Start Tyler Higbee or AJ Barner? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Tyler Higbee over AJ Barner in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Tyler Higbee at 7.3 points and AJ Barner at 6.7, a gap of 0.7. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 7.3 fantasy points for Tyler Higbee, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market gives Tyler Higbee a 31% chance to score a touchdown (14 market sources).

Player markets imply 6.7 fantasy points for AJ Barner, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market has AJ Barner at 23.5 receiving yards and 2.5 receptions, with a 25% chance to score a touchdown (14, 15 and 14 market sources).

That puts Tyler Higbee 0.7 points ahead of AJ Barner on the market projections.

Injury status

Tyler Higbee is not on the injury report.

AJ Barner is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Tyler Higbee played 49 percent of LAR snaps, drew 12 percent of the targets, earned 10 percent of the air yards and had 6 percent of the red zone chances.

Tyler Higbee, Week 1 against SF: 12 of 61 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 12 yards.

Tyler Higbee, Week 2 against NYG: 16 of 62 snaps, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Tyler Higbee, Week 3 against DEN: 61 of 86 snaps, 11 targets and 8 catches for 62 yards, 1 touchdown.

Tyler Higbee, Week 4 against PHI: 55 of 84 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 67 yards.

Through Week 4, AJ Barner played 87 percent of SEA snaps, drew 13 percent of the targets, earned 4 percent of the air yards and had 13 percent of the red zone chances.

AJ Barner, Week 1 against NE: 44 of 50 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 13 yards.

AJ Barner, Week 2 against ARI: 56 of 70 snaps, 1 carry for 1 yards, 1 target and 1 catch for 8 yards, 1 touchdown.

AJ Barner, Week 3 against WAS: 61 of 67 snaps, 9 targets and 5 catches for 69 yards.

AJ Barner, Week 4 against LAC: 54 of 60 snaps, 3 targets and 1 catch for 12 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Tyler Higbee played 10 games for LAR and scored 71.1 PPR points, 7.1 a game, finishing TE40.

He caught 25 of 36 targets for 281 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 8 red zone targets and 141 air yards.

He was on the field for 54 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

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.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start Cade Otton over Tyler Higbee.
• Start Tyler Higbee over Chig Okonkwo.
• Start Tyler Higbee over Kyle Pitts Sr..
• Start Brenton Strange over AJ Barner.
• Start Brock Bowers over AJ Barner.
• Start Cade Otton over AJ Barner.