Who Should I Start? Darnell Washington or Elijah Higgins

Tuesday, October 7, 7:41 PM

Despite finishing the game with just three catches for 20 yards, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington was heavily involved in the Week 4 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Washington logged more snaps than any other Steelers tight end and was highly effective as a run-blocker, paving the way for running back Kenneth Gainwell's 99-yard rushing performance. According to head coach Mike Tomlin, Washington's increased utilization was by design. "You can't play 4-3 teams with 250-pound tight ends", Tomlin stated in a press conference on Tuesday. He also hinted that Washington could again see significant playing time in this week's divisional meeting with the Cleveland Browns, who boast a strong defensive front. The third-year pro isn't a fantasy option just yet, but if he continues to play ahead of Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith again on Sunday, it will be worth monitoring whether that usage starts to show up in the box score.

Monday, September 30, 7:51 AM

Arizona Cardinals tight end Elijah Higgins caught two of his three targets for 12 yards in Sunday's loss to the Washington Commanders. Filling in for the injured Trey McBride (concussion), Higgins had a favorable matchup against a Commanders defense that has struggled in pass coverage this season. However, he failed to capitalize, as the Cardinals managed just 142 passing yards despite shifting to a pass-heavy game script. Although Higgins was on the field most of the snaps, there seemed to be no emphasis on getting him the ball. Given his limited involvement in this opportunity, Higgins remains a long shot as a streaming option next week against the San Francisco 49ers.