Who Should I Start? Tyler Higbee or Ian Thomas


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
3.2 0.0 0.0 1.3 13.9 0.1

Tyler Higbee News

Tyler Higbee's Crowded Tight End Room Limits Redraft Appeal

Thursday, August 27, 10:10 AM

Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee remains part of the first-team offense, but the depth around him continues to work against his redraft value. Higbee caught 25 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games last season, then re-signed with Los Angeles on a two-year deal in March. He has been healthy this summer and recorded two receptions during the Rams' August 11 joint practice with Dallas, so this is not a case of Higbee falling out of the offense. The problem is volume. Colby Parkinson posted 43 catches for 408 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen are both back, and Los Angeles added Max Klare with the 61st overall pick. The Rams leaned heavily on multi-tight end personnel last season, but having five capable options makes it difficult for any one of them to command steady targets behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. RotoBaller's August 25 half-PPR rankings have Higbee 368th overall. He can still pop for a touchdown in the right matchup, but standard redraft managers should view him as a streaming option rather than a weekly starter.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
2.8 0.0 0.0 1.2 11.9 0.1

Ian Thomas News

Raiders Add Tight End Ian Thomas

Tuesday, March 25, 1:32 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Tuesday that they signed free-agent tight end Ian Thomas (calf) to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday. Thomas will head to the AFC West after spending the first seven years of his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers after they selected him in the fourth round (101st overall) in the 2018 NFL draft out of Indiana. The 28-year-old never really established himself as a fantasy asset in Carolina, with his best season coming in his rookie campaign with a 36-333-2 line on 49 targets in 16 games (six starts). Thomas landed on Injured Reserve in 2024 with a calf injury and only caught three of six targets for seven yards in five games (two starts). He scored four touchdowns in his first three seasons but hasn't found the end zone since. In Vegas, he'll provide TE depth behind Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer and will remain off the fantasy radar.


Tyler Higbee vs. Ian Thomas

Still trying to decide between Higbee and Thomas? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Tyler Higbee is projected to score 3.2 points this week while Ian Thomas is projected to score 2.8 points.