It feels as though the question of is Tee Higgins playing has been continuous over the first five weeks of the season. Fantasy football managers are once again left concerned about the status of the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver as he deals with an ankle injury that has left him questionable heading into the weekend. Let’s take a look at the latest injury updates for Higgins and the fantasy impact of this news.
Is Tee Higgins Playing Today?
The news on Saturday night from ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggests that Higgins is expected to play against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5. That news was also reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport a few hours later.
These reports are really welcome for fantasy managers as the Bengals are set to play on Sunday Night Football, which presents a tough decision for managers.
If Higgins were a game-time decision with his ankle injury, fantasy managers would be in a bind to know whether to start him or not. If he were to be inactive, there would be limited options with which to replace him.
The question now becomes, can you trust Higgins as a starter with the injury, or should that push you towards considering sitting him?
What Should Fantasy Managers Do With Higgins in Week 5?
Entering Week 5, Higgins ranked 14th among qualified options in terms of fantasy points per game in half-PPR (13.38). Had he not left the Bengals’ Week 1 game with a concussion, he would likely be a few spots higher. Higgins scored just 3.7 fantasy points in that contest but has managed to score in double digits in the subsequent three.
His average points scored during those last three games is 16.6, which would be good enough for seventh at the position this year. The concern now is whether this ankle injury limits him significantly enough that fantasy managers should be considering benching him.
MORE: Week 5 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
If Higgins were a fringe WR2 fantasy option, then this might be an injury where you consider benching him just for concerns of playing time or re-injury.
However, according to injury analyst Deepak Chona, Higgins’ performance impact should be minimal, with the biggest concern being the re-injury risk. Therefore, fantasy managers should be looking to start him this week as they usually would.
The matchup with the Ravens appears to be extremely friendly. They allow the most points per game to the WR position with an average of 41.2 in half-PPR scoring. However, the expectations should be tempered by looking at how those points have been achieved.
Of the 164.8 total points allowed to the position, 79.7 came in Week 2 against Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. In the other three games, they have allowed an average of just over 28, which would put them closer to the average for the league this year.
Of course, there is always the risk that Higgins tweaks the ankle in pregame warmups and misses out. Therefore, fantasy managers should try to have a backup option.
If you can, put Higgins in your flex spot and then try to have Tyler Boyd, Mack Hollins, or Marquez Valdes-Scantling on your roster in case you need to make a late change.
In deeper leagues, Isiah Pacheco and Isaiah Likely could also be potential flex replacements for Higgins.