Fantasy Football Early-Round Wide Receiver Debate: Tee Higgins vs. Garrett Wilson
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Attacking the wide receiver position early in fantasy football drafts can lead to fruitful results, especially in PPR (points per reception) scoring leagues. In the earlier rounds, Tee Higgins and Garrett Wilson are wideouts to consider adding to your roster.
With the start of the 2026 NFL season on the horizon, let’s dive into the outlooks for Higgins and Wilson, and discuss which wide receiver is poised for more fantasy football success.
All stats used in this article are from Sumer Sports unless stated otherwise. The average draft position (ADP) for each player in this article is from FantasyPros’ real-time ADP for half-PPR leagues.
The Case for Tee Higgins
FantasyPros’ Real-Time ADP: 37.4 (WR15)
Since 2021, the Cincinnati Bengals have boasted one of the best aerial attacks in the NFL with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Higgins. Although Chase is the undeniable No. 1 option for Burrow, Higgins has been arguably the best WR2 on a team in recent years.
TEE HIGGINS WHAT A CATCH.
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2026
CLEvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/UHhmLGeZfk
While Higgins commanded just the 39th-highest target share (18.6%) in 2025, he was tied with A.J. Brown as the WR11 in fantasy points per game (12.1). Tying Amon-Ra St. Brown for the second-most receiving TDs (11) certainly aided Higgins’ fantasy efforts, even with Burrow missing nine games.
Higgins has been worse than WR14 just once since 2021, and he remains in a Cincy offense that was first in neutral pass rate (62.4%) a season ago. Staying healthy is paramount for Higgins, as he’s missed multiple games in each of the last three seasons.
The Case for Garrett Wilson
FantasyPros’ Real-Time ADP: 41.5 (WR20)
Garrett Wilson has yet to experience consistent QB play in his first four seasons, but he’s eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in three of them. The lone miss for Wilson was last year, when the former first-round pick missed 10 games with a knee sprain.
What a catch by Garrett Wilson!
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026
TBvsNYJ on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/nULmGf71tf
Entering the 2026 season, Wilson now has veteran Geno Smith as his QB, and the Ohio State product is seemingly healthy. In the seven games Wilson appeared in last year, he was still the WR16 in fantasy points per game (11.6) on the second-highest target share (33.7%) among WRs with 100-plus routes run.
A lack of scoring opportunities for the New York Jets has led to Wilson not performing consistently well in fantasy football. But with the Jets still having a mediocre defense and Smith under center, Wilson could see a slight boost in the touchdown department.
The Final Verdict: Draft Higgins or Wilson?
The debate between Higgins and Wilson is deciding between taking the No. 2 option in an elite passing environment or the No. 1 option in a below-average offensive unit. It unquestionably feels better to take a player who is catching passes from Burrow, compared to Smith and/or a young QB later in the year.
Higgins has touchdown equity in an above-average offense, and Burrow is healthy entering the 2026 campaign. While Higgins is dealing with a heel ailment right now, it doesn’t appear to be anything that will jeopardize his Week 1 status.
Barring a concerning injury update for the Bengals’ big-play WR, Higgins gets the nod over Wilson from me ahead of the upcoming season.
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Skyler Carlin is an experienced sports writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, college football, college basketball, and soccer for FanDuel Research and USA Today. Outside of writing, he enjoys cooking, watching movies, and playing video games.
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