Is Tee Higgins Injured or Playing In Week 17? Should I Start Andrei Iosivas For Fantasy Football?

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (ankle/knee) has had a rough go this season with injury issues. A seemingly never-ending cascade of ailments have made life difficult for the fifth-year pro as he seeks a monster contract after the end of this season. He's been fantastic when healthy, though.

In just 10 games played, Higgins has logged 58 catches on 92 targets for 727 yards and seven touchdowns, and provided multiple big boom games for fantasy football managers. He's also been a huge part of his team's offense when he gets enough targets to have a productive day.

But he's currently dealing with knee and ankle issues. So will he play in Week 17? And should you start his teammate, fellow wideout Andre Iosivas?

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Is Tee Higgins Playing In Week 17?

It's simply not known at this point. He has a "Questionable" designation for Saturday's game. And knowing Higgins, fantasy managers should take heed of this and prepare a backup plan if they need it. He's missed five games out of 16 total contests this season, and last week, he injured his ankle during the game, though he was eventually able to return.

#Bengals injury report for Saturday includes Tee Higgins being questionable, as he was limited in practice this week. pic.twitter.com/PnVzlqA7tc

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) December 26, 2024

He logged three straight limited practices this week. We're not exactly sure when he picked up his knee issue. It could have happened during the game or been a lingering thing that he's been dealing with for some time. We're also not sure what exactly the issues is in the first place.

There's also the question of whether he'll have a limited workload during the game. It's certainly possible. The Bengals' path to the playoffs is extremely narrow -- they'd have to win out and would need the Denver Broncos to lose the rest of their games. Never say never -- that's a tough challenge, though.

the bengals can still make the playoffs:

to win out: (broncos, Steelers)

broncos to lose out (bengals, chiefs)

burrow and chase will be deadly against teams in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/uTemrDIlZy

— 10 (@premiumgonzo) December 23, 2024

It's hard to speculate on that, though. And Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has previously been cryptic about injury situations, so it's unlikely we'll get predictive information.

Should I Start Andrei Iosivas for Fantasy Football Week 17

Unfortunately, if Higgins can't play, Iosivas still isn't a great starting option. Previously, it was tight end Mike Gesicki who benefitted the most from the absence of the former Clemson Tiger. In three of the five contests that Cincinnati's WR2 couldn't suit up for, Gesicki scored 16.1, 12.3, and 27.0 PPR fantasy points. There's some great upside with him.

Mike Gesicki should still be cheap this offseason. I'd be interested in another year or two. pic.twitter.com/3AEnikeX4b

— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) December 2, 2024

We'd recommend taking a shot on the seventh-year TE if Higgins ends up being inactive. Iosivas we're fine with leaving on waivers or on the bench.

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