Terry McLaurin and Tee Higgins both got off to a bit of a slow start through the first couple of months of the 2023 NFL season, but they have posted some quality numbers in recent weeks, which has them back in the WR2 conversation for fantasy football managers. Which WR is the better starting option for Week 9?
Tee Higgins’ Week 9 Fantasy Outlook
The Cincinnati Bengals’ offense felt like it was completely out of sorts through the first six games of the season. Joe Burrow was battling through a calf injury, and the ripple effect made a once very productive offensive unit look very pedestrian.
Unfortunately, the word pedestrian is the exact word that comes to mind when trying to describe Higgins’ production through his first six games played during the 2023 campaign. He currently sits as the WR59 in PPR formats, which has him in the conversation as the biggest fantasy bust of the season compared to where many fantasy managers drafted Higgins.
MORE: Fantasy Week 9 WR Start/Sit
Fortunately, Higgins appears to be past a rib injury that plagued him heading into the team’s Week 7 bye, which is evident by his five receptions for 59 yards against the San Francisco 49ers last week.
The Bengals draw another tricky matchup against the third-best scoring defense in the league in the Buffalo Bills, but the Bengals’ performance against the 49ers on Sunday proves they can still produce against some of the elite defenses in the league. Higgins is currently a top-30 play at the WR position.
Terry McLaurin’s Week 9 Fantasy Outlook
The Washington Commanders have started to throw the ball in recent weeks. To be exact, quarterback Sam Howell has averaged 41 pass attempts per game over the last five contests. During that span, McLaurin has seen 9+ targets in four of those five games, which has produced some of his best fantasy performances of the 2023 season.
The Commanders have been spreading the ball around quite a bit this year, with four players — McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel, and Logan Thomas — all seeing 40+ targets. McLaurin still leads the team in receptions, receiving yards, and targets through the first eight games of the season.
McLaurin may only have one game of 20+ points in PPR formats this season, but he has still been consistent enough to currently rank as the WR18 in PPR formats.
Should You Start Tee Higgins or Terry McLaurin This Week?
Higgins may have posted one of his better games of the 2023 season against the 49ers, but it is a little concerning that he was on the field for just 67% of the offensive snaps in Week 8.
While McLaurin hasn’t seen the dominating target share we’ve become accustomed to in the past, he is still the alpha in his passing game. Given Howell’s effectiveness and the sheer volume of passing plays currently being called in Washington, I would start McLaurin over Higgins in Week 9.
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