Start AJ Barner or Elijah Higgins? Week 9
Updated Nov 4, 9:41 AM ET. Locks at kickoff, graded after. Week 10 answer posts Tuesday.
Start AJ Barner over Elijah Higgins
- Market projects
- 6.9
- fantasy pts
- ARI D vs TE
- 16.1
- 9th most to TEs (2026)
- Snap share
- 89%
- Through Week 8
- Target share
- 14%
- Through Week 8
- Market projects
- 4.8
- fantasy pts
- SEA D vs TE
- 10.2
- 5th fewest to TEs (2026)
- Snap share
- 39%
- Through Week 8
- Target share
- 6%
- Through Week 8
Should I drop Elijah Higgins for AJ Barner?
Yes, on the rest of the season. AJ Barner projects 54 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (6.7 a game over 8 games), Elijah Higgins 28 (3.5 a game over 8 games). For Week 9 the call starts AJ Barner over Elijah Higgins, 6.9 to 4.8 projected PPR points.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
Make this call for your own roster
Sync your league and My Team sets this week's lineup for your actual roster, spot by spot. Free, no account.
Or get it by email
Tuesday 7am ET: one email with what moved on the board and who is worth a claim.
Free. One a week, one tap to stop.
Our Week 9 call
Start AJ Barner over Elijah Higgins in Week 9.
Market-based projections have AJ Barner at 6.9 points and Elijah Higgins at 4.8, a gap of 2.1.
What the market projects
Player markets imply 6.9 fantasy points for AJ Barner, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.
The market-based projection for AJ Barner is 25 receiving yards, 2-3 receptions and 0.3 touchdowns (7, 7 and 8 market sources).
Player markets imply 4.8 fantasy points for Elijah Higgins, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.
The market-based projection for Elijah Higgins is 17 receiving yards, 2-3 receptions and 0.1 touchdowns (7, 8 and 8 market sources).
That puts AJ Barner 2.1 points ahead of Elijah Higgins on the market projections.
Week 9 matchups
AJ Barner and SEA host ARI on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.
ARI allowed 16.1 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 8 games, the 9th most in the league.
Tight ends caught passes for 56 yards and 0.6 touchdowns a game against ARI.
Elijah Higgins and ARI visit SEA on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.
SEA allowed 10.2 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 8 games, the 5th fewest in the league.
Tight ends caught passes for 38 yards and 0.3 touchdowns a game against SEA.
By points allowed to the position, AJ Barner has the softer matchup.
Injury status
AJ Barner is not on the injury report.
Elijah Higgins is not on the injury report.
Usage before Week 9
Through Week 8, AJ Barner played 89 percent of SEA snaps, drew 14 percent of the targets, earned 4 percent of the air yards and had 12 percent of the red zone chances.
AJ Barner, Week 5 against SF: 60 of 63 snaps, 5 targets and 3 catches for 20 yards.
AJ Barner, Week 6 against DEN: 79 of 85 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 16 yards.
AJ Barner, Week 7 against KC: 55 of 69 snaps, 3 carries for 4 yards, 5 targets and 4 catches for 42 yards.
AJ Barner, Week 8 against CHI: 60 of 63 snaps, 5 targets and 2 catches for 23 yards.
Through Week 8, Elijah Higgins played 39 percent of ARI snaps, drew 6 percent of the targets, earned 2 percent of the air yards and had 2 percent of the red zone chances.
Elijah Higgins, Week 5 against DET: 39 of 73 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 57 yards.
Elijah Higgins, Week 6 against LAR: 32 of 72 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 28 yards.
Elijah Higgins, Week 7 against DEN: 39 of 81 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 17 yards.
Elijah Higgins, Week 8 against DAL: 26 of 81 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 10 yards.
Their 2025 seasons
In 2025, AJ Barner played 17 games for SEA and scored 147.3 PPR points, 8.7 a game, finishing TE14.
He caught 52 of 68 targets for 519 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 12 red zone targets and 248 air yards.
He was on the field for 78 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.
In 2025, Elijah Higgins played 17 games for ARI and scored 58.1 PPR points, 3.4 a game, finishing TE48.
He caught 30 of 37 targets for 301 yards and 0 touchdowns, with 4 red zone targets and 92 air yards.
He was on the field for 41 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.
Their other Week 9 calls
Locks at kickoff, graded after. When the start/sit engine grades week 9, the call and the result appear on the public record, wrong ones included.
Drop or keep
Should I drop Elijah Higgins for AJ Barner?
Yes, on the rest of the season. AJ Barner projects 54 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (6.7 a game over 8 games), Elijah Higgins 28 (3.5 a game over 8 games). For Week 9 the call starts AJ Barner over Elijah Higgins, 6.9 to 4.8 projected PPR points.
Should I drop AJ Barner for Elijah Higgins?
No. Keep AJ Barner: he projects 54 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (6.7 a game over 8 games), Elijah Higgins 28 (3.5 a game over 8 games). For Week 9 the call starts AJ Barner over Elijah Higgins, 6.9 to 4.8 projected PPR points.
Week 9 on the board
- Is AJ Barner playing Week 9?
- Is Elijah Higgins playing Week 9?
- Seahawks depth chart
- Cardinals depth chart
- Week 9 TE rankings
- Week 9 fantasy rankings
- Week 9 start or sit
- Week 9 waiver wire
- Week 9 trade value chart
- Trade deadline buy low, sell high
- Fantasy football rankings
- Start 'em sit 'em Week 9
- Waiver wire pickups
- Fantasy sleepers
- Rest of season rankings
- Week 9 kicker rankings
- Week 9 defense rankings