Tyler Higbee really came on as a tight end in fantasy football for the Los Angeles Rams. Is he worth being drafted in 2020 fantasy football leagues?
Even though the Los Angeles Rams did not qualify for the NFC playoffs a season ago, they did undergo a bit of an offensive renaissance very late in the year. The Fantasy Footballers recognized how the offense changed with about five weeks remaining. Veteran tight end Tyler Higbee was a great beneficiary of having the offense largely run through him. Should he be drafted in fantasy?
Mike Wright and Jason Moore believe Higbee is worth being drafted next year, potentially as high as a second-tier tight end. This would put him past the top-tier wave of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, the San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Zach Ertz. Wright thinks you can take Higbee as high as the eighth-round, while Moore feels he’s a 12th-round guy.
Check out The Fantasy Footballers for all their advice
Andy Holloway isn’t in on Higbee like his colleagues are. He believes Higbee’s spike in productivity was a result of the offense being run through him. Los Angeles has plenty of other excellent receiving options, most notably wide receiver Cooper Kupp. While Higbee might have been a more productive player down the stretch than his teammate Gerald Everett, let’s pump the breaks here.
No, Higbee shouldn’t be viewed as a low-end TE1 like a second-tier fantasy football tight end should be. He’s not Jared Cook, Austin Hooper or Hunter Henry. So it isn’t wise for you to reach on taking him as your first tight end off the board. But if he’s still around in the latter part of your draft, feel free to pick him up to round out your fantasy football bench for the time being.
Should Higbee go undrafted in your fantasy league next summer, keep an eye on him as a potential waiver wire add in the early weeks of the season. Frankly, the Rams offense did run smoother when Higbee was featured in the latter part of the year. The guys mention how quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley improved in this offense as well.
Overall, Higbee feels like a buy-low fantasy football tight end candidate. If you treat him like a Cook or a Hooper and he doesn’t pan out, then you overdrafted the guy. However, Higbee could end up being the late-round gem that could give you the flexibility to help you contend for a fantasy league title next winter.