Start Cade Otton or AJ Barner? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Cade Otton over AJ Barner in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Cade Otton at 7.4 points and AJ Barner at 6.8, a gap of 0.6. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 7.4 fantasy points for Cade Otton, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market has Cade Otton at 28.5 receiving yards and 3.5 receptions, with a 16% chance to score a touchdown (16, 15 and 16 market sources).

Player markets imply 6.8 fantasy points for AJ Barner, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market has AJ Barner at 24.5 receiving yards and 2.5 receptions, with a 24% chance to score a touchdown (15, 13 and 15 market sources).

That puts Cade Otton 0.6 points ahead of AJ Barner on the market projections.

Injury status

Cade Otton is not on the injury report.

AJ Barner is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Cade Otton played 94 percent of TB snaps, drew 19 percent of the targets, earned 15 percent of the air yards and had 6 percent of the red zone chances.

Cade Otton, Week 1 against CIN: 56 of 57 snaps, 5 targets and 3 catches for 26 yards.

Cade Otton, Week 2 against CLE: 58 of 65 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 38 yards.

Cade Otton, Week 3 against MIN: 65 of 69 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 56 yards.

Cade Otton, Week 4 against GB: 60 of 64 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 37 yards.

Through Week 4, AJ Barner played 87 percent of SEA snaps, drew 13 percent of the targets, earned 4 percent of the air yards and had 13 percent of the red zone chances.

AJ Barner, Week 1 against NE: 44 of 50 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 13 yards.

AJ Barner, Week 2 against ARI: 56 of 70 snaps, 1 carry for 1 yards, 1 target and 1 catch for 8 yards, 1 touchdown.

AJ Barner, Week 3 against WAS: 61 of 67 snaps, 9 targets and 5 catches for 69 yards.

AJ Barner, Week 4 against LAC: 54 of 60 snaps, 3 targets and 1 catch for 12 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Cade Otton played 16 games for TB and scored 122.2 PPR points, 7.6 a game, finishing TE22.

He caught 59 of 81 targets for 572 yards and 1 touchdown, with 5 red zone targets and 261 air yards.

He was on the field for 93 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, AJ Barner played 17 games for SEA and scored 147.3 PPR points, 8.7 a game, finishing TE14.

He caught 52 of 68 targets for 519 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 12 red zone targets and 248 air yards.

He was on the field for 78 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start Brenton Strange over Cade Otton.
• Start Brock Bowers over Cade Otton.
• Start Cade Otton over Chig Okonkwo.
• Start Brenton Strange over AJ Barner.
• Start Brock Bowers over AJ Barner.
• Start Chig Okonkwo over AJ Barner.