Tee Higgins Fantasy Overview

Production & Fantasy Finishes

Higgins caught 59 balls for 846 yards and 11 TDs across 15 games last season, finishing 16th among WRs in PPR points per game and 13th in half-PPR.

He did that despite playing nine of those 15 games without QB Joe Burrow. Higgins averaged 13.2 PPR points per game without Burrow vs. 15.2 with him. The latter mark ranked 14th among WRs.

Usage & Role

Higgins drew a target on 19% of his routes last season and saw a 17.1% target share in his 15 games. Those marks ranked just 53rd and 45th, respectively, among 76 WRs with 50+ targets.

Higgins’ volume improved slightly with Burrow:

Higgins’ usage was helped by a big 13.5-yard average target depth that ranked 14th among those 76 WRs. His 33.4% share of his team’s air yards ranked 28th.

Higgins was a big part of the red-zone plan, too. Despite missing two games, he ranked:

• 19th among WRs in red-zone targets (14)
• sixth in end-zone targets (12)

Higgins’ 7.9 expected receiving TDs ranked eighth among all WRs, notably just ahead of teammate Ja’Marr Chase (7.4).

Still, Higgins’ 12.0 expected PPR points per game ranked just 27th at the position. That climbed to 12.9 in six games with Burrow, a full-season pace of WR20.

Efficiency & Regression

A career-high average target depth coincided Higgins’ second-lowest career catch rate (60.2%) but third-highest yards per catch (14.3). His 8.6 yards per target was down a bit from the 9.0-yard average over his first five seasons and ranked 19th among 76 qualifying WRs.

Higgins also registered a career-low 1.62 yards per route last year. That ranked 35th among those 76 WRs.

Not surprisingly, though, Higgins was more efficient with Burrow:

Higgins also fared well in film-based metrics. Among those 76 qualifying WRs, he ranked:

• 17th in Pro Football Focus receiving grade
• ninth in ESPN receiver score

Offensive Context

The 2025 Bengals ranked top-6 in pass rate (64.0%), neutral pass rate (63.5%), and pass rate over expected (+4.3%), despite Burrow missing nine games and most of a 10th.

The pass rate surprisingly shrank to 58.4% in Burrow’s seven full games, although they still posted a plus-4.2% pass rate over expected in those contests.

Cincinnati’s pass protection was shaky, with the offensive line ranking 28th in ESPN pass-block win rate and 26th in Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade.

Historical Production & Trends

Higgins’ WR16 finish in PPR points per game last year followed a career-best WR5 finish in 2024.

He missed five games that season, but Burrow played all 17. That resulted in personal highs for Higgins in catches per game (6.1) and TDs per game (0.83). His 75.9 yards per game were the second-most of his career.

Higgins also earned a career-best 88.3 PFF receiving grade in 2024, while his 2.05 yards per route was his second-best mark.

The downturn in volume and efficiency last season was likely more due to Burrow’s absence than a significant decline in Higgins’ game. At 27, Higgins should still be at 94-98% of his peak production, according to our aging-curve research.

Injury History & Durability

Injuries have been a major factor throughout Higgins’ career. He’s missed 12 games and parts of a bunch more across his six NFL seasons with:

• Five hamstring injuries
• Three concussions
• Three ankle injuries
• One shoulder injury
• One quad injury
• One rib injury

The hamstring injuries and concussions are particularly worrisome and make Higgins one of the bigger injury risks in fantasy football.

Projected Role & Competition

Higgins returns to a nearly identical situation as last year after the Bengals made no major moves at the skill positions.

TE Noah Fant, who caught 34 balls for just 288 yards and 3 TDs last year, departed in free agency. WR Colbie Young and TE Jack Endries arrived on Day 3 of the draft but are unlikely to make significant contributions this season.

Ja’Marr Chase returns as the leader of this passing attack, but Higgins is locked in as the No. 2.

Supporting Cast

A healthy Burrow is key to Higgins’ fantasy value.

He’s averaged 15.3 PPR points per game with Burrow vs. 12.5 without him for his career. That would have been the difference between a WR10 and WR24 finish last year.

Coaching & Offensive Scheme

Zac Taylor is back for his seventh season as Bengals HC and offensive play caller.

Taylor’s offense going pass-heavy is one of the most bankable things in all of fantasy football. Here’s where Cincinnati has ranked in pass attempts, pass rate, and neutral pass rate since Burrow arrived:

The Bengals made some key additions to the defense this offseason in DLs Dexter Lawrence, and Jonathan Allen, and Boye Mafe, plus S Bryan Cook.

Improvement on that side of the ball could have the team in fewer shootouts and more positive game scripts. But the Bengals are still a good bet to finish top-5 in pass rate.

Paths to Ceiling

Higgins remains the clear No. 2 target in a pass-happy offense with strong QB play. That gives him upside well into the top-12 WRs, as we saw in 2024 when Higgins finished fifth in PPR points per game.

Risk Factors

Injuries are the biggest risk on Higgins’ profile, both for himself and his QB. He’s missed 12 games and parts of many more across his six NFL seasons, while Joe Burrow has missed significant time in three of his six campaigns.

It’s tough to imagine Higgins falling outside the top 24 WRs when he and Burrow are healthy. Another injury-riddled season, though, could drag him below that range.