Who Should I Start? T.J. Hockenson or Pat Freiermuth

Sunday, November 17, 6:14 PM

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson brought in 2-of-3 targets for 13 yards in the team's 23-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 11. It's a discouraging effort for the 27-year-old just one week after he registered eight receptions and 72 yards and was seemingly becoming more involved in the offense. However, Tennessee has been sound against opposing passing attacks all season, so we may chalk this one up to a poor matchup. Still, seeing Hockenson garner a bit more work would have been nice. If it's any consolation, the former first-round pick did match fellow TE Josh Oliver for the second-most targets on the team behind wideouts Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson, who each collected eight. The former Iowa Hawkeye will get a slightly softer matchup next weekend when Minnesota lines up against the Chicago Bears on the road at Soldier Field.

Wednesday, November 20, 8:08 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has done very little for fantasy over the past six weeks but will look to bounce back in a divisional bout with the Cleveland Browns in Week 12. The Browns look like a favorable matchup for tight ends on paper, but Taysom Hill's monstrous showing last week accounts for nearly 35% of the points Cleveland has allowed to the position this season. Only two other tight ends have managed top-10 finishes against the Browns in 2024. Freiermuth does not seem to have a reliable role in Pittsburgh's offense with quarterback Russell Wilson targeting fellow tight end Darnell Washington twice more than Freiermuth since taking over for Justin Fields in Week 7. Even with a few big names on bye this week, fantasy managers should not rely on Freiermuth as there are likely better replacement options available on waivers.