Who Should I Start? Tyler Higbee or Ian Thomas

Monday, December 22, 4:35 PM

Head Coach Sean McVay said that the Los Angeles Rams will not activate tight end Tyler Higbee (ankle) from injured reserve for Monday night's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN. Higbee was placed on injured reserve due to an ankle injury he sustained in Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks. The 32-year-old was eligible to return to play in Week 16 but will remain on injured reserve. Before his injury, Higbee had hauled in 20 catches for 190 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 30 targets. In his absence, Colby Parkinson has stepped into the TE1 role for the Rams offense and has been a reliable streaming option for fantasy managers. With a playoff spot secured, the Rams will want to make sure Higbee is fully healthy before rushing him back into action.

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.