PatFreiermuth

News: 2 days agoFreiermuth capped the Steelers' preseason schedule with one catch (on one target) for two yards in two contests.

Spin: Through five campaigns as a pro, Freiermuth has played at least 16 regular-season games on four occasions, and his tally of 486 receiving yards from 2025 marked his lowest among them. He was on the receiving end of passes from QB Aaron Rodgers for the first time, and with Rodgers returning for his age-43 season, Freiermuth likely isn't in store for much more production, even if the addition of WR Michael Pittman frees up more space for the tight end to operate.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Freiermuth's career trajectory has been quite the head-scratcher, but the bottom line is he is yet to emerge as a consistent fantasy starter. The 2021 second-round pick flirted with TE1 status in both 2022 (11th in fantasy PPG) and 2024 (14th) but saw a dramatic dip in usage in Pittsburgh's crowded tight end room in 2025. Freiermuth posted a career-low 10% target share and finished outside the top 20 at the position in snaps, routes, targets, catches, yards and end zone targets, and 30 tight ends bested his 6.7 fantasy PPG. The 27-year-old figures to play more in 2026 with Jonnu Smith gone and Mike McCarthy running the offense, but Pittsburgh is also better at wide receiver with Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard in the fold. Freiermuth has some sleeper appeal, but he's best valued as a back-end TE2.