On Monday, Adam Schefter reported that Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins has requested a trade. Prior to getting slapped with the franchise tag, Higgins was set to be arguably the best WR available in free agency. He should have no shortage of suitors. Let’s discuss some potential landing spots and what each would mean for fantasy football.
Potential Landing Spots for Tee Higgins
It’s important to remember that just because a player requests a trade, that doesn’t mean he will be traded. Currently, all we know is Higgins wants a long-term deal and according to Schefter, the Bengals have not had any discussions since March of last year. We should not rule out the two sides getting something done within the next few weeks.
With that said, the Bengals were always going to have trouble paying Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, and Joe Burrow. They hoped to kick the can down the road one more year on Higgins with the franchise tag, but the talented receiver does not want to do that.
Of course, neither did Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, or Josh Jacobs last year, but they all played out the season on one-year deals. Higgins may very well remain with the Bengals. In fact, I would consider it the most likely outcome. If he doesn’t, though, there will be significant fantasy football ramifications.
Higgins Played College Football With Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence
In an interview, NBC Sports’ Lawrence Jackson asked Higgins which quarterbacks he’d like to play with if not Burrow. The first one Higgins mentioned was his former college quarterback, Trevor Lawrence.
As things currently stand, Christian Kirk is the only relevant receiver under contract for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team is weighing whether to bring back Calvin Ridley, who was inconsistent, at best, last season.
With Higgins possibly an option, the Jaguars could easily decide to pivot away from Ridley to bring in a younger, more talented WR1 of the future.
Most NFL WR2s are WR2s for a reason — they don’t have the skill set to be WR1s. For Higgins, the only reason he’s been his team’s WR2 is because of the guy on the other side.
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Higgins possesses No. 1 WR traits. He showcased them each of his first two seasons, especially his second one when he averaged 15.7 fantasy points per game.
Lawrence has not been the prince who was promised when he was selected No. 1 overall three years ago. But he has flashed serious upside. It just hasn’t been sustainable. Higgins could provide Lawrence with stability at the WR1 spot.
If he goes to Jacksonville, that would mean Ridley is not returning. A Higgins-Kirk WR duo looks mighty nice for Lawrence. It wouldn’t hurt Kirk’s fantasy value too much, as his role in the slot would remain unchanged. However, it would boost Higgins’ value, as he would be in line for a target share upwards of 25%.
Higgins would be a very appealing fantasy option if he’s traded to the Jaguars.
Patriots Desperately Need a WR1
The New England Patriots haven’t had a true WR1 since Julian Edelman retired. Jakobi Meyers was a solid player, and DeMario Douglas emerged as a nice option last season, but neither should be a team’s top target.
The Patriots have many problems beyond wide receiver, but they must start somewhere. Higgins is only 25 years old. He could very much afford to be part of a rebuild.
With the third-most available salary cap space, the Patriots can afford to give Higgins the four-year extension he is likely looking for. They also could part with their second-round pick while keeping their first to draft a quarterback and potentially jumpstart their rebuild.
Like Jacksonville, Higgins would immediately be the clear WR1 in New England. However, his fantasy value increasing is not a given. The Patriots still need to figure out their quarterback situation. Right now, it’s looking increasingly likely they will select a rookie in the first round.
If it ends up being Bailey Zappe, or if the rookie struggles, Higgins would likely end up disappointing fantasy managers.
Commanders Could Pair Higgins With Terry McLaurin
Heading into free agency, the Washington Commanders have, by far, the most cap space available. If any team can afford to give Higgins his mega-extension, it’s them.
Additionally, the Commanders actually need a wide receiver. They’ve been searching for that second guy alongside Terry McLaurin for three years. Dyami Brown was a complete bust, and Jahan Dotson appears to be headed down the same path. Curtis Samuel was a nice piece, but he’s not the true complement the team has been after.
Higgins may have been drafted just one year after McLaurin, but he’s 3.5 years younger. McLaurin will be 29 years old this season and is a cut candidate for 2025. Higgins would provide the Commanders with a long-term answer at WR1 and allow them to shift their focus on building up the rest of the roster.
Currently, the Commanders are widely expected to take a quarterback in the first round. Similar to what things would look like in New England, Higgins’ fantasy value would depend largely on how good that quarterback plays as a rookie.
Fantasy managers concerned about Higgins competing with McLaurin are right to feel that way…but they should be far more worried about McLaurin.
The incumbent WR1 has never finished higher than WR20 in his career. If the team does bring in Higgins, it would be a major surprise if McLaurin wasn’t reduced to the second option. He could still be a quality fantasy option, but it would depend on how far his price falls for the 2024 season.
Higgins Also Mentioned Playing with C.J. Stroud and the Texans
It’s worth noting Higgins also threw out Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen’s names, but those felt more like him just rattling off other elite quarterbacks. He went into more detail on why he thinks C.J. Stroud is so talented.
With that said, it’s hard to see Higgins going to Houston. The Texans are pretty set at wide receiver with Nico Collins and Tank Dell as their top two. They need better depth pieces to play in three and four-receiver sets, but they don’t need another 20%+ target share guy.
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Playing with Stroud would be awesome for Higgins, but it’s hard to see how it would be possible unless they got rid of one of Collins or Dell. This just doesn’t seem like a realistic outcome.