an impact at the NFL Combine running a 4.47 40-yard dash along with a 39" Vertical (92nd Percentile) and 10'08 Broad jump (92nd Percentile). He achieved these while weighing in at 6'4 1/8 and 214 pounds. Higgins has likely locked himself into the top-100 of the NFL Draft.