Week 13 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Debate: Should You Target Tyler Higbee or Gerald Everett?

As the week 13 waiver wire begins to take shape, a couple of tight ends figure to be options for fantasy owners after solid week 12 showings.

Los Angeles Rams’ Tyler Higbee and Los Angeles Chargers’ Gerald Everett are the two players I’d like to discuss. I already hit on Pittsburgh Steelers’ Pat Freiermuth, who likely is going to be the top waiver wire TE commodity, so if you miss out on him, is Higbee or Everett the better option?

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Week 12 Performances/Season Numbers

Higbee’s numbers in week 12 weren’t really all that great, but two touchdown grabs definitely will catch fantasy owner’s attention. Higbee caught all five of his targets for 29 yards.

Everett also saw a so-so fantasy showing boosted with a touchdown grab. He caught his four targets for 43 yards.

The touchdown grabs were the first two scores for Higbee this season. He’s topped 40 receiving yards on four occasions. In his other seven games, he hasn’t topped 30 yards.

He matched his season high with five catches, something he’s done four times now. He’s had under three catches five times.

The touchdown was the third for Everett this season. His 43 receiving yards was just four yards off his season high. He’s failed to reach 25 yards more times (five) than he’s topped it (four). 

Everett’s four grabs were the second-highest total for him this season. In seven of his nine games, he’s had three or less catches.

The overall numbers for Higbee and Everett are nothing to get super excited over, but at a position lacking consistent performers, maybe week 12 can get each tight end moving in the right direction.

Fantasy Outlook for Both Tight Ends

Both tight ends have the opportunity to consistently perform for their offense, as not many other pass catchers have dominated week after week. 

I’d say that Everett has the better chance to produce, as the Chargers are dealing with a number of injuries to receivers. Higbee has to deal with Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp and Tutu Atwell at the receiver position. But as the overall numbers show, Higbee has produced the most yards by quite a bit.

Everett has the easier remaining schedule, at least on paper. The FantasySP strength of schedule chart gives the Chargers’ tight ends a grade of A for the rest of the season. The Rams’ tight ends are at a C.

The Rams play the Cleveland Browns in week 13, Baltimore Ravens in week 14, Washington Commanders in week 15, New Orleans Saints in week 16, New York Giants in week 17 and San Francisco 49ers in week 18. Almost all of those contests are tough tests for Higbee.

The Chargers will take on the New England Patriots in week 13, Denver Broncos in week 14, Las Vegas Raiders in week 15, Buffalo Bills in week 16, Broncos again in week 17 and then the Kansas City Chiefs in week 18. There’s some tougher matchups in there, but also a handful of favorable ones for Everett. 

Who to Target on Waiver Wire

The obvious choice would seem like Higbee given he’s had the far more productive season, but the tougher schedule the rest of the way makes this decision a toss up to me.

Neither guy has been all that good this season. Touchdowns in week 12 turned so-so fantasy outings into good ones, and scores might be the only way these guys are able to finish as top-10 fantasy TE on a given week.

As much as I’d like to make Higbee the priority over Everett, I just can’t do it. There’s more mouths to feed on the Rams than with the Chargers, and Higbee is further down the pecking order for touches than Everett is. I know it’s not easy to trust what Everett has done this season, but I like his chances of producing more going forward than Higbee.

If your league uses a free agent auction budget (FAAB), I would not spend much on either tight end. I wouldn’t go over 5% of my remaining budget for either guy.

If Higbee and Everett are owned in your league and you want to trade for them, I wouldn’t give up anything too valuable in return. Higbee and Everett are only borderline starters because they are at a weak fantasy position, so I wouldn’t give a player at another position unless they are simply a depth piece to you.