BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~122 Overall
CURRENT ADP: ~134
ANALYSIS: Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth likely wants to forget about the 2023 season. He missed multiple games due to a hamstring injury and only caught 32 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. That led to Freiermuth finishing as the TE30 in PPR formats. So, his 127.1 ADP on Sleeper makes sense. However, at that TE16 price tag, he is definitely worth a shot in the later rounds.
Of course, he is coming off a rough year, but a lot has changed for Freiermuth entering his fourth NFL season. For starters, Arthur Smith is now his offensive coordinator, which is actually great news for him. Smith comes over from the Atlanta Falcons, where his offense threw the second most targets to the tight end position in 2023. Kyle Pitts saw 90 targets, while Jonnu Smith had 70 targets. As a result, look for that strong tight end presence in the passing game to continue in Pittsburgh.
Steelers Pat Freiermuth looks like a breakout season is on the horizon pic.twitter.com/jzxUvft4G4
— Bo Marchionte (@BoMarchionte) August 2, 2024
On top of that, Freiermuth should be in line for more targets with Diontae Johnson now gone. Outside of George Pickens, the Steelers lack some talent at the wide receiver position, so the 25-year-old could top 100-plus targets for the first time in his career. He also got a quarterback upgrade this offseason after Pittsburgh released Kenny Pickett and signed Russell Wilson in free agency.
It would be risky to roll with Freiermuth as your TE1 to begin the year. However, things are working in his favor, making him a potential sleeper option in the 11th or 12th round of drafts. Don't forget, the Steelers' tight end is just two years removed from finishing as the TE8 in PPR formats. The talent and situation are there for him to finish that high again in 2024.
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