Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Theo Johnson
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.2 | 33.2 | 0.3 |
Pat Freiermuth News
Friday, September 11, 8:07 AM
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth no longer has the top spot to himself on the team's depth chart. Freiermuth and Darnell Washington are now listed together with the first team after Washington spent August behind him. That isn't great news for a player who already saw his volume fall last season. Freiermuth went from 78 targets, 65 catches and seven touchdowns in 2024 to 54 targets, 41 catches and four scores a year ago. Washington was more involved at the same time, posting career highs with 31 receptions and 364 yards, and Pittsburgh gave him a new five-year contract in June. The competition doesn't stop there. Michael Pittman Jr. was added alongside DK Metcalf, while second-round rookie Germie Bernard gives Aaron Rodgers another receiver to work with. Freiermuth will still have a role, and Pittsburgh can get both tight ends on the field together. Finding steady targets every week looks tougher, though. He is better treated as a touchdown-dependent TE2 until we see how this passing game shakes out.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 23.0 | 0.1 |
Theo Johnson News
Monday, August 31, 3:27 PM
New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson (shoulder) was wearing a red, non-contact jersey at the team's practice on Monday, according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. Johnson is still not a full-go this week after injuring his shoulder in practice last Monday. The fact that the 25-year-old was even out there on Monday suggests that he should be fine for the Week 1 season opener on Sunday night, Sept. 13, against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys. The former fourth-round selection in the 2024 NFL draft from Penn State improved in his second season in 2025, catching 45 of his 74 targets for 528 yards and five touchdowns in 15 starts after posting a 29-331-1 line in 12 games as a rookie. Johnson could have a decent role in his third NFL campaign in a Giants offense that figures to utilize plenty of two-tight-end sets, but unless Isaiah Likely misses time with an injury, his fantasy football ceiling will be low in an offense that wants to ground and pound. At RotoBaller, Johnson is ranked as the No. 42 fantasy TE, so he should only be drafted for depth in two-TE leagues.
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 8.1 points this week while Theo Johnson is projected to score 5.0 points.
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