TeeHiggins

News: 1 day agoHiggins disclosed after exiting in the second half of Saturday's 19-17 win over the Steelers that he is tending to a left high-ankle sprain, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.

Spin: Higgins has taken questionable tags into the Bengals' past two games with both ankle and knee injury, though it's the former issue that has been the greater concern. Despite managing the high-ankle sprain, Higgins produced a monstrous 11-131-3 line on 12 targets in a Week 17 overtime win over Denver, but he was limited to four catches for 53 yards on five targets while playing 50 of 74 offensive snaps Saturday before seemingly aggravating the injury late in the contest and not returning. Higgins said after Saturday's game that he plans to play through the ankle injury if Cincinnati clinches a spot on the postseason, with the Bengals needing a Broncos loss to the Chiefs plus a Dolphins loss or tie against the Jets on Sunday to secure a wild-card berth.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Higgins is back -- on the franchise tag -- for his fifth pro season with the Bengals. In 12 games played last season, Higgins averaged 11.5 fantasy PPG, but was inconsistent, scoring 22 or more points three times but below 10 points on seven occasions. Higgins will remain unpredictable at times as the secondary target behind Ja'Marr Chase, but he has ability to win on the boundary or as a seam stretcher from the slot. Having a healthy Joe Burrow back on the field for this high-powered offense puts Higgins in the mid-tier flex range, with WR2 upside.