Who Should I Start? Jaylin Lane or Jayden Higgins

Tuesday, December 30, 9:57 PM

Washington Commanders rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane (ankle) was placed on Injured Reserve ahead of his team's Week 17 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, ending his 2025 season. A fourth-round pick out of Virginia Tech, Lane flashed upside for brief stretches of his first NFL season but was ultimately unable to carve out a consistent role in the Washington offense when the team had top wideouts Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel Sr. healthy. Lane will finish the year with 16 catches for 225 yards on 32 targets across 15 games played. He did not record a reception over his final four games of 2025 and was targeted just four times across his final seven outings. Projecting forward to 2026, Lane profiles as a downfield threat whose ability to provide consistent fantasy production in Washington remains unclear.

Tuesday, January 6, 12:55 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins scored in back-to-back weeks to close out his rookie campaign. The 34th overall pick in the 2025 draft has had an impressive season, recording 41 catches (68 targets) for 525 yards and six touchdowns in 17 games. Higgins should continue to operate as Houston's WR2 heading into the Wild-Card round versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have allowed the seventh-most touchdowns and eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this year. While Higgins has seen his role increase as the season has progressed, the rookie is still tough to trust as anything more than a touchdown-dependent option heading into the playoffs, as he has recorded two catches or fewer in four straight games.