Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up
Odds by

    Pat Freiermuth the ‘go-to pass-catching tight end’

    Link copied to clipboard!
    Link copied to clipboard!

    The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo believes TE Pat Freiermuth will be the Steelers’ “go-to pass-catching tight end” this season.

    The Steelers notably signed TE Darnell Washington to a four-year, $42 million contract extension this offseason, but DeFabo believes Freiermuth is still the team’s TE1. He expects Washington to continue operating as a receiving threat, “especially in the red zone,” but he is apparently stuck in the TE2 role. Washington’s profile is certainly more intriguing, but he may be best viewed as a boom-bust backup option in best ball for now.
Fanta delivers his 'Fanta Five' takes
John Fanta believes the Kansas City Chiefs will make it back to the AFC Championship game and Trevor Lawrence will win the MVP.

Related Player News

  • PIT Tight End #80
    Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
    No, Washington can’t be trusted in fantasy, but he sure is fun when he gets a full head of steam. Washington caught a season-high three passes in Sunday’s win over the Bengals and led the Steelers in receiving yards, thanks largely to the 47-yard play he made in the fourth quarter. A true man among boys with the ball in his hands, Washington rumbled through and past multiple defenders on his way to the big gain. While he’s always good for an exciting play or two, Washington can be left on waivers for now.
  • PIT Tight End #88
    Aaron Rodgers narrowly missed Freiermuth on a 20-plus-yard throw in the third quarter that could have been a touchdown if they had connected. Freiermuth has been targeted 14 times through the first three weeks but has just one meaningful fantasy line (5-45-1) thus far. Fantasy managers can find better options than Muth in Week 4’s game against the Browns.
  • PIT Tight End #88
    Freiermuth has a hold on the Steelers’ TE1 role, getting much of Aaron Rodgers’ short-yardage looks in the flat and middle of the field. The Steelers were not in the red zone all that much, so we have yet to see the 27-year-old’s utilization there. Regardless, he is consistently a top-four pass-catching option for the team, he’s just stuck in the low-ceiling Pittsburgh offense. Freiermuth is a touchdown-dependent fantasy play and will be in the low-end TE2 ranks for Week 3 against the Bengals.
  • PIT Wide Receiver #11
    Pittman did not practice at all this week. If he plays, he could be fairly limited. We tentatively expect him to be inactive on game day, though. Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth had a solid role last week and could take on No. 2 pass-catcher duties if Pittman indeed cannot play. Steelers WR DK Metcalf will almost assuredly take on a larger role, operating as the team’s receiving focal point.
  • PIT Wide Receiver #11
    Pittman was limited yesterday, before no-showing during the portion of practice open to the media today. Typically, that series of events suggests the player suffered an injury during practice. He should be considered questionable to play in Week 2 against the Patriots at this point. Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth could end up being the biggest beneficiary, potentially operating as the team’s No. 2 target earner if Pittman cannot play.
  • PIT Tight End #88
    Freiermuth had a down season last year, but the Steelers had talked about getting him more involved this year. The big tight end played on 49 of the team’s 67 snaps and ran a route on 36 of their 46 dropbacks. He was clearly the third option in the passing attack behind DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. and is a focal point in the red zone. Freiermuth is likely a solid TE2 option for the season who will flash TE1 weeks.
  • PIT Tight End #80
    Washington’s contract includes $21 million in guaranteed money. A third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft from Georgia, he’s been as advertised so far in his pro career. Washington has only 57 catches, 625 yards and two touchdowns in three seasons, but is a tremendous blocker and extremely difficult to tackle when he has the ball. Listed at 6-foot-7 and 264 pounds, he’s one of the most physically imposing players in the NFL. With a $10.5 million average annual value, Washington is 12th in AAV among tight ends. That level of commitment could be a sign the Steelers plan to use a good amount of two tight end sets with Washington and Pat Freiermuth in head coach Mike McCarthy’s first season.
  • PIT Tight End #88
    According to DeFabo, “at least six teams would be interested in exploring the idea” of trading for Freiermuth, but the Steelers have no interest in dealing the five-year vet. Freiermuth had a down year in 2025, catching 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns while seeing the second-fewest targets (54) since his injury shortened 2023 season where he played just 12 games. While the Steelers may not have any interest in dealing Freiermuth, DeFabo says the situation with Jonnu Smith “seems a bit more fluid.” Smith crashed back down to earth in 2025 after breaking out for 88-884-8 in his lone season with the Dolphins in 2024, but he remains under contract through next season.
  • PIT Tight End #88
    The five-year veteran tight end returned the lowest reception and yardage total of his professional career other than his injury-shortened 2023 campaign, catching just 41 balls for 486 yards and four touchdowns. The offseason addition of Jonnu Smith simply cut into both his snap and route participation rates for Arthur Smith’s tight end-heavy offense, even with the team ranking third in rate of offensive plays with multiple tight ends on the field. Darnell Washington led the position group in snaps as he operated effectively as a sixth offensive lineman for the Steelers, leaving Freiermuth’s fantasy value in the dust in the process. Things don’t appear to be any better considering quarterback Aaron Rodgers is likely to retire and head coach Mike Tomlin could be on the host seat after his seventh consecutive postseason loss.
  • PIT Tight End #81
    Mid-week appearances typically indicate that a player suffered an injury in practice. With TE Darnell Washington (arm) sidelined, the Steelers’ tight end group is suddenly looking quite thin. Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth would warrant TE1 treatment if Smith is also sidelined on game day.

Rotoworld

  • Loveland_Colston_800_1080-9a141e0b04eaf38a.jpg

    Colston Loveland

    CHI Tight End #84
    Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Colston Loveland caught all four targets for 31 yards in the Bears’ Week 3 win over the Eagles.

    Loveland matched his to-date season total of one reception on the second play from scrimmage and narrowly missed his first touchdown of the young season after replay assist ruled him down inside the one at the start of the second quarter. The offense would turn the ball over on downs four plays later after failing to punch it in, allowing the Eagles to remain in the game for longer than they otherwise should have been. Either way, it’s a step in the right direction for the talented youngster, although the absence of Caleb Williams could further dent his fantasy upside in the immediate future. Loveland continues to be a TE1 in fantasy circles despite the slow start, which holds for when the Bears play host to the Jets in Week 4.
  • CHI Wide Receiver #15
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Rome Odunze caught 3-of-6 targets for 44 yards in the Bears’ Week 3 win over the Eagles.

    Odunze continues to function as the deep threat in Ben Johnson’s offense, which spells trouble for his fantasy value in the immediate future considering the absence of Caleb Williams. Case Keenum got the start under center against the Eagles, and while he kept the offense on track through veteran savvy, his general lack of arm strength limited the offense to hefty rates of attacking the short-to-intermediate areas of the field. It is unclear whether Keenum or Tyson Bagent will draw the start in Week 4, but the decision could dictate whether Odunze can be inserted into fantasy rosters against the Jets.
  • CHI Wide Receiver #10
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Luther Burden caught 7-of-11 targets for 61 yards and a touchdown in the Bears’ Week 3 win over the Eagles, adding seven yards on one carry.

    Burden got the scoring started with a shovel-pass touchdown on the first possession of the game and continued to be the primary engine of the offense on a night the team was led by veteran journeyman Case Keenum. Head coach Ben Johnson handily outmatched his counterpart in Sean Mannion, keeping the offense in rhythm and unpredictable throughout. Burden should continue to improve upon his early-season returns for fantasy managers that chased him up draft boards this offseason, particularly once Caleb Williams returns to the starting roster in a few weeks. In the meantime, treat Burden as an upside WR2 ahead of a Week 4 meeting with the Jets in Chicago.
  • CHI Wide Receiver #14
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Kalif Raymond caught 6-of-7 targets for 90 yards and a touchdown in the Bears’ Week 3 win over the Eagles.

    Raymond has now led the Bears in receiving in two of the team’s first three games, with Week 3 his best performance yet on the back of a 41-yard touchdown through busted coverage. It isn’t likely the career role player will lead the team in receiving throughout the season, but the early returns on investment must have fantasy managers ecstatic for those that either drafted him in the final round or scooped him off the wire following Week 1.
  • CHI Running Back #25
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Kyle Monangai rushed 10 times for 31 yards in the Bears’ Week 3 win over the Eagles.

    Monangai has exactly 10 carries in all three games to start the 2026 season, which pales in comparison to lead back D’Andre Swift, the latter of whom has seen 19 or more opportunities in each game. The lack of volume relegates Monangai to handcuff status in fantasy circles for the time being, at least until bye weeks begin in Week 5. He’ll be a difficult start in Week 4 against the Jets.
  • CHI Running Back #4
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    D’Andre Swift rushed 20 times for 84 yards in the Bears’ Week 3 win over the Eagles, adding four yards on two receptions.

    Swift was unable to churn out consistent gains before the break but came alive with the team nursing a second half lead, gaining 53 of his 84 yards on five second half possessions. It was also the third straight game in which Swift handled 19 or more opportunities, something he did only seven times in all of 2025, cementing his status as a volume-driven, back-end RB1 in fantasy circles. He’ll remain a weekly start when the Bears host the Jets in Week 4.
  • CHI Quarterback #11
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Case Keenum completed 24-of-34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears’ 27-7, Week 3 win over the Eagles, adding six yards and a touchdown on four carries.

    Head coach Ben Johnson was in his bag from the opening series, trusting Keenum to take to the air on the team’s first two plays from scrimmage. That set the tone for the remainder of the game as the Bears dominated time of possession, running 69 offensive plays to the 47 of the Eagles. Keenum was not perfect by any stretch, with no fewer than three attempts that placed the ball in immediate danger. He would escape with a clean sheet in the turnover department while exceeding expectations within the structure of Johnson’s offense, routinely delivering the football on time and where it needed to go. His counting stats were padded slightly by a 41-yard touchdown to Kalif Raymond against busted coverage in the third quarter and a fourth quarter rushing plunge from one yard out, but he did enough to guide the Bears to a 2-1 record ahead of a Week 4 meeting with the Jets. It remains unclear if Keenum will draw another start under center now that Tyson Bagent will have a full week of preparation. Neither would be an exciting fantasy option against Aaron Glenn’s New York defense.
  • PHI Wide Receiver #9
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Makai Lemon caught 3-of-4 targets for 29 yards in the Eagles’ Week 3 loss to the Bears.

    Lemon was the target on the team’s first play from scrimmage, gaining a first down on a first down play for the Eagles for the first time all season. The offense would sputter throughout the game on their way to only 47 offensive plays run from scrimmage, capping the fantasy upside of all involved in the process. Lemon has yet to live up to his lofty draft capital through the first three games of his professional career, but he could be called on for heavier work with tight end Dallas Goedert nursing an MCL sprain. Things don’t get any easier with a matchup against the Rams on deck for Week 4, where Lemon can safely be left on fantasy benches.
  • PHI Wide Receiver #13
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Dontayvion Wicks caught 2-of-5 targets for 32 yards in the Eagles’ Week 3 loss to the Bears.

    For his part, Wicks was consistently breaking free of coverage with smooth route-running ability, but the offense managed just over 23 minutes time of possession on 47 offensive plays, leaving all involved stuck on a sinking ship. Better fantasy days should be ahead for Wicks in the immediate future, at least for as long as tight end Dallas Goedert remains sidelined with an MCL sprain. That said, he draws a difficult matchup against the Rams in Week 4. Treat Wicks as a viable FLEX option in a tough spot.
  • PHI Tight End #86
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Zach Ertz caught 1-of-2 targets for nine yards in the Eagles’ Week 3 loss to the Bears.

    Ertz saw his snaps managed after both signing with the team Tuesday and returning from a torn ACL suffered in 2025, grabbing one of two targets in his first game in an Eagles uniform since 2021. There is very little fantasy upside here even as Dallas Goedert nurses an MCL sprain. Ertz can safely be left on the waiver wire.