Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Mason Taylor

Sunday, August 3, 1:28 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is the team's unquestioned No. 1 tight end and "the heartbeat of this offense," according to Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show. Kaboly adds that Jonnu Smith was a late addition to the roster and "will provide a significant target for quarterback Aaron Rodgers." It sounds like the Steelers plan to use Smith in a lot of different ways, but as of right now before the start of the preseason, Freiermuth is going to be the team's top pass-catching tight end. Freiermuth caught a career-high 65 passes on 78 targets last year for 653 yards and a career-high-tying seven touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (11 starts). Both Friermuth and Smith should be on the field together plenty, and it's probably going to be impossible to predict which one might go off for fantasy purposes on any given week.

Tuesday, August 5, 11:27 AM

New York Jets rookie tight end Mason Taylor (ankle) has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain, according to Connor Hughes of SNY. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he could be sidelined for at least the opening game of the preseason and potentially longer, given the severity. The Jets selected the former LSU Tiger in the second round (42nd overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft. Taylor tallied a career-high 546 yards on 55 receptions during his final season at LSU in 2024. For the time being, Jeremy Ruckert and Stone Smartt should continue to see most of the starting opportunities. Taylor appears to have a path to earning the starting role, given the lack of production on the depth chart. However, this injury could make it difficult for Taylor to earn key reps during training camp. For now, fantasy managers should view him as a dynasty stash and only a late-round option in deeper, 14+ team redraft leagues.