Fantasy Football Week 14 Waiver Wire Debate: Jayden Higgins vs Pat Bryant

Jayden Higgins and Pat Bryant are both rookie Wide Receivers with recently increased workloads. One player has a higher ceiling than the other.

Nov 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (81) reacts to his touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in the second half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The never-ending carousel of Fantasy Football talent keeps on spinning around. That lands us with breaking down the Week 14 Waiver Wire. It finds us with an array of talent that can help fuel one last stab as the Fantasy Football playoffs. We must find a boom rather than a bust, and these players may be able to provide it. Today, we look two rookie Wide Receivers in Jayden Higgins and Pat Bryant.

The Case for Jayden Higgins

He took a bit of time, but Higgins has solidified himself as the WR2 on this Texans offense. Higgins has played 12 Games and he has 49 Targets (12% Target Share), 32 Receptions, 359 Yards, and 4 Touchdowns. Higgins is the WR48 in Fantasy Football and trending upwards.

Jayden Higgins from Week 1-9 → Week 10-13, per @FantasyPtsData:

+ Route share: 46.1% → 56.7%
+ Targets per route: 0.15 → 0.30
+ Target share: 8.0% → 18.5%
+ Yards per route: 1.09 → 2.15

— Dataroma (@ffdataroma) December 1, 2025

Over the past month, Higgins has truly come into his own. Of his 49 Targets, (28) have come over the last four games alone. Of his 359 Yards, (200) have also come across those four games. This also has Higgins playing at a 19% Target Share and it is likely to remain.

If we wish to pickup a Wide Receiver for the playoff push, we must consider their upcoming schedule through the playoffs. Higgins will face the below (Rank vs WR):

• @ Chiefs (4th)
• vs Cardinals (11th)
• vs Raiders (25th)
• @ Chargers (2nd)

Higgins will work into a nice role of 35-55 Yards per Game and a weekly 20-30% of a touchdown. This stretch does not bode overly well, outside of the Fantasy Football semifinals in which Higgins faces the Raiders. He would likely be a Flex option that can be started versus the Cardinals and definitely against the Raiders. Do not plan for him to win you Week 14.

The Case for Pat Bryant

Like Higgins, Bryant has worked himself into a recently lucrative role. On the season, Bryant has played 12 Games and he has 29 Targets (7% Target Share), 18 Receptions, 273 Yards, and 1 Touchdown. Bryant is the WR88 in Fantasy Football.

Of his 29 Targets, (22) have come over the past five games, as well as (227) of his yards. This marks him up to a 17% Target Share in this time, and surging.

Broncos WR route rates coming off the Week 12 bye

Courtland Sutton: 83%
Pat Bryant: 77%
Troy Franklin: 67%
Marvin Mims: 42%

— Jared Smola (@SmolaDS) December 1, 2025

In Week 13, Bryant also played his highest snap-count of the season at 70%. He is averaging 58% of snaps played over the last five weeks, 3rd best among Wide Receivers and surging past Troy Franklin. Bryant out snapped Franklin 70-to-53% in Week 13.

Here is the upcoming schedule for Bryant (Rank vs WR):

• @ Raiders (25th)
• vs Packers (6th)
• vs Jaguars (20th)
• @ Chiefs (4th)

Bryant has a moderate schedule. He has favorable matchups in Week 14 and 16. He has terrible matchups in Weeks 15 and 17. He is competing with Franklin for the WR2 designation, but Bryant is perhaps still a bench asset until further notice. He could be lucrative in the Fantasy Football playoffs, especially versus the Jaguars.

Waiver Wire Debate: Jayden Higgins vs Pat Bryant

We must consider opportunity, workload, and matchups as these players would be desired to fuel a playoff run.

Higgins will have a better opportunity. Though Bryant is surging into a possible WR2 role, Higgins is at least solidified. Both teams are very similar in Passing Yards per Game, so we will take the safer choice.

In the Red Zone, Higgins has (4) Red Zone Targets over his last four games and (7) in total for (3) Touchdowns. Bryant only has (2) Red Zone Targets over his last five games and (5) in total for (0) Touchdowns. Again, Higgins wins.

As for matchups, both players see good and bad defenses. This is a tie. Higgins is ultimately the better overall pick.

Pickup Jayden Higgins for a more proven role and safer output with a higher ceiling.