Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Theo Johnson


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Pat Freiermuth News

Pat Freiermuth a Bounce-Back Candidate in New System

Thursday, May 7, 7:16 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had a frustrating 2025 season, catching just 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns en route to ranking as the overall TE25 in PPR leagues. There's some uncertainty about his future outlook, but the good news is that the Steelers have a new coaching staff in place, and they didn't bring in anyone to compete with Freiermuth. He's clearly the top option on the depth chart, ahead of players like Darnell Washington and rookie Riley Nowakowski. The bad news, on the other hand, is that in Mike McCarthy's last season as a head coach (2024), Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was the TE25. In the Cowboys' first year without McCarthy, he soared to TE5. So while we're encouraged that the Steelers' coaching staff change -- plus the anticipated return of dependable passer Aaron Rodgers -- could be good for Freiermuth, we also acknowledge that McCarthy doesn't have the greatest short-term track record with the position. The 27-year-old should bounce back this year, but the exact magnitude of his progression is unknown. We're not ready to bank on him being a TE1 in fantasy football.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Theo Johnson News

Theo Johnson a Dynasty Faller After Busy Giants Offseason

Sunday, April 26, 1:01 PM

As a second-year player in 2025, New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson trailed only Wan'Dale Robinson in team targets and receptions, but even with Robinson departing in free agency, dynasty managers may have already seen Johnson's ceiling. Tight end Isaiah Likely was one of the team's first free agent acquisitions, reuniting him with new Giants head coach John Harbaugh. Darnell Mooney, who saw 100 targets as recently as 2024, was brought in as the most direct replacement to Robinson, and New York spent a third-round pick on Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields to further bolster the room. The biggest barrier to volume for Johnson and all other Giants pass catchers, though, is the expected return to health of Malik Nabers, who tore his ACL only four weeks into the 2025 season. Nabers set an NFL rookie record with 170 targets in 2024, while his 109 receptions broke a team record, and with him back in the lineup, the quintet of Johnson, Likely, Mooney, Fields, and Darius Slayton could legitimately be working with less than 70% of Jaxson Dart's available targets.


Pat Freiermuth vs. Theo Johnson

Still trying to decide between Freiermuth and Johnson? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Pat Freiermuth is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Theo Johnson is projected to score 0.0 points.