The question of is Tee Higgins playing in Week 6 has been hot on the minds of fantasy football managers as they look at their lineups.
With Higgins having produced a disappointing performance last week, as well as re-injuring the ankle, there is plenty to be concerned about. Let’s take a look at the latest updates for Higgins and the fantasy impact of his status.
Update: Tee Higgins is active for Week 6.
Is Tee Higgins Playing Today?
The latest updates as of Sunday morning are that Higgins’ status for Week 6 remains uncertain. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, there is optimism from the Bengals that Higgins will play, but they need to see him in pre-game workouts to be sure.
Given he did not even get on the practice field until Friday, and even then, only in a limited fashion, this lack of clarity is hardly surprising.
Higgins was also questionable with the ankle injury in Week 5 of the 2022 NFL schedule, and he ultimately suited up on that occasion. However, Higgins was not targeted once in that game and ended up missing the entire second half after re-injuring the ankle.
That uncertainty after last week is a major concern for fantasy managers, with Higgins viewed as a regular starting option in all leagues when fully healthy.
What Should Fantasy Managers Do With Higgins in Week 6?
Higgins is an extremely tough call for fantasy managers in Week 6. In the first four weeks, he had 315 receiving yards on 20 receptions from 28 targets. He also found the end zone on two occasions. Through those four weeks, Higgins has averaged 13.38 fantasy points per game in half-PPR scoring, which would be good enough for 14th at the position.
However, because he was active last week, that average actually appears significantly lower at 10.7 fantasy points per game. Therefore, he sits 31st at the position in terms of half-PPR, which is somewhat misleading as to his weekly value.
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In Week 1, we also only saw Higgins play on limited time due to leaving the game with a concussion. That is the only week in which he has not returned a double-digit fantasy return through the first four weeks.
Looking at the stretch from Weeks 2 to 4, Higgins has averaged 16.6 fantasy points per game, which are top-five at the position numbers. As you can see from all of this, if Higgins plays, he is a borderline WR1 option, but the injuries raise red flags.
The risk of us seeing a repeat of last week is significant. However, the Saints are without their leading cornerback, Marshon Lattimore. Therefore, the Bengals’ passing game could be set for a huge day. Rather than using Lattimore to negate either Higgins or Ja’Marr Chase and double-teaming the other, the Saints will likely now have to look to double-team Chase.
That would leave Higgins potentially with a one-on-one matchup against either the Saints’ second or third CB option. That would present the potential for a huge day against a defense that has allowed 80.2 fantasy points to the position across the last two weeks.
Therefore, if he plays, benching Higgins is close to impossible to do, especially with NFL bye weeks reducing the pool of available fantasy options.
Do Tyler Boyd, Hayden Hurst, or Mike Thomas See Increased Value if Higgins Is Out?
If Higgins does miss the game, then fantasy managers have some intriguing decisions to make. Slot WR Tyler Boyd is often viewed as the main beneficiary when Higgins misses time. In Week 1, Boyd had seven targets and found the end zone when Higgins left the game with a concussion.
However, in Week 5, Boyd saw just four targets, despite the injury to Higgins and the Bengals throwing the ball 35 times. That uncertainty limits Boyd to a 14-team Flex consideration, even if Higgins is out.
Hayden Hurst was the biggest beneficiary in terms of targets, with seven against his former team. He also saw eight targets in Week 1, when Higgins was out for more than half the game. Normally, if Higgins were absent or limited, Hurst would be a solid streaming tight end, but he is also entering this game injured, making him tough to rely on.
In terms of playing time, Mike Thomas would be the biggest beneficiary. He played 69 percent of the snaps in Week 1 and 71 percent in Week 5. However, he had just 38 receiving yards on two receptions from eight targets in those games combined.
He did see some targets around the end zone, so he would become a 16-team league or deeper Flex consideration if fantasy managers are looking for a boom-or-bust option.