5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 16

2. Noah Brown, WR, Houston Texans

There were fewer wins in the NFL in Week 15 that were more gutty than the one the Houston Texans pulled off in Tennessee. Down starting quarterback C.J. Stroud due to a concussion, the Texans rallied for a 19-16 overtime win behind backup Davis Mills, who formed a strong connection with Noah Brown throughout the day.

Brown functioned as the No. 1 receiver with Nico Collins sidelined and was targeted 11 times on the day, catching eight of them for 82 yards and a touchdown. The blowup came as a bit of a surprise as Brown was held without a reception in each of his past two games, but he isn't too far removed from a pair of explosive efforts in Weeks 9 and 10 that led to him being picked up en masse.

An injury that led Brown to miss a few weeks rightfully led to some drops, leaving him rostered in only 40 percent of leagues. The injuries to the Texans' receiving corps have certainly changed the calculus for Brown, who is the team's best healthy pass catcher right now and could be at worst the No. 2 once Collins returns.

Assuming Stroud is able to clear concussion protocol in Week 16, there is more blowup potential for Brown against the Cleveland Browns. Brown is on the flex radar for now and is a strong WR3 option if Collins has to sit again next week.