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The Los Angeles Rams will be without a key weapon on Sunday when they face the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56. The team placed tight end Tyler Higbee on injured reserve due to an MCL sprain he suffered in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Higbee will be unavailable for the game, which means Kendall Blanton will get the start at tight end.
Fantasy/betting impact: Tyler Higbee (knees)
This removes Higbee from prop bet and DFS discussions. Blanton is an under-the-radar option and it will be interesting to see just how much work he gets. Higbee finished the regular season as the Rams third-most productive pass catcher. He was second in receptions, third in targets and receiving yards, and tied with Odell Beckham Jr. for third in receiving touchdowns.
OBJ was on pace to get more work than Higbee after his arrival, so the tight end drops down to fourth on the pecking order at the very least. In reality, Blanton’s upgrade means more for the fourth wide receiver Ben Skowronek. There’s some modest upside if you’re looking for a cheap DFS option or want an anytime touchdown flier for Sunday’s game.