Tyler Higbee works downfield in OT loss to Bills

The Rams in Week 7 resorted to a heavy dose of three tight end sets with Davante Adams sidelined with a long-term hamstring injury. That led to 12 pass routes for Allen, fewer than both Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee. He caught two red zone touchdowns from Matthew Stafford, however, seeing a look on 33 percent of his routes. Allen will be tough to trust as a fantasy option unless or until his snaps and routes increase. He could be a deep league option in Week 8 against the Chargers, however.

It was Davis Allen who caught two of Matthew Stafford’s three touchdown tosses as the Rams leaned into heavy three tight end-set usage with Davante Adams sidelined indefinitely with a hamstring injury. Though Higbee led Rams tight ends in pass routes, his lack of red zone involvement left him out in the statistical cold. Trying to figure out which LA tight end is going to go off in a given week is going to be a continual headache for fantasy gamers in the coming weeks.

Higbee lost volume to Colby Parkinson in this one. Higbee also had the ball ripped from his possession by Cardinals LB Cody Simon while trying to fall forward for extra yards on the Rams’ seventh drive, further reducing his fantasy output. With Parkinson playing well, Higbee is a shakier, low-end TE1 against the Raiders next week.

Allen remains out, and Parkinson (shoulder) remains limited. Tyler Higbee has played productively in the Rams’ No. 1 tight end role, and he should be expected to do so again this week against the Cardinals.

Parkinson is unlikely to be startable as a TE1 if he plays on Monday night, but his return will likely reduce Tyler Higbee’s snap share. Higbee has been TE1-viable in each of the last two weeks.

Parkinson has a chance to return for the Rams’ Monday Night Football game against the Bills. If this is the case, he would hurt Tyler Higbee’s snap share, threatening the latter’s TE1 viability.

One of only two healthy Rams tight ends, Higbee was the Rams’ clear-cut No. 3 passing-game weapon behind a returning Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. There’s a huge gulf between the Rams’ wideouts and Higbee, but he should be able to provide TE2 streamer value for the next several weeks, including Week 5 against the Bills.

Ferguson briefly departed after injuring his ankle in the team’s Sunday Night Football loss to the Broncos, returning for two snaps prior to departing again after his lone reception of the evening. The ankle injury now appears likely to cost the talented young tight end at least one game, with the potential for the absence to linger if the sprain is “more high than low.” McVay also relayed that fellow tight end Colby Parkinson suffered an AC sprain and is considered day-to-day. Veteran Tyler Higbee would be in line to operate as the primary receiving tight end after amassing 62 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions in Week 3, should both miss. Higbee should be added in all formats as a potential TE1 in the immediate future.

Higbee’s first quarter touchdown got the scoring started for the Rams, but it wasn’t until Terrance Ferguson departed with an ankle injury that his volume truly took off. From that point forward, Higbee was one of the primary options through the air, finishing two targets behind Davante Adams for the team lead. Fantasy managers will want to monitor Ferguson’s status closely in the coming week as Higbee could become a legitimate waiver target should Ferguson miss time.

Higbee ended up leading the Rams’ tight ends in targets and receptions, as Davis Allen had just one catch before exiting with a head injury, and Terrance Ferguson didn’t catch his only opportunity. Ferguson still seems like the tight end to roster going forward, but one could argue Higbee has the higher floor because he’ll see more snaps because of his blocking ability. That’s not a ringing endorsement, if it’s not obvious. The Rams will try and get it going against the Giants in Week 2.