After a strong rookie season, Bengals’ WR Tee Higgins has shown he can be a WR1 in the NFL and fantasy football.
Tee Higgins came into the NFL as the 7th WR taken in the 2020 NFL Draft. He wasn’t drafted as a Top-5 WR out of college, and was a 2nd-round rookie draft pick in most fantasy football superflex leagues. The future of Tee Higgins remains to be seen, but just after year 1 he has the league on notice.
Straight out of Clemson, he joined the QB that ultimately beat him just months prior in the National Championship. Pairing with Heisman winner Joe Burrow seemed to be a match made in heaven for the Clemson alum, going from one top prospect QB to the next.
In his 9 3/4 game stint (discounting Week 1 where Higgins saw a 21% snap share) with Joe Burrow, he saw seven straight games with 10+ PPR points; with a ceiling of 21. He played over 50% of snaps in every week except week 1, and averaged 15.5 FPPG in those 8 games (week 9 bye). During that span he averaged 7.6 targets per game, as his snap share started to settle around 80%.
Tee Higgins suffered slightly from the loss of Joe Burrow after his gruesome injury in week 11’s game against Washington. He saw his fantasy football floor drop out of the double digits, as he posted under 10 points in three games after Burrow went down; including week 11’s game against The Football Team.
His ceiling dropped as well, as his highest posted week was 15.4 points. This is expected when you go from Joe Burrow to Brandon Allen.
Tee Higgins’ yards per catch and yards per game both dropped after Burrow’s injury. One thing that remained though were the targets Higgins demanded no matter who he was matched up against.
Tee Higgins became the #1 option for both Joe Burrow and Brandon Allen, overshadowing a healthy Tyler Boyd. It’s hard to produce consistent fantasy football points being a part of one of the worst offenses in football. It’s even harder as a rookie to bring in consistent targets and touches right out of the gate. He dominated that WR room and became the alpha in only a matter of weeks.
Tee Higgins just turned 22, and brings alpha status to a WR room that desperately needed a trusted WR1. Something that seems to be overlooked is that these young players can get better. They have a lot of time on their hands to fine tune their game and really become dominant. Higgins brings all of that and more while being tied to one of the youngest star QBs in football.
Tee Higgins has the frame of a prototypical alpha WR, sitting at 6’4 210. Higgins’ ability to win contested catches at a young age is a work of art. His separation isn’t the best in the league, but he isn’t a slouch either. The first step of his route remains quick, but he does lack the 3-level speed that can turn a 15-yard in route into a 60-yard touchdown. His route tree is advanced for a 22 year old though, being able to get open at all three levels even without the speed. He makes NFL level catches on the sideline that isn’t seen often by a guy his age.
Reports say Joe Burrow is on pace to be ready for week 1; but with little time to really work and game plan, it might scare people off of Tee Higgins for 2021. That works for me. Higgins might not post Top-10 numbers in fantasy football in 2021, but his talent and youth should absolutely vault him into a dynasty WR1.
Right now, Higgins value is pretty high. Patience is key in dynasty and you shouldn’t be paying that price when you can possibly get him cheaper come August. As more reports come out and people realize the time lost for the Higgins/Burrow duo, they might be scared off of Higgins to really contribute for their teams. That’s when you pounce.
Even in most fantasy football leagues, going and getting your guy now never hurts – unless Burrow misses time. But even then, it’s a risk that I personally am willing to take (as Higgins is my most owned dynasty asset). I’ve seen recency bias take this community by storm with most players. If reports aren’t on the bright side for Burrow, people will be quick to jump ship.
Tee Higgins is only going to get better as a WR. Seeing how he demanded a high target % with and without Burrow showed me he’s already looked at as the WR1 in Cincinnati. With a slightly improved offensive line heading into 2021 and Joe Mixon returning from injury, it could open the field even more for Higgins. The long term fantasy football outlook for Higgins remains beautiful, and an asset worth holding onto for 2021 and beyond.
Tee Higgins is a must own in dynasty from here on out. Whether or not to buy now or later is a risk, but ultimately getting this guy on your roster should be priority #1. Tee Higgins is the truth.
