Who Should I Start? Tee Higgins or Brian Thomas Jr.

Tuesday, January 27, 5:47 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins will always be in the shadow of Ja'Marr Chase as long as the two stay in Cincy, but it doesn't mean that Higgins cannot continue to be productive. The 27-year-old hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since 2022, but what he's lacked in yardage the last two seasons, he's made up for with trips to the end zone, scoring a whopping 21 times in 27 games the last two years. In 15 regular-season games in 2025, Higgins caught 59 of his 98 targets for 846 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns. Despite missing some games due to injury and losing valuable targets to Chase, Higgins still managed to finish as the WR14 in half-PPR scoring. The former second-rounder isn't without injury concerns, but when he's healthy, he has excellent chemistry with quarterback Joe Burrow and also a nose for paydirt. Higgins has had at least five TDs in each of his six NFL seasons and will enter the 2026 campaign as a strong WR2 target.

Saturday, January 31, 5:22 AM

After topping 1,200 receiving yards and recording 10 touchdown catches as a rookie in 2024, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was expected to fully emerge as an elite player at his position in 2025. However, the 23-year-old battled through both injury and underperformance this past season, recording just 48 receptions for 707 yards and two touchdowns on 91 targets across 14 games played. As the season progressed, Thomas Jr. appeared to fall behind Jaguars wideouts Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington on the team's pass-catching pecking order. Including the postseason, Thomas Jr. recorded fewer than five receptions in each of his final nine games of the year. Heading into 2026, the Jaguars' wide receiver depth chart will get even more crowded by wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter's (knee) return from injury. Thomas Jr. could re-emerge as the lead wideout in Jacksonville in 2026. However, his stock in both redraft and dynasty fantasy formats has taken a hit after his disappointing 2025 campaign.