Tee Higgins has been a bit of a frustrating player to roster in fantasy football leagues this year. Whether it’s his own injuries that he’s dealt with or down performances due to Joe Burrow’s nagging ailments, Higgins has failed to live up to expectations.
What’s the latest on the incredibly talented WR, and should fantasy managers expect him to be available for their starting lineups here in Week 12?
Latest Injury Update on Tee Higgins
All while dealing with the fact that Higgins has finished as a top-40 WR just twice so far this season, Higgins has been unavailable for fantasy managers since Week 9 as he’s been battling a hamstring injury.
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Unfortunately, that streak of Higgins missing time seems set to continue on into Week 12 as he’s missing practice to begin the week on Wednesday and again on Thursday. After an extended absence due to playing last week on Thursday night, missing the first practice of the week and again the next day isn’t a great sign for his availability on Sunday.
Editor’s note: Higgins was not seen at Friday’s practice and he has been ruled OUT for Week 12.
Will Higgins Play This Week?
At the time of writing, it’s looking highly unlikely that Higgins will make it back this week from his hamstring injury. With the additional time of rest, it would have been encouraging to see Higgins return to practice for the first sessions of the week, but missing them altogether is an ominous sign.
Add in the fact that Burrow is now set to miss the remainder of the 2023 NFL season, and Higgins is highly unlikely to rush his way back until he’s fully ready.
We will need to monitor the practice reports throughout the rest of the week to determine whether or not Higgins has a chance of making it back in time for the Cincinnati Bengals’ showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Check back here frequently for the latest updates and information, and keep an eye on PFN’s Fantasy News Tracker!
What Does This Mean for Ja’Marr Chase’s Fantasy Ranking?
We know that having someone of Higgins’ ability out of the lineup certainly helps someone like Ja’Marr Chase from a target share perspective, so it should be an encouraging sign for Chase’s fantasy managers that he’s missing practice again leading into Week 12.
However, Chase has his own new obstacles standing in his way of returning top-10 fantasy value week-in and week-out throughout the remainder of the season. Jake Browning is the new starting QB for Cincinnati for the remainder of the year, and we’ll need to expect a drop-off in production from what Burrow was providing for this offense recently.
If Higgins misses Week 12, Chase should be still viewed as a volume play that has the talent level to overcome a dip in QB talent. However, the days of Chase being consistently viewed as a top-five WR for fantasy football may very well be behind us.
Add for what Chase’s target volume will look like when Higgins returns to the lineup, neither WR may be in the top 15 of rankings on a weekly basis. Ideally, Browning steps in, keeps the offense afloat, and is able to distribute the ball into the hands of his playmakers, but we need to see it first before we can buy in.
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