RADIO
Pat Freiermuth on the Fringe of Fantasy Radar for Week 1
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is a fringe top-24 option in fantasy football ahead of Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. Freiermuth is coming off a modest 2025 campaign in which he ranked as the TE25 with 41 catches, 486 yards, and four touchdowns. Last year, he faced plenty of competition for targets from Jonnu Smith and Darnell Washington. This year, Smith is gone, but Washington remains in the position group, and the Steelers are also expected to divert more targets to new wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Additionally, the Steelers' matchup against the Falcons isn't incredibly advantageous for fantasy football. The Steelers are 6.5-point favorites and could go up early against the Falcons, who are starting third-string quarterback Cooper Rush. In such a lopsided matchup, we could see the Steelers adopt a run-heavy approach early in the game to keep the clock moving. Therefore, there may be fewer targets to go around for Freiermuth, who ranks third (at best) in the Steelers' passing game pecking order behind Pittman and DK Metcalf.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Pat Freiermuth Facing More Competition for Targets
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth no longer has the top spot to himself on the team's depth chart. Freiermuth and Darnell Washington are now listed together with the first team after Washington spent August behind him. That isn't great news for a player who already saw his volume fall last season. Freiermuth went from 78 targets, 65 catches and seven touchdowns in 2024 to 54 targets, 41 catches and four scores a year ago. Washington was more involved at the same time, posting career highs with 31 receptions and 364 yards, and Pittsburgh gave him a new five-year contract in June. The competition doesn't stop there. Michael Pittman Jr. was added alongside DK Metcalf, while second-round rookie Germie Bernard gives Aaron Rodgers another receiver to work with. Freiermuth will still have a role, and Pittsburgh can get both tight ends on the field together. Finding steady targets every week looks tougher, though. He is better treated as a touchdown-dependent TE2 until we see how this passing game shakes out.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Pat Freiermuth Not Worth Chasing Before Week 1
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is still easy to find on waiver wires, but Week 1 is not the spot to get cute. He caught 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns on 54 targets last season, and while Jonnu Smith is gone, Pittsburgh added Michael Pittman Jr. to a group that already includes DK Metcalf and Roman Wilson. Freiermuth is still the starting tight end, so there is at least a path to more work than he saw in 2025. The matchup is the problem. Atlanta allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to tight ends last season, and the current Week 1 rankings have Freiermuth at TE25. He is rostered in only 6% of Yahoo leagues and is best viewed as a 14-team option for now. In a 10- or 12-team league, there are better tight ends to chase before Sunday.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Pat Freiermuth Has More Receiving Work Up for Grabs
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth should have a little more room to operate after spending last season stuck in a crowded rotation. Freiermuth played just over half of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps and saw 54 targets, the exact same number as Jonnu Smith. Smith is gone now after being released in March, leaving Freiermuth, Darnell Washington and Robert Tonyan in the tight end room. That doesn't mean Washington disappears. He actually played slightly more snaps than Freiermuth last season and should remain heavily involved, especially as a blocker. There is still less competition than a year ago, when Freiermuth fell to 41 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns after posting a 65-653-7 line in 2024. He also showed some early chemistry with Aaron Rodgers this summer, including a 23-yard touchdown during a two-minute drill in camp. DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. will command plenty of targets, but Smith's departure gives Freiermuth a better chance to stay on the field and get back into the TE2 conversation.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Darnell Washington Losing Redraft Appeal
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington is coming off the best receiving season of his career, but his redraft outlook has cooled as the preseason has unfolded. Washington caught 31 passes for 364 yards and one touchdown in 16 games last year, then signed a four-year, $42 million extension with Pittsburgh in June. That commitment has not translated into a larger receiving role this summer. Pat Freiermuth remains first on the depth chart, while Washington has just one catch for five yards through two preseason games. Veteran Robert Tonyan has been much more involved, catching six passes for 78 yards over the same stretch after reuniting with Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh. Washington still matters plenty to the Steelers because of his blocking, and his 6-foot-7, 264-pound frame gives him some red-zone appeal. The problem for fantasy managers is target volume. Washington drew only 43 targets despite starting 13 games last season, and nothing this August suggests a major jump is coming. RotoBaller ranks him TE36 in half-PPR, leaving him outside the standard redraft mix and better viewed as a deep-league touchdown dart throw.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Darnell Washington Unlikely to Factor into Fantasy Plans for 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington caught a career-high 31 passes for 364 yards in 2025, but his activity in Thursday's preseason opener, while many of the team's starters were given the night off, is an indication that he is not viewed as a critical piece of the team's passing attack. Both Washington and sixth-year veteran Pat Freiermuth started the game with Mason Rudolph under center, with the latter catching one of his two targets for two yards while Washington was kept off the stat sheet. One of the most physically imposing players in the league, Washington is a dominant blocker at 6'7" and 264 pounds, but in a Mike McCarthy offense that favors three-receiver sets, he may see his receiving work limited after taking steps forward in that regard under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. At RotoBaller's TE37, Washington should not factor into 2026 draft plans, and with the position as deep as it's ever been, he may not even enter into the streaming conversation as he might have in past seasons.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Pat Freiermuth Catches One Pass in Preseason Opener
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had a quiet preseason opener in Thursday night's win over the Green Bay Packers, catching his only target for a two-yard gain in the 28-9 victory. Freiermuth didn't do much on offense on a night in which the Steelers rested veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers and top wide receivers DK Metcalf (undisclosed) and Michael Pittman Jr. (leg). His lone reception came near the goal line on a fourth-down pass from backup QB Mason Rudolph. The 27-year-old was a sleeper target at the TE position last year, but he never panned out, catching 41 of his 54 targets for 486 yards and four touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in his fifth year in the NFL. Jonnu Smith and pass-catching running back Kenny Gainwell left town in the offseason, but the addition of Pittman to new head coach Mike McCarthy's offense will most likely continue to keep Freiermuth's fantasy ceiling pretty low. With Rodgers running Pittsburgh's offense for one more year, fantasy managers should treat Freiermuth as a low-end TE2 option who is dependent on finding the end zone.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Darnell Washington Not on the Fantasy Radar in Any Formats
Pittsburgh Steelers 24-year-old tight end out of Georgia, Darnell Washington, has a massive frame, standing tall at 6'7", 264 lbs., and has shown more involvement in the offense since his rookie campaign, but simply isn't a focal point in this Steelers offense. In 2025, he hauled in 31 of his 43 targets for 364 yards and one touchdown. While his target rate is elite (23.8 percent), his target share (nine percent) is not. He simply isn't seeing the volume and route participation (34 percent) that it takes to be fantasy relevant. 27-year-old Pat Freiermuth projects to be the team's starting tight end and has been involved in the offense much more than Washington, as they've spent the last three seasons on the same team. Additionally, the Steelers brought in Michael Pittman over from Indianapolis, which should only make it more difficult for Washington to see an increase in target share. Fantasy managers will want to look elsewhere at the tight end position when drafting in both dynasty and redraft formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Pat Freiermuth Worth a Look Late in Redraft Leagues
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is coming off a disappointing season, but there is at least a path back to usable fantasy production. He caught 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns in 2025, well below the 65 catches, 653 yards, and seven scores he posted the year before. Jonnu Smith is gone after drawing 38 receptions last season, and Freiermuth said during the spring that he expects his role to grow in Mike McCarthy's offense. Aaron Rodgers is also back, and the two connected for a 25-yard touchdown during the fourth practice of training camp. None of that makes Freiermuth a breakout pick. Darnell Washington earned a new five-year contract after setting career highs with 31 catches and 364 yards, while Michael Pittman Jr. joins DK Metcalf as another established target. RotoBaller ranks Freiermuth as the TE23 in redraft and TE36 in dynasty. That makes sense. He is worth a late look for managers who wait at tight end, but the volume is too uncertain to treat him as more than a TE2. In dynasty, he is closer to a hold or modest sell than a player worth aggressively buying.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Darnell Washington Unlikely to Be a Major Fantasy Factor After a Career Year
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington enjoyed the first top 40 fantasy finish of his young career in 2025, but with changes coming to the Steelers offense ahead of his fourth season, his TE38 result could prove to be a high-water mark. After operating with an extra tight end on the field at one of the league's highest rates in 2025, the Steelers have moved on from offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, with new head coach Mike McCarthy set to call plays and expected to heavily utilize three-receiver sets as he has throughout his career. Pittsburgh traded for two-time 1,000-yard receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and spent a second-round pick on Alabama's Germie Bernard, further suggesting a move away from the 2025 offense that ran primarily through its tight ends and running backs. Veteran Jonnu Smith, who led all Steelers tight ends with 57 targets in 2025, remains unsigned, but with Pittsburgh's offseason moves hinting at a de-emphasis on the position, those vacated looks are more likely to be spread among the new wide receivers. With sixth-year veteran Pat Freiermuth the more likely option to be regularly mixed into the passing offense, Washington is not a player drafters will need to target in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Pat Freiermuth Could Have a Bigger Role for Steelers in 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth could have an expanded role in 2026 in his sixth year with the organization in new head coach Mike McCarthy's offense, according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Freiermuth took a step back in 2025 in the Steel City in the first year with veteran QB Aaron Rodgers running the offense, and he had to share valuable targets with both Jonnu Smith and Darnell Washington, which led to a disappointing 41-486-4 line in 17 regular-season games (eight starts) for fantasy managers. The Steelers added veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who figures to be a big part of the Steelers' passing attack this year, but Smith and running back Kenneth Gainwell, who had a career-high 73 receptions in 2025, are gone. With all that said, fantasy managers still probably shouldn't consider Freiermuth as much more than a low-end TE2 target in TE-premium leagues. The former second-rounder in 2021 out of Penn State has never exceeded 732 receiving yards or seven touchdowns in his five seasons, and Rodgers hasn't typically relied heavily on the tight end position in his Hall of Fame career.
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Ray Fittipaldo
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Ray Fittipaldo
Should Dynasty Managers Be Looking to Sell Pat Freiermuth?
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth saw his numbers decline across the board in 2025, as he finished the season with 41 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns on 54 targets across 17 games (eight starts). After finishing as the TE13 by per-game PPR scoring in 2024, Freiermuth slipped down to TE32 by the same measure in 2025. Freiermuth could see a target boost in 2026 following the departure of former Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith in free agency. However, Pittsburgh signed tight end Darnell Washington to a lucrative contract extension and also brought in a high-volume target earner in wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. In dynasty formats, Freiermuth profiles as a sell candidate ahead of what could be another year of production decline.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Darnell Washington a Useful Depth Stash for Dynasty Managers?
Across 16 games (13 starts) in 2025, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington recorded 31 catches for 364 yards and a touchdown on 43 targets. While Washington's numbers won't jump off the page for fantasy managers, he's slowly become more involved in the Steelers' passing game in each season since being drafted in the third round by the team in 2024. Pittsburgh also made a significant commitment to the 24-year-old this offseason, signing him to a four-year, $42 million contract extension. Pat Freiermuth still profiles as the top receiving tight end in Pittsburgh entering 2026, but the team let tight ends Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward walk in free agency. In deeper dynasty leagues, Washington could be a buy-low target with some untapped upside for fantasy managers.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Pat Freiermuth's Role in Pittsburgh Set to Shrink Again in 2026?
Across 17 (eight starts) games in 2025, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth recorded 41 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns on 54 targets. The 27-year-old's final line represented a production decline from his 2024 performance, when he hauled in 65 receptions for 653 yards and seven touchdowns on 78 targets. His drop-off was partially due to the Steelers addition of tight end Jonnu Smith, who is no longer on the Pittsburgh roster heading into 2026. However, Freiermuth also lost playing time to Steelers blocking tight end Darnell Washington. Pittsburgh signed Washington to a four-year, $42 million extension in early June, which could be a sign that the team is planning to expand his role. The Steelers also traded for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. earlier this spring, who could soak up most of Freiermuth's targets in the intermediate area of the field. Even though Freiermuth is coming off an underwhelming season, dynasty managers may want to consider selling him ahead of what could be another decline in performance in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Steelers, Darnell Washington Agree to Four-Year Extension
The Pittsburgh Steelers and tight end Darnell Washington agreed to a four-year, $42 million contract extension on Wednesday, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. The hulking 6-foot-7, 264-pounder has developed into a key piece of Pittsburgh's offense after they selected him in the third round (93rd overall) in 2023 out of the University of Georgia. Although the 24-year-old hasn't been on the fantasy football radar, outside of dynasty/keeper leagues, he could have an even bigger role with the Steelers in 2026 after both Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward left in free agency this offseason. Washington had his best year as a pro in 2025 in Year 3 in the Steel City, catching 31 of his 43 targets for 364 yards and just one touchdown in 16 regular-season games (13 starts). Pat Freiermuth remains the better fantasy target in single-year leagues, but Washington could be a Freiermuth injury away from becoming a weekly TE option for fantasy managers.
Source: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz
Source: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz
