Elijah

Higgins

McBride was able to practice on Wednesday. Gannon said McBride’s prospects look “good” for this Sunday’s game against the 49ers after he missed Week 4 against Washington. McBride’s late week practice participation will be key if he’s going to suit up against the Niners. Elijah Higgins would once again work as the team’s TE1 if McBride can’t go.

Filling in for Trey McBride (concussion), some fantasy managers hoped Higgins, a former receiver, could turn into a quality one-week fantasy option. That didn’t quite come to fruition, as Higgins managed just two receptions on three targets for a forgettable Week 4. McBride is expected to return in Week 5 against the 49ers if he clears concussion protocol.

McBride saw heavy usage along with Marvin Harrison Jr. in the Cardinals’ win. He is definitively Kyler Murray’s No. 2 target and will continue to be a top-two option in the offense. Elijah Higgins was the only other tight end to catch a pass, on an 18-yard touchdown score. Though he did not catch a pass for a score, McBride scored by recovering a James Conner fumble in the endzone in the fourth quarter. Fantasy managers will take that score, along with the schemed usage that McBride was seeing over the secondary pass-catchers. McBride is a TE1 heading into Week 3.

Higgins was second on the team in receiving yards today with Marquise Brown leaving early and Michael Wilson being ineffective (no catches). He caught a late garbage touchdown on the the Cardinals’ final possession, as the 49ers had already put up 45 points.

The Cardinals are at near full-strength heading into Week 3. We’ll see how that fares against the league’s No. 1 defense.

Bethel is a special teams expert who is set to enter his 11th NFL season. If he’s on a roster in 2023, it most likely won’t be the Dolphins, after the team made him a part of their cuts to trim the roster down to 53 players. In addition to Bethel, the Dolphins also released/waived WR Robbie Chosen, RB Myles Gaskin, DT Da’Shawn Hand, TE Tyler Kroft, CB Parry Nickerson, OT Cedric Ogbuehi, DB Jamal Perry, LB Malik Reed, CB Ethan Bonner, TE Tanner Conner, LB Cameron Goode, OT Ryan Hayes, TE Elijah Higgins, WR Braylon Sanders, CB Bryce Thompson, OL Alama Uluave, CB Trill Williams, and WR Daewood Davis.

“Drafting a guy that plays receiver and converting him — I think the first time I was part of that was Niles Paul back in 2011. For me and my history, there’s a lot of traits that he resembled in his competitiveness, in his size and in his strength,” McDaniels said at Miami’s post-draft press conference. “Converting a receiver isn’t as abstract as it used to be only because half the teams are playing spread. We felt very comfortable and confident that he fit for that, so we’re excited to have him.” Moving to tight end should help Higgins’ chances of a roster spot after the Dolphins lost TE Mike Gesicki this offseason. Higgins gives Miami a pass-catching option behind blocking TEs Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert, and Tanner Conner.

Higgins (6’3/235) is one of the more interesting wide receiver prospects in this year’s class. His height and athleticism (8.93 RAS) are well above average for the position, but he never produced more than 704 receiving yards in his four seasons at Stanford. The former four-star recruit profiles as a big slot, but some teams could entertain the idea of developing him as a tight end given his natural size. Like any great tight end convert, Higgins has a basketball background that helps him body up defenders in jump ball situations, but is nimble enough to evade oncoming defenders. His 17 missed tackles forced in 2022 are tied for third-most in the class while his 411 YAC rank inside the top-15. Whether or not Higgins sees significant playing time as a rookie could depend on how coaches decide to use him. He could be an intriguing option as a tight end for Miami. As a receiver, his fantasy outlook is nonexistent.

Higgins (6'3/235) has had a breakout season for the Cardinal, leading the team by catching 37-of-58 targets for 449 yards, 12.1 yards per reception and four touchdowns through eight games this season. He has been heavily targeted over his past five games specifically, receiving an average of nine looks per contest over that span with Higgins and TE Benjamin Yurosek serving as the lynchpins of the Stanford passing attack. With QB Tanner McKee also listed as questionable, the Cardinal could be quite shorthanded on offense this Friday against Utah.

Higgins (6'3/235) caught a beautiful fade route for a touchdown in the first quarter. After that, it felt like the Cardinals limited themselves with short routes across the middle. Higgins topped 100 yards for the second time this season and it was his third straight contest with a touchdown reception. The Cardinals take on Washington State next Saturday night.