Should I trade Tee Higgins after Week 1? Exploring fantasy projection for Bengals WR for Week 2

Tee Higgins and the Cincinnati Bengals have high hopes for the 2023 NFL season, especially after competing in the last two AFC Championship Games. Unfortunately for them, their season opener was a disaster after putting up only three points against the Cleveland Browns.

Higgins was a non-factor throughout the game, which is not the ideal way to set the tone for a 17-game grind.

As such, his fantasy football owners might contemplate trading him for other players. But is that the right move after a terrible Week 1 outcome?

---

Should I trade Tee Higgins? Who should I trade Bengals WR for?

No, it’s not time to press the panic button on Tee Higgins just yet, despite the receiver having zero catches in eight targets against the Browns. His performance heavily relies on quarterback Joe Burrow, who was disastrous on opening weekend.

It’s hard to expect Higgins to perform well if Burrow completes only 45 percent of his passes (14 of 31) for 82 yards. However, 16 regular season games are left, giving Higgins time to bounce back.

It's also pertinent to note that Higgins hasn’t performed well in season-openers. He only had 35 yards in his NFL debut in 2020, 58 in Week 1 of 2021, and 27 a year later.

However, despite those slow starts, he became one of the Bengals’ steadiest contributors. He had 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and 2022, helping Cincinnati clinch postseason berths. While Ja’Marr Chase gets all the attention, Higgins delivers the goods in the shadows.

The only trade you can consider for Tee Higgins is for a higher-ranked wide receiver in fantasy football. Since he is regarded as a Top-15 wideout in fantasy, trade him only if, for some reason, a fellow player wanted a Higgins-for-Tyreek Hill swap. Sportskeeda’s Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer overwhelmingly approves this transaction.

Trade Tee Higgins only for a higher-ranked wide receiver like Tyreek Hill. However, who would initiate such a trade, especially if both players are healthy?

Yes, it’s an exaggeration. But then again, who would execute that kind of trade? Therefore, keeping Higgins on your roster should eventually pay off.

---

Exploring Tee Higgins’ Fantasy Projection for 2023

Fantasy football websites project Higgins to finish with 1050 to 1195 yards and six to nine touchdowns. Those numbers translate to rankings of 12th to 15th among wide receivers. However, he must do better in Week 2 to get back on track to attain those numbers.

The Baltimore Ravens are the next team on the Bengals’ schedule. The Ravens limited the Houston Texans to 196 passing yards in their season opener. But then again, the Texans haven’t been a good team since 2019, and they have a rookie quarterback.

Conversely, Burrow has a 3-2 record against Baltimore. Tee Higgins’ production will likely ascend against the Ravens in Week 2.