Tee Higgins or Christian Kirk: Who should I start in MNF Week 13 Fantasy Football?

Tee Higgins and Christian Kirk are in relatively similar fantasy football situations in Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season. They both serve as the WR2 on their NFL teams and also hold the same role on most fantasy rosters. In favorable weekly matchups, they both have the upside to finish as a WR1, despite not topping the depth charts for their teams.

With Monday Night Football serving as the finale to Week 13, many fantasy managers may be debating whether to use Higgins or Kirk in their lineups to close out the week. With the 2023 fantasy football playoffs right around the corner, this potential decision can have a direct impact on a team's postseason chances. The following breakdown can help to make the right choice.

Is Tee Higgins a good fantasy pick in Week 13?

Tee Higgins

The Cincinnati Bengals are relieved to finally get Tee Higgins back into their lineup after he has battled through several injuries this season. He most recently missed three games due to ankle and hamstring injuries, but he is expected to make his return in Week 13 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Higgins was removed from the official injury report, further confirming his availability this week.

Higgins will return just in time for the Bengals to make one last push toward a potential playoff spot. Unfortunately, they will need to do so without Joe Burrow, who suffered a season-ending wrist injury. This means that Jake Browning is their new quarterback, which also impacts Higgins' potential fantasy football outlook.

Browning and Higgins have never played a game together, so it's unclear what type of chemistry they will have on the football field. With Higgins sitting out of practice with his injuries lately, this could further complicate this issue. The wide receiver is a tricky lineup option because of this, especially considering he has two top-ten finishes in PPR leagues across his past six games.

All things considered between the injury, new quarterback, and direct weekly matchup, Higgins profiles as a high-ceiling and low-floor option. The Bengals have allowed the tenth-most fantasy points per game to his position, which provides plenty of upside. However, this being his first game back from an extended absence makes him much riskier than usual.

Is Christian Kirk a good fantasy pick in Week 13?

Christian Kirk

The Jacksonville Jaguars added Christian Kirk to their roster last year and he proceeded to turn in a career-best fantasy football season. His outlook took a bit of a hit when they brought in Calvin Ridley this year, but Kirk has still found a way to remain extremely consistent in his fantasy football output. He currently ranks as the overall WR24 this season, putting him in the WR2 range on most rosters.

Volume has been Kirk's best asset this season as he has been targeted five or more times in 10 of 11 games entering Week 13. He has turned that into eight finishes among the top 30 wide receivers in PPR leagues this year. He has done so despite only totaling 3 touchdowns this season, so the best could still be yet to come this year for the veteran wide receiver.

Up next for Kirk is a Monday Night Football against the Bengals, who have severely struggled defensively this season. They rank towards the bottom of the NFL in most defensive categories, including a bottom-ten passing defense and failing to slow down wide receivers in fantasy football. This presents a solid opportunity for Kirk to keep his strong form rolling.

Tee Higgins vs. Christian Kirk: Who should I start in Week 13 fantasy football?

Kirk vs. Higgins

According to the Start/Sit Optimizer, Christian Kirk makes for a better wide receiver option than Tee Higgins in fantasy football lineups on Monday Night Football in Week 13. This valuable tool weighs every possible variable for any player in a given week to generate fantasy projections and lineup suggestions. In this particular scenario, it favors Kirk for a higher projected output.

The optimizer is expecting Higgins to be less involved than Kirk in this matchup, earning lower projections in receptions, yards, and touchdown equity. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise as Kirk has provided reliable volume all season long. Higgins has incredible upside when healthy, but in his first game back from injury, he may be a bit rusty.

This is especially true with the Bengals changing quarterback to Browning, who Higgins will be playing his first game with this week. Kirk has the luxury of Trevor Lawrence as his quarterback for his entire time with the Jaguars so far. This gives Kirk a significantly higher floor than Higgins, and considering their similar ceilings, makes him the more favorable lineup option in Week 13 fantasy football.