Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Brenton Strange

Monday, January 12, 6:37 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had very limited fantasy football upside in 2025 while sharing TE duties with both Jonnu Smith and Darnell Washington (forearm). He finished as the TE24 in half-PPR scoring in 16 regular-season games, with 41 catches on 54 targets for 486 yards and four touchdowns. Freiermuth and Smith should have slightly bigger roles going into the playoffs on Wild-Card weekend on Monday night against the Houston Texans with Washington out, but the 27-year-old still isn't an ideal option for fantasy managers in a bad matchup. Freiermuth did finish the regular season strong with six catches on 10 targets for 114 yards in the final two games, but he hasn't scored since Nov. 23. The Texans have the No. 1 defense in the league, and they've allowed only 775 receiving yards (seventh-fewest) and eight TDs all year to the tight end position.

Monday, January 5, 11:00 PM

Across 12 games played in 2025, Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange hauled in 46 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns on 60 targets. The 25-year-old ended the regular season strong, recording 14 catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 18 targets over his last three contests. Strange may not offer tremendous production upside, but he has established himself as a low-risk tight end option for fantasy managers. Strange recorded at least 9.9 PPR fantasy points in seven out of the 12 games he was active for this season. The Jaguars will host the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the AFC playoffs on Sunday. Buffalo's pass defense has been one of the strongest in the NFL this season, allowing the fewest total passing yards (2,894) of any unit. Still, given his projectable role, Strange profiles as a solid TE1 option for fantasy managers in playoff leagues.