Start Tyler Higbee or Darren Waller? Week 7

Our Week 7 call

Start Tyler Higbee over Darren Waller in Week 7.

Market-based projections have Tyler Higbee at 9.1 points and Darren Waller at 8.1, a gap of 1.0. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. No player market is posted for Darren Waller this week yet, so his 8.1 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 4 and 6 (9.7 and 6.5); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 9.1 fantasy points for Tyler Higbee, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market-based projection for Tyler Higbee is 38 receiving yards, 3-4 receptions and 0.3 touchdowns (5, 5 and 8 market sources).

No Week 7 player market is posted for Darren Waller yet. His market-based projections were 9.7 and 6.5 points in Weeks 4 and 6, an average of 8.1, which stands in until his Week 7 market posts.

The market-based projection for Darren Waller is 0.3 touchdowns (3 market sources).

That puts Tyler Higbee 1.0 points ahead of Darren Waller on these projections.

Week 7 matchups

Tyler Higbee and LAR visit LV on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

LV allowed 17.7 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the 7th most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 54 yards and a touchdown a game against LV.

Darren Waller and CAR host TB on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

TB allowed 15.7 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the 10th most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 56 yards and 0.7 touchdowns a game against TB.

By points allowed to the position, Tyler Higbee has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Tyler Higbee is not on the injury report.

Darren Waller is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 7

Through Week 6, Tyler Higbee played 57 percent of LAR snaps, drew 12 percent of the targets, earned 11 percent of the air yards and had 4 percent of the red zone chances.

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.

Tyler Higbee, Week 5 against BUF: 55 of 82 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 83 yards.

Tyler Higbee, Week 6 against ARI: 48 of 58 snaps, 4 targets and 4 catches for 22 yards.

Through Week 6, Darren Waller played 46 percent of CAR snaps, drew 12 percent of the targets, earned 10 percent of the air yards and had 8 percent of the red zone chances.

Darren Waller, Week 2 against ATL: 29 of 66 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 33 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Darren Waller, Week 3 against CLE: 39 of 77 snaps, 8 targets and 5 catches for 51 yards.

Darren Waller, Week 4 against DET: 40 of 75 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 36 yards.

Darren Waller, Week 6 against PHI: 36 of 79 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 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, Darren Waller played 9 games for MIA and scored 88.7 PPR points, 9.9 a game, finishing TE33.

He caught 24 of 34 targets for 283 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 7 red zone targets and 210 air yards.

He was on the field for 45 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 7 calls

• Start Tyler Higbee over AJ Barner.
• Start Brock Bowers over Tyler Higbee.
• Start Tyler Higbee over Cade Otton.
• Start Darren Waller over AJ Barner.
• Start Darren Waller over Cade Otton.
• Start Colston Loveland over Darren Waller.