Tee Higgins vs Ladd McConkey

“ADP: +6 Tee Higgins continues to thrive as Cincinnati’s high-end No.”

“20 come from two buckets: Hyper-specified role players (Stefon Diggs, Rashee Rice) Guys with other top 24 or strong ancillary target competition (Both Rams WRs, Jameson Williams, CeeDee Lamb, Tee Higgins, Quentin Johnston with Ladd McConkey/Keenan Allen) You may notice there’s one guy on this list who fits in neither, and it’s Thundering Herd legend Christian Watson (shout out to NDSU).”

“Undervalued: Tee Higgins, Wide Receiver (WR16, Pick 37 OVR) Tee Higgins is a #1 receiver; he just happens to play with one of the biggest alphas in the NFL with Ja’Marr Chase. He’s a dominant playmaker who just happens to lose targets to the dominant playmaker in the league.”

“Higgins is right behind Burden in LTV, and if Burden were to match Higgins in scoring, well, I’d say that would be a successful season.”

“We haven't seen a full season out of Tee Higgins since 2022, but he's a TD machine when healthy. Higgins has 21 receiving TDs over the last two years; only Chase, Amon-Ra, and Davante Adams have more.”

“Higgins has been propped up by some massive touchdown totals the past two seasons. After 24 scores over his first four seasons, Higgins found pay dirt 21 times in 27 games between 2024 and 2025. With numbers like that, Higgins' expected fantasy points per game were at 11.3 last season, but the touchdowns pushed his actual average up to 14.1.”

“Over the past two seasons, Higgins has finished as the WR5 and WR13 on a per-game basis. That said, his value can only go down from here. He's already 27.5 years old, so he's about to hit that age range where dynasty managers start getting antsy and unloading receivers before any decline starts.”

“Tee Higgins is undoubtedly the best WR "2" in the NFL. He ranks as our 18th WR, higher than 15 other teams' highest drafted pass catcher! He lined up out wide on 87.7% of his routes, the seventh-highest rate among all wide receivers, cementing his status as a primary boundary receiver.”

“Despite averaging slightly fewer targets per game with Burrow (6.7 vs. 7.8), Higgins averaged more fantasy points per contest (15.2 vs. 13.4) and fantasy points per target (2.3 vs. 1.7) with the superstar quarterback.”

“Back at the Round 3-4 turn in 2026, Higgins offers an excellent combination of floor and ceiling — even in a range with several other intriguing wide receivers.”

“Tee Higgins (12th in total WR points last year) is going for an average auction value less than their projection.”

“Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins give the Bengals a chance in every game, but how good can the defense be?”

“A top‑12 finish is well within reach, giving him legitimate league‑winning upside in year two.” – Lawrence Iacona ( The Architect’s War Room ) “We could take the more obvious route and say Emeka Egbuka or Ladd McConkey .”

“Full disclosure: I like Ladd McConkey . I also think Justin Herbert is prime for an MVP-caliber season.”

“The second-year WR is being grouped into the “elite” Chargers WR conversation alongside Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston by HC John Harbaugh.”

“20 come from two buckets: Hyper-specified role players (Stefon Diggs, Rashee Rice) Guys with other top 24 or strong ancillary target competition (Both Rams WRs, Jameson Williams, CeeDee Lamb, Tee Higgins, Quentin Johnston with Ladd McConkey/Keenan Allen) You may notice there’s one guy on this list who fits in neither, and it’s Thundering Herd legend Christian Watson (shout out to NDSU).”

“That leaves a sizable hole in the offense, and McConkey should be the biggest beneficiary of those vacated targets.”

“Ladd McConkey is my bet for Herbert’s pass-catcher who will benefit the most from better health along the offensive line.”

“After working through it, the analyst landed on preferring McConkey over Tate, citing more confidence in McConkey’s current quarterback situation and offensive environment, along with an already-strong rookie season once his playoff performance is factored in.”

“With Allen no longer on the team, this opens up the opportunity for McConkey to emerge as Justin Herbert's clear top receiver and demand an elite target share. There's a clear path to him earning 150+ targets and hauling in 100+ receptions.”

“There's no denying Ladd McConkey was a massive fantasy disappointment last season. He saw a drop from 15.1 PPR points per game as a rookie down to 11.3.”

“Ladd at ADP 34 is a steep price for a role that could be more complicated than the market is admitting. The Chargers added David Njoku, Charlie Kolar, and Alec Ingold, which points to more 12 & 21 personnel, and that matters for a player who ran 64.0% of his routes from the slot.”

“McConkey's CTCH% dropped from 73% to 62% year-over-year, and that drop, combined with a lower YPC, made a substantial difference in his performance. Much of this can be attributed to the offensive line injuries and subsequent pocket pressure that QB Justin Herbert faced much of the season. Herbert was pressured on 45% of McConkey's targets, and his catchable targets dropped by 10 percentage points. Bringing back a fully healthy offensive line and drafting four additional linemen (including the #1 ranked Center in the class) should make a big difference for this offensive unit.”

“Despite a gaffe-riddled rookie year, QJ showed marginal development in his second season, and Ladd McConkey looked like one of the steals of the draft in 2024. Then Allen, who departed for a one-year sabbatical in Chicago in 2024, returned to Los Angeles for his swan song and mucked the whole thing up! Or did he? The narrative in the fantasy football community has been that Keenan Allen NERFed Ladd McConkey's 2025 numbers, but further analysis shows there were several other factors at play.”