Tyler Higbee or Kendall Blanton could provide extraordinary value for fantasy football managers and bettors in Super Bowl 56. When the Rams face the Bengals on Sunday, what are the odds of a breakout performance from one of Los Angeles’s tight ends?
Tyler Higbee Super Bowl fantasy outlook
An MCL sprain knocked Higbee out of the Rams’ NFC Championship Game victory over the 49ers. He had been on a bit of a roll before then, netting 7.6+ fantasy points in eight of his previous nine games and 13 of his previous 15.
Additionally, 16 of his 17 career touchdowns have come from within 15 yards, including all 5 TDs this season. Higbee’s usage and red-zone accessibility made him a weekly streamer.
In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, Higbee’s status has been in question. Head coach Sean McVay expressed doubts early this week about his starting TE’s practice availability for the remainder of the week, which is never a good sign.
If Higbee suits up with limitations and splits time with Blanton, both players’ upside would have a cap. However, if Higbee is cleared and good to go, he’ll slot back in as a solid 4-40 receiving option with some pop.
Kendall Blanton Super Bowl fantasy outlook
When Higbee exited two weeks ago, Blanton reeled in 5 of 5 targets for 57 yards. The 26-year-old TE journeyman caught his first NFL pass in Week 10. As a spot starter in Weeks 14 and 15, he collected a total of 2 catches for 29 scoreless yards on 4 targets.
Blanton’s playoff heroics, including a 2-18-1 receiving line against the Buccaneers, should not be misconstrued as the new norm. While the Bengals are yielding the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing TEs, they can be forgiven for facing Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Darren Waller, and George Kittle a combined six times.
Yes, stats sometimes are misleading. If Higbee sits, Blanton would be a TD-dependent No. 5 or No. 6 offensive option, depending on how the Rams’ backfield shakes out.
Should managers and bettors invest in Higbee or Blanton in Super Bowl 56?
Higbee ($4,800) is $200 more expensive than Blanton. The decision-making process should be clear.
If Higbee starts, he’s the better bet. If he sits, Blanton would be a weaker bet. But at $4,600, he’d be worth a dart throw if you can assemble a top-heavy lineup that includes Cooper Kupp and Ja’Marr Chase.
Additionally, while neither TE is a popular option in prop bets, we would advise betting on Higbee to exceed 3 catches and 40 yards if he’s not facing physical or snap count limitations. And his red-zone usage makes him a somewhat acceptable bet (20%-30%) to score.
If Higbee is inactive, Blanton could be expected to exceed 2 catches and 25 yards, with only a 10%-20% chance of scoring. In other words, we would advise not overreaching for Blanton, despite his impressive production in the past two outings.