Juwan Johnson vs Tyler Higbee: Who Should You Start?
Juwan Johnson and Tyler Higbee are both viable fantasy tight ends heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Juwan Johnson averaged 8.3 PPG across 17 games with the New Orleans Saints, while Tyler Higbee posted 5.9 PPG in 10 appearances for the Los Angeles Rams.
A 2.4-PPG gap gives Juwan Johnson 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.
Juwan Johnson is the volume tight end in this matchup with 77 receptions for 889 yards, while Tyler Higbee profiles as a more touchdown-dependent spike play (3 scores on 25 catches). In weeks where Tyler Higbee finds the end zone he out-scores Juwan Johnson, but the floor gap is real.
One scheduling note: Juwan Johnson is off Week 12 and Tyler Higbee Week 6. If these two are on your roster, you will need a fill-in tight end for both weeks. DraftCall flags bye conflicts so you can plan ahead rather than panic on waivers.
