Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Trey McBride

Monday, January 12, 6:37 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had very limited fantasy football upside in 2025 while sharing TE duties with both Jonnu Smith and Darnell Washington (forearm). He finished as the TE24 in half-PPR scoring in 16 regular-season games, with 41 catches on 54 targets for 486 yards and four touchdowns. Freiermuth and Smith should have slightly bigger roles going into the playoffs on Wild-Card weekend on Monday night against the Houston Texans with Washington out, but the 27-year-old still isn't an ideal option for fantasy managers in a bad matchup. Freiermuth did finish the regular season strong with six catches on 10 targets for 114 yards in the final two games, but he hasn't scored since Nov. 23. The Texans have the No. 1 defense in the league, and they've allowed only 775 receiving yards (seventh-fewest) and eight TDs all year to the tight end position.

Wednesday, February 11, 6:13 AM

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride earned first-team All-Pro honors after setting the all-time single-season reception record by a tight end in his banner 2025 season. Across 17 games, the 26-year-old recorded 126 catches for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns on 169 targets. McBride was the number one scoring tight end in fantasy football in 2025, and given his age, he projects to continue his dominance for at least the next few seasons. The Cardinals are reportedly looking to trade quarterback Kyler Murray this offseason, which means McBride could be facing another season of uncertainty under center in Arizona. However, McBride proved he could be highly productive even with career backup Jacoby Brissett throwing him passes this past season. Heading into 2026, McBride looks like the clear fantasy TE1 in both redraft and dynasty formats.