Last season, Pittsburgh Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth was ranked as a top-five tight end, but this year, he has been injured for the vast majority of it. Is Freiermuth healthy enough to help your fantasy football team for the playoff push? Let’s dig in and find out.
Should Pat Freiermuth Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 13?
Freiermuth has been injured since Week 6. He has been off injured reserve for two weeks now and has had vastly different results since his return.
Predictably, the Steelers eased Freiermuth back into the offense two weeks ago with only one target, which Freiermuth caught for seven yards.
With the well-publicized change in offensive coordinator and Freiermuth’s health seemingly improved, my colleague Kyle Soppe pegged Freiermuth as the top streaming tight end in Week 13, and for good reason.
Freiermuth exploded this past week with nine catches for 120 yards and a 34.3% target share. Those are Travis Kelce-type TE numbers, and although that is likely a peak game, I see Freiermuth being the No. 1 or 2 option for the Steelers’ passing attack the rest of the way, especially with Diontae Johnson’s recent behavior.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
Before his injury, Freiermuth was not being utilized much. He was catching just 1-3 receptions each week prior to the injury, so his return lining up with the new offensive coordinator is excellent timing for the young tight end.
Freiermuth faces a tough road the rest of the season with the 17th-ranked defense against tight ends, the Arizona Cardinals, followed by the eighth-ranked defense, the New England Patriots, in Week 14.
Freiermuth’s fantasy playoff schedule is not great either, with an average ranking of 7.3. But even with the challenging schedule, I would prioritize him as a waiver wire pickup this week.
If you need a tight end, I recommend using your top waiver slot or dumping a good bit of your FAAB for Freiermuth. It’s rare to be able to grab a tight end with the upside he brings to the roster, and unless you have Kelce, Sam LaPorta, or Dalton Kincaid on your squad, then Freiermuth is an obvious upgrade.
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