Should I Start Darnell Washington?

Wednesday, August 26, 11:48 AM

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.