Darnell Washington vs Tyler Higbee: Who Should You Start?
Darnell Washington and Tyler Higbee are both viable fantasy tight ends heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Darnell Washington averaged 3.6 PPG across 16 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Tyler Higbee posted 5.9 PPG in 10 appearances for the Los Angeles Rams.
A 2.3-PPG gap gives Tyler Higbee the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Both see steady target volume for the tight end position. Darnell Washington had 31 catches for 364 yards; Tyler Higbee posted 25 for 281. At a position where most starters barely clear 7 PPG, this class of tight end is where the fantasy advantage lives week to week.
Darnell Washington has his bye in Week 9, and Tyler Higbee rests in Week 6. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at tight end for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
