Week 14 vs. New England
DeAndre Hopkins may have pushed off a little bit on his 19-yard TD reception last Sunday in Buffalo, but fantasy owners aren’t complaining. In the loss, DeAndre finished with five catches for 88 yards and his 10th score. After averaging over eight grabs in the first eight games, it was his fourth straight contest with exact five receptions. Even though Cecil Shorts and Nate Washington saw more looks against the Bills, Hopkins is Houston’s No. 1 WR and should be started every week.
Week 13 at Buffalo
Brian Hoyer threw for 205 yards and two TDs last week in the win over New Orleans, but DeAndre Hopkins was limited to five grabs for 36 yards, his lowest yardage total of the season. He still has 81 receptions and five games with over 100 yards in ’15, so consider last week an outlier. Hopkins needs to remain in your starting lineup.
Week 12 vs. New Orleans
It was T.J. Yates' turn to throw to DeAndre Hopkins last week, and the two connected five times for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Hopkins has been a beast for whomever is QBing the Texans, with nine TDs and five 100-yards games. Brian Hoyer is back at the helm on Sunday, and DeAndre has an excellent matchup versus a porous New Orleans pass defense.
Week 11 vs. New York Jets
Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer, T.J. Yates… it doesn’t matter who is QBing the Texans, DeAndre Hopkins will have a good game and needs to be in your starting lineup. In the win over Cincinnati last Monday, DeAndre was targeted 11 times by Hoyer and Yates, resulting in five grabs, 57 yards and his seventh TD of the season. It’ll be Yates at QB this week, but there’s no question Hopkins should be started.
Week 10 at Cincinnati
In Week 8 against the Titans, DeAndre Hopkins was at it again, finishing with eight catches for 94 yards and his sixth touchdown of the season. He was targeted 11 times in the win, which actually matched a season-low, proving just how big a part of the Texans passing attack he is. The Bengals defense has been good at keeping opponents out of the end zone this year, but there’s no way you’re leaving Hopkins on your bench.
Week 8 vs. Tennessee
With the contest out of hand at Miami last Sunday, Brian Hoyer heaved 49 passes, with 12 of them going in the direction of DeAndre Hopkins. He finished with six grabs for 50 yards, ending his streak of four straight 100-yard games. The 50 yards were a season-low, as the Dolphins were able to pay extra attention to DeAndre on obvious pass plays. With Arian Foster lost for the season, the third-year player will again be heavily relied on in the Houston offense. Hopkins needs to remain in your starting lineup even against a solid Titans pass defense.
Week 7 at Miami
What a great first six games DeAndre Hopkins has had, leading the league in every receiving category. In the win over the Jags last week, he was targeted 15 times, resulting in 10 receptions, 148 yards and two TDs. He has already been targeted 90 times and is averaging nearly nine catches for 121 yards per contest. DeAndre has been over the century mark in four straight games and should be able to keep that streak going on Sunday versus a Miami defense yielding 238 passing yards per game. With a healthy Arian Foster keeping defenses worried about the ground attack, Hopkins should continue to flourish.
Week 6 at Jacksonville
Once again, the Texans found themselves trying to play catch-up last Thursday against Indianapolis. It led to another stellar performance by DeAndre Hopkins, as he was targeted 14 times, leading to 11 receptions for 169 yards. While both of Brian Hoyer’s TD tosses went to Jaelen Strong, DeAndre is clearly the No. 1 option for whomever is quarterbacking Houston. There is no question he should be started at Jacksonville on Sunday.
Week 5 vs. Indianapolis
After Atlanta built a 42-point lead last Sunday, Houston QBs put the ball in the air 57 times, with DeAndre Hopkins being targeted an astounding 22 times. DeAndre finished with nine grabs for a season-high 157 yards, which was his second straight 100-yard game. While the Texans have struggled and been behind in almost every game, Hopkins continues to shine and should not leave your startling lineup, regardless who is throwing the ball for the Texans.
Week 4 at Atlanta
With the ground game churning out yards last week versus Tampa Bay, the Houston offense totaled over 400 yards. Ryan Mallett threw for 228 yards, with almost half of that going to DeAndre Hopkins. DeAndre was targeted 14 times, leading to eight grabs, 101 yards and his third TD of the season. Hopkins has turned in to a must-start WR, regardless of who QBs the Texans. Go ahead and keep him in your lineup versus a Falcons team that is 25th at stopping the pass.
