Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Chigoziem Okonkwo

Monday, June 17, 2:18 PM

Nobody performed better and more consistently for four weeks during offseason workouts than Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth. He had an instant connection with new quarterback Russell Wilson and came across as a potential playmaker in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's tight-end-heavy offense. Pittsburgh can overcome their shortcomings at the receiver spot by relying more on Freiermuth this year. Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts went over 1,000 yards as a rookie in Smith's offense, and Jonnu Smith had 50 catches with the Falcons in 2023, so there is a history of TEs thriving in this system. Freiermuth is talented enough to take a short pass and turn it into a big gain. Despite catching a career-low 32 passes for 308 yards and two TDs last year in 12 regular-season games, Freiermuth is entering his fourth season as a highly attractive high-end TE2 in fantasy.

Wednesday, June 19, 2:03 PM

Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo is excited about the way his body is feeling and the direction of the team heading into the 2024 regular season this fall. "I feel like I maximized the potential I had in my body, and if I wanted to get better, I had to change the structure of how I move and stuff," Okonkwo said. "(I feel) a big difference, even the way I feel, my body. I feel a lot better when I move. After a long day of moving, I don't feel as sore." The fourth-rounder in 2022 caught 54 passes for 528 yards and a touchdown in 17 games (11 starts) in his second year in 2023. He had three TDs and more average yards per catch in his rookie campaign. The 24-year-old's stock is trending up, but in an offense that now includes receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, in addition to DeAndre Hopkins, it's hard to envision Okonkwo ascending to the ranks of surefire TE1 in fantasy.