Rams News: Tyler Higbee Workload Increase
There wasn’t anyone on this week’s waiver wire that we were doing backflips for, as mentioned in our Week 4 waiver wire article. However, due to the injury to both Terrance Ferguson (ankle) and Colby Parkinson (shoulder), Tyler Higbee seems worth the pickup.
Ferguson and Parkinson were both active for Sunday night’s loss to Denver, but the game played out differently for each. Ferguson aggravated an existing ankle issue in the first quarter, tried to play through it, and was eventually pulled for good in the second quarter. Parkinson, dealing with an AC sprain in his shoulder, continued playing and still handled a significant share of the offensive workload at the position. Between the two situations, Higbee ended up with the biggest jump in playing time, posting a season-high snap share after seeing just a modest role over the first two weeks.
Higbee made the most of it. He caught eight of 11 targets for 62 yards and his first touchdown of the season in the 30-26 loss to the Broncos, a dramatic jump from the two catches for 12 yards he had managed across the first two games combined.
Puka Nacua’s situation is also worth watching. The star receiver has missed the last two games with a groin injury, and he could return in Week 4 against the Eagles, which would help settle the passing game somewhat even as the tight end room stays banged up. If Ferguson and Parkinson are both out or limited again this week, Higbee profiles as a viable tight-end stream against Philadelphia.
At 33, Higbee isn’t anyone’s long-term answer at the position, but he’s shown over a long career in this offense that he can still produce when given real playing time. He is widely available on the waiver wire in most leagues, which makes him a low-cost, low-risk add for managers who need a short-term fill-in at tight end while Ferguson’s ankle and Parkinson’s shoulder get sorted out.
The bigger question is what happens once the Rams get healthier at the position. Ferguson had established himself as one of the more productive young tight ends in the league before his injury, and once he’s back to full health, Higbee’s role is expected to shrink again toward what it looked like in the first two weeks. That makes this a short-term opportunity rather than a season-long value play, and managers should treat it that way, using Higbee as a one or two-week fill-in rather than a piece to build around.
For now, though, the matchup and circumstances line up well enough that Higbee is worth rostering in any format where a tight end need exists heading into Week 4.
