The Tennessee Titans will look to pick up their first win of the 2026 season when they host the Houston Texans in Week 5.
Both teams enter Sunday's matchup at 0-4, making this an important AFC South battle for two teams desperately looking to get their seasons moving in the right direction.
From a fantasy football perspective, there are several interesting options on both sides.
Cam Ward is coming off his best game of the season while rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate just exploded for 145 receiving yards. Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud continues to lead a talented Houston passing attack. At the same time, injuries to several key players could have a major impact on how these offenses operate.
With that in mind, here are five Titans and Texans players to
start or sit in fantasy football for Week 5.
START: Titans WR Carnell Tate
Tate is coming off a breakout performance against the Baltimore Ravens, catching nine passes for 145 yards on 11 targets. It was by far the best game of his young NFL career and gave fantasy managers a glimpse of the type of upside he can provide.
More importantly, the volume was encouraging. He was consistently involved in the passing game and became Ward's primary target throughout the afternoon, racking up a ridiculous 43% target share
Now he gets a Houston secondary that has struggled to live up to expectations. The Texans have plenty of talent in the secondary, but their pass defense has been vulnerable through the first four weeks. Houston has also struggled to consistently generate pressure, which could give Ward enough time to find Tate downfield.
The issue here is that Tate was a mid-week addition to the injury report with a back injury. That suggests he may have sustained the injury during Thursday's practice.
START: Texans WR Nico Collins
Collins returned to the lineup last week and immediately reminded everyone why he is one of the most dangerous receivers in the league. The Texans' offense has been noticeably better when Collins is on the field, and that should continue against Tennessee.
Houston has averaged 30 points per game in the games Collins has played this season. He's the entire engine of the offense, especially with the ground game struggling as much as they have. Collins gives Stroud a reliable downfield target who can win against man coverage and create yards after the catch.
The Titans have also had issues in the secondary, making this a matchup Houston should look to exploit. Collins has the potential to produce a big fantasy day, and he should be viewed as a strong WR1 option in Week 5.
START: Texans QB C.J. Stroud
It hasn't been the start to the season Stroud or the Texans were hoping for, but this is a matchup where the quarterback has a chance to turn things around. Stroud has thrown for 1,141 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions through four games.
He's coming off his best game of the season in which he was the QB4 on the week, coming from a performance that included 347 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Now he gets a Tennessee defense that has allowed opposing quarterbacks to find success through the air.
With Collins back and the Texans expected to lean heavily on the passing game, Stroud has back-end QB1 upside this week as long as he gets protected well enough.
SIT: Titans RB Tony Pollard
The veteran running back has been Tennessee's primary option in the backfield, but the overall production simply hasn't been there consistently enough.
Even if Pollard is active as he deals with a foot injury, there is a possibility his workload is limited. The matchup itself isn't particularly appealing either.
Houston has enough talent along the defensive front to make life difficult for Tennessee's rushing attack, and the Titans could find themselves playing from behind against a Texans team favored by more than a touchdown.
If Pollard is fully healthy and receives a normal workload, he could still provide value in PPR formats because of his involvement as a receiver. But even then, the upside isn't particularly appealing in a game with a 38-point betting total.
SIT: Texans RB David Montgomery
The entire Texans backfield should be on the bench given the maddening split that has been taking place through the first four weeks. Montgomery started the year with some promising upside, but that has quickly gone away.
Since his RB6 finish in Week 1, Montgomery has averaged just 4.5 fantasy points per game, 2.5 yards per carry, a 59% running back rush share and just a 4% target share.
The Titans have been middling against fantasy running backs this season, ranking 16th in fantasy points per game allowed to running backs.
It's a frustrating situaton for managers who likely drafted Montgomery as a starting asset, but it's best to wait and see if he regains any of his form down the stretch.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Titans vs. Texans: 5 players to start/sit for fantasy football in Week 5
