Start Tyler Higbee or T.J. Hockenson? Week 9
Updated Nov 3, 4:51 AM ET. Locks at kickoff, graded after. Week 10 answer posts Tuesday.
Start T.J. Hockenson over Tyler Higbee
- Market projects
- 10.3
- recent weeks avg
- BUF D vs TE
- 15.3
- 12th most to TEs (2026)
- Snap share
- 63%
- Through Week 8
- Target share
- 20%
- Through Week 8
- Market projects
- 8.8
- recent weeks avg
- WAS D vs TE
- 21.5
- 2nd most to TEs (2026)
- Snap share
- 59%
- Through Week 8
- Target share
- 11%
- Through Week 8
Should I drop Tyler Higbee for T.J. Hockenson?
Yes, on the rest of the season. T.J. Hockenson projects 91 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (10.1 a game over 9 games), Tyler Higbee 60 (7.5 a game over 8 games). For Week 9 the call starts T.J. Hockenson over Tyler Higbee.
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Our Week 9 call
Start T.J. Hockenson over Tyler Higbee in Week 9.
Market-based projections have T.J. Hockenson at 10.3 points and Tyler Higbee at 8.8, a gap of 1.6. No player market is posted for T.J. Hockenson this week yet, so his 10.3 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 7 and 8 (10.0 and 10.6); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Tyler Higbee this week yet, so his 8.8 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (7.7, 9.4 and 9.3); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.
What the market projects
No Week 9 player market is posted for T.J. Hockenson yet. His market-based projections were 10.0 and 10.6 points in Weeks 7 and 8, an average of 10.3, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.
The market-based projection for T.J. Hockenson is 0.4 touchdowns (5 market sources).
No Week 9 player market is posted for Tyler Higbee yet. His market-based projections were 7.7, 9.4 and 9.3 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 8.8, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.
That puts T.J. Hockenson 1.6 points ahead of Tyler Higbee on these projections.
Week 9 matchups
T.J. Hockenson and MIN host BUF on Monday at 8:15 PM ET.
BUF allowed 15.3 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the 12th most in the league.
Tight ends caught passes for 78 yards and 0.2 touchdowns a game against BUF.
Tyler Higbee and LAR visit WAS on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.
WAS allowed 21.5 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the 2nd most in the league.
Tight ends caught passes for 74 yards and 1.3 touchdowns a game against WAS.
By points allowed to the position, Tyler Higbee has the softer matchup.
Injury status
T.J. Hockenson is not on the injury report.
Tyler Higbee is not on the injury report.
Usage before Week 9
Through Week 8, T.J. Hockenson played 63 percent of MIN snaps, drew 20 percent of the targets, earned 18 percent of the air yards and had 19 percent of the red zone chances.
T.J. Hockenson, Week 4 against MIA: 65 of 78 snaps, 13 targets and 13 catches for 119 yards.
T.J. Hockenson, Week 5 against NO: 2 of 71 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 7 yards.
T.J. Hockenson, Week 7 against IND: 45 of 59 snaps, 5 targets and 4 catches for 35 yards, 1 touchdown.
T.J. Hockenson, Week 8 against DET: 5 targets and 4 catches for 58 yards, 1 touchdown.
Through Week 8, Tyler Higbee played 59 percent of LAR snaps, drew 11 percent of the targets, earned 12 percent of the air yards and had 3 percent of the red zone chances.
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.
Tyler Higbee, Week 7 against LV: 53 of 72 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 14 yards.
Tyler Higbee, Week 8 against LAC: 2 targets and 1 catch for 14 yards.
Their 2025 seasons
In 2025, T.J. Hockenson played 15 games for MIN and scored 112.8 PPR points, 7.5 a game, finishing TE26.
He caught 51 of 66 targets for 438 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 11 red zone targets and 224 air yards.
He was on the field for 79 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.
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.
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 Tyler Higbee for T.J. Hockenson?
Yes, on the rest of the season. T.J. Hockenson projects 91 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (10.1 a game over 9 games), Tyler Higbee 60 (7.5 a game over 8 games). For Week 9 the call starts T.J. Hockenson over Tyler Higbee.
Should I drop T.J. Hockenson for Tyler Higbee?
No. Keep T.J. Hockenson: he projects 91 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (10.1 a game over 9 games), Tyler Higbee 60 (7.5 a game over 8 games). For Week 9 the call starts T.J. Hockenson over Tyler Higbee.
Week 9 on the board
- Is Tyler Higbee playing Week 9?
- Is T.J. Hockenson playing Week 9?
- Rams depth chart
- Vikings 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