Jason Moore sided with Tee Higgins in the listener’s dynasty dilemma, arguing the newly-inked wideout is the more reliable long-term chip than Bucky Irving. Higgins just secured a four-year, $115-million extension that locks him to Joe Burrow through his age-29 season, guaranteeing stable quarterback play and a multi-year target share in an offense that has already produced three straight top-20 fantasy campaigns for him. Moore acknowledged Higgins’ recurring soft-tissue issues but called those "manageable" compared with the structural cliff running backs face after a 300-touch season. Irving, while only 22, still has to prove he can shoulder a three-down workload and, like most backs, faces an uphill battle to earn a second contract. Moore reminded listeners that replacement-level receivers rarely carry multi-year upside, whereas established top-20 WRs provide a production floor dynasty rosters can build around. Net takeaway: if you can only keep one, bank the long runway and attach yourself to the Burrow aerial attack with Higgins.

Whalen likes Tee Higgins’ talent but thinks his current ADP assumes the Bengals can support two top-15 fantasy wideouts— a heavy lift. Higgins’ lengthy injury history ("you can pencil him in for at least two or three missed games") amplifies the risk. Whalen expects to draft Higgins sparingly unless his price falls.

Ben Gretch questioned Tee Higgins’ Round-3 price tag, noting that even after projecting the Bengals for the highest raw pass rate in the NFL—slightly above the Chiefs and supported by three straight seasons of +6 % or better pass rate over expected—Higgins may still fall short on volume behind Ja’Marr Chase. Gretch acknowledged Higgins’ strong per-route efficiency but emphasized that missed games and a subordinate target share (roughly 19-20 %) make it "hard to project him for enough volume" to pay off pick 3.06. He believes current ADP is buoyed more by projection models and last year’s counting stats than by a clear path to alpha usage. Gretch advised treating Higgins as a correlated bet in Bengals stacks rather than a standalone anchor and would pass on him in drafts where other receivers with cleaner workloads are available.

Matthew Freedman argued that Tee Higgins is over-drafted at WR14 (late Round 2). Despite sharing virtually identical 2025 projections with DeVonta Smith, Higgins’ cost bakes in no discount for his lengthy injury résumé – 13 missed games over the past four seasons. Because he still plays second fiddle to Ja’Marr Chase in target priority, Freedman believes the Bengals’ wideout lacks the weekly ceiling necessary to justify a premium pick when a cheaper, healthier clone (Smith) exists two rounds later.

During a live $100 Dalmatian draft, Best Ball Guy locked in Tee Higgins at the 2/3 turn specifically to set up what he expects will be a discounted Joe Burrow in Round 6. He argued sharp players in high-stakes rooms only click Burrow when they already have a Bengal, so managers without Chase or Higgins tend to let him slide. Drafting Higgins first not only gives him a top-20 target-share wideout but also positions him for an inexpensive QB-WR stack that can dominate playoff weeks. BBG added that the same build can tack on Chase Brown in the double-digit rounds for a cheap three-man Bengal core, creating multi-path correlation without burning premium capital at running back.

Josh Norris argued that grabbing Tee Higgins at the top of Round 3 is still a win even if you pass on him at 2.12. Higgins was a top-three wideout in per-game scoring last year and saw 68 % of his targets within 10 yards as Tyler Boyd’s departure funneled easier looks his way. Cincinnati posted a league-leading 63 % neutral-situation pass rate—six percentage points higher than the next team—and their contract-holdout-ridden defense looks worse, meaning volume should stay sky-high. If Ja’Marr Chase were to miss time, Norris said Higgins would immediately be ranked as a WR3-5 overall. With Higgins now paid and fully healthy, his combination of a sturdy weekly floor plus contingent, top-five upside makes him an appealing anchor in Best Ball builds.

Tee Higgins is sliding into the third round, but Hayden Winks argued he should be drafted a round earlier based on his talent profile and previous production. The small dip in ADP presents value for drafters who need a reliable WR2 with spike-week upside.

Greg Brainos warned drafters to skip Tee Higgins when they start a Best Ball Mania team with Ja'Marr Chase. He argued the two-three–turn price tag ties up nearly 20% of your capital in teammates whose ceilings cannibalize each other unless Cincinnati produces a historically high pass rate. Brainos stressed that the build is "dead in the water" if Joe Burrow doesn’t fall to Round 7; reaching for Burrow in Round 5 erodes closing-line value, while missing him altogether leaves an expensive, unstacked combo. He prefers back-stacking Chase with cheaper Bengals such as Chase Brown or using Week-17 bring-backs like Trey McBride rather than burning two premium picks on wideouts whose spike weeks rarely overlap. In short, fading the early Chase-Higgins mini-stack frees up ADP value and protects roster upside.

Jon Warner warned that pairing Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins without Joe Burrow is a bankroll trap. Higgins fell to pick 31 in their draft, but Warner still passed because the Chase-Higgins combo consumes two early-round selections and all but forces you to reach for Burrow in Rounds 4–5. Without Burrow "absolutely ripping" during the fantasy playoffs, the double stack rarely hits the ceiling needed to advance. Warner cited last year’s Tyreek Hill/Jaylen Waddle data, where similar capital underperformed in best-ball tournament finals. He is comfortable taking alpha Chase as a onesie but avoids Higgins unless Burrow’s ADP continues to slide, preferring to spend the third-round pick on non-correlated upside such as Cooper Kupp or an anchor RB.

Jim Coventry said Tee Higgins should not be treated as a fringe WR1 in 12-team leagues because he has never produced like one. Through five NFL seasons Higgins has failed to reach 110 targets or 1,100 receiving yards even once and has missed five games in each of the past two seasons. Coventry also reminded listeners of several weeks where Higgins was technically active but played sparingly, creating hidden risk in weekly line-ups. Until the price drops four to five WR spots, Coventry advised passing on him at ADP 12.

Jim Coventry believes Tee Higgins is headed for disappointment at a WR12 cost. In five NFL seasons Higgins has never cleared 1,100 yards or 110 targets and has missed roughly five games in each of the past two seasons. Despite the Week 17 eruption versus Denver, his overall efficiency was middling—27th-percentile yards after catch and 26th-percentile average depth of target on largely shallow routes. Coventry emphasized that while Higgins is a talented player with Joe Burrow throwing, his durability and usage history do not support borderline WR1 pricing.

Andy Holloway warned that Tee Higgins’ 3.03 ADP—the highest of his career—carries more risk than reward. Holloway conceded Higgins’ underlying metrics mirror Ja’Marr Chase (26 % vs 23 % target share, 2.4 vs 2.1 yards per route run) but argued fantasy drafters chronically underestimate the impact of Higgins’ persistent soft-tissue injuries. The wideout has yet to complete a full season and limped through multiple contests in 2024, finishing outside the top-17 receivers every year of his career. Holloway added that Cincinnati’s depth—rookie Jermaine Burton flashed all spring—makes it easier for the staff to manage Higgins’ snaps. With names like Garrett Wilson, Mike Evans and Davante Adams available in the same range, Holloway prefers receivers with cleaner durability profiles and will only take Higgins if he slips into the late third or early fourth round in season-long drafts.

Jason Moore said drafters should treat Tee Higgins as a legitimate fantasy WR1 even though Ja'Marr Chase commands the marquee billing in Cincinnati. Moore acknowledged the injury-marred 2023 but noted that in games Higgins played at least 70% of snaps he averaged 9.3 targets and 19.4 PPR points—production that would have ranked inside the weekly top-12. With Higgins reportedly close to a long-term extension, Moore is no longer worried about a summer hold-out. He expects Joe Burrow to bounce back from last season’s calf issue and pointed out that the Bengals’ defense lost three starters, a downgrade that should keep them in shootouts. Moore concluded that at pick 2.09 managers are paying an injury discount while capturing 140-target upside tied to an elite quarterback.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound advocated pulling Tee Higgins up to the 2/3 turn (picks 22-26) because it sets up a uniquely affordable double-stack once Joe Burrow falls into the 70s. In current BBM6 rooms Burrow’s ADP sits around 71, so drafters from the 1- or 2-slot who grab Higgins early are very likely to land the entire Bengals passing stack without spending a premium pick on quarterback. Pat argued that the value of a healthy Burrow throwing indoors in Weeks 15-17 (vs PIT, at KC, at CLE) outweighs the slight ADP tax on Higgins. He added that the move is almost risk-free: if Burrow’s calf scares resurface or ADP drops, the Higgins reach becomes an even bigger edge compared to rooms that take him later and miss on the stack altogether.

Davis Mattek warned that an early-round Tee Higgins pick boxes you into an awkward Joe Burrow decision. Unless Burrow free-falls past his Round-5 ADP (a bet Mattek rarely sees), you either overpay for the stack or are left with an expensive, unstacked Higgins. He prefers receivers like Drake London who preserve multiple quarterback pairings and keep draft-room "optionality" intact.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound advised intentionally drafting Tee Higgins a round ahead of ADP—around picks 17-18 instead of 19-21—to manipulate quarterback demand in sharp Puppy rooms. Because Higgins becomes the next best wideout after Ladd McConkey at that point in the queue, most drafters will pivot to another position. Pat has repeatedly seen that chain reaction shove Joe Burrow down four-to-six spots, creating a realistic chance to land the full Bengals double (Higgins + Burrow) at the 6-7 turn rather than paying sticker price. He views the closing-line value on an elite Week-17 Bengals stack as worth sacrificing a couple of expected points of ADP on Higgins.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound blasted the room for allowing Tee Higgins to fall, arguing that the Bengals possess “the best passing offense in the NFL, and it’s not close.” Pat reminded listeners Higgins was the WR2 on a points-per-game basis in his healthy weeks last season and personally won Pat $20K with an 11-131-1 nuclear Week-17 performance. He emphasized that when Higgins is active he can outscore even Ja’Marr Chase, making any discount beyond the late-third round absurd. Pat’s takeaway: hammer Higgins whenever the market gifts you a slide and enjoy the free equity when casual drafters push him back up.

Jason Moore called Tee Higgins the perfect blend of floor and ceiling after ranking him inside the top‑15 wide receivers. Moore highlighted that Higgins averages a touchdown every 7.7 receptions—fifth‑best among active players—and just posted a career‑high 15.5 PPR points per game, fourth at the position, despite missing five contests. He emphasized the symbiotic relationship with Joe Burrow, noting both receivers thrive when on the field together: in their 10 shared starts last year, Burrow averaged 2.8 passing TDs and 306 yards. While acknowledging Higgins’ tendency to miss a couple of games, Moore argued the Bengals’ pass‑heavy scheme and Chase‑driven defensive attention lock in double‑digit touchdown upside. He advised scooping Higgins wherever he slips into the late‑second or early‑third round, viewing him as a weekly WR1/2 starter in redraft and a priority best‑ball target.