Start Chig Okonkwo or AJ Barner? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Chig Okonkwo over AJ Barner in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Chig Okonkwo at 7.2 points and AJ Barner at 6.8, a gap of 0.3. 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 7.2 fantasy points for Chig Okonkwo, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market gives Chig Okonkwo a 24% chance to score a touchdown (14 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 25% chance to score a touchdown (15, 13 and 15 market sources).

That puts Chig Okonkwo 0.3 points ahead of AJ Barner on the market projections.

Injury status

Chig Okonkwo is listed as questionable with a hamstring injury.

AJ Barner is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Chig Okonkwo played 57 percent of WAS snaps, drew 11 percent of the targets, earned 8 percent of the air yards and had 0 percent of the red zone chances.

Chig Okonkwo, Week 1 against PHI: 39 of 70 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 16 yards.

Chig Okonkwo, Week 4 against IND: 37 of 64 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 5 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, Chig Okonkwo played 17 games for TEN and scored 124.0 PPR points, 7.3 a game, finishing TE21.

He caught 56 of 79 targets for 560 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 5 red zone targets and 218 air yards.

He was on the field for 62 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Chig Okonkwo, Week 18 of 2025 against JAX: 5 targets and 2 catches for 2 yards, 2.2 PPR points.

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 Cade Otton over Chig Okonkwo.
• Start Chig Okonkwo over Darnell Washington.
• Start Michael Mayer over Chig Okonkwo.
• Start Brenton Strange over AJ Barner.
• Start Brock Bowers over AJ Barner.
• Start Cade Otton over AJ Barner.