Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Noah Gray

Wednesday, February 18, 6:29 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had a productive season, but the crowded nature of the team's tight end room pushed him off the radar in fantasy football. Despite being a top-nine fantasy tight end in two of his three previous seasons, Freiermuth dropped down to TE25 in PPR leagues in 2025. He played in all 17 games, catching 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns. Part of Freiermuth's underwhelming season can be attributed to the crowded tight end room surrounding him. Jonnu Smith saw 54 targets after Pittsburgh deliberately went out and traded for him during the offseason, and Darnell Washington had a breakout year with 31 catches. Neither Smith nor Washington is a free agent this offseason, so we could expect a similar story of Freiermuth's volume being capped in 2026. As a result, he's not worth drafting in most 12-team redraft leagues next year, and he could be worth selling in dynasty formats.

Wednesday, February 18, 10:29 AM

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray has long-term upside in dynasty leagues, making him a sneaky stash for the upcoming offseason. For his entire five-year career so far, Gray has been stuck in a depth role behind superstar Travis Kelce. However, with Kelce likely nearing the end of his playing career, it's time for fantasy managers to start considering who might take his place after he retires. Right now, the frontrunner is Gray, who has flashed tremendous upside even in his role as the Chiefs' No. 2 tight end. In 2024, even with Kelce playing 16 games, Gray ranked as the overall TE2 in PPR leagues with 40 catches, 437 yards, and five touchdowns. He added another 21 catches and 178 yards last year. Kelce is likely coming back for another year, but we expect the Chiefs to begin incorporating Gray even more than last year. In addition to an anticipated larger role, Gray is the top tight end handcuff in the NFL. While roster spots are limited and rostering a backup tight end in redraft leagues may not be feasible, Gray is absolutely an intriguing offseason pick-up in dynasty leagues. He has top-10 upside when Kelce isn't healthy or isn't playing anymore. Dynasty managers should consider adding Gray if he's currently not rostered.