Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Chig Okonkwo

Friday, September 26, 9:13 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has been quiet to start the season and will look to get back on track against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. While the Vikings have been middle-of-the-pack against opposing tight ends through three weeks, Freiermuth could see a boost in opportunities given Pittsburgh's injury report. Fellow tight end Jonnu Smith (hip) and running back Jaylen Warren (knee) are questionable to suit up after practicing in a limited capacity on Friday. Each has been a reliable short-area target for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, so if either of them misses this international bout in Ireland, Freiermuth would likely absorb some of those looks. Fantasy managers should monitor the situation, but in a matchup that projects to be low-scoring, Freiermuth remains a risky play and is best considered a stash or backup option.

Saturday, September 27, 12:32 AM

Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo remains a consistent target for quarterback Cameron Ward heading into a Week 4 matchup against the Houston Texans. Okonkwo has 12 targets and nine catches over his last two games, ranking as the overall TE9 in PPR leagues during that span. The Maryland product is both a reliable outlet for Ward and a strong candidate to pick up extra yards after the catch. He's less appealing around the goal line, as he hasn't scored a touchdown this season and has just six scores through 54 career games. Nevertheless, he has shown that he can have some low-end fantasy value even when he's not breaking into the end zone. That should remain the case this week against the Texans, who have ranked near the middle of the league with the 14th-most receptions and 13th-fewest fantasy points allowed to tight ends. Okonkwo is a top-18 fantasy tight end with top-12 upside.