Start AJ Barner or Evan Engram? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start AJ Barner over Evan Engram in Week 5.

Market-based projections have AJ Barner at 6.3 points and Evan Engram at 5.4, a gap of 0.9. 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 6.4 fantasy points for AJ Barner, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market has AJ Barner at 21.5 receiving yards and 2.5 receptions, with a 23% chance to score a touchdown (15, 16 and 17 market sources).

Player markets imply 5.4 fantasy points for Evan Engram, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market has Evan Engram at 18.5 receiving yards and 2.5 receptions, with a 16% chance to score a touchdown (16, 17 and 17 market sources).

That puts AJ Barner 0.9 points ahead of Evan Engram on the market projections.

Injury status

AJ Barner is not on the injury report.

Evan Engram is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

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.

Through Week 4, Evan Engram played 60 percent of DEN snaps, drew 10 percent of the targets, earned 8 percent of the air yards and had 3 percent of the red zone chances.

Evan Engram, Week 1 against KC: 32 of 51 snaps, 5 targets and 4 catches for 43 yards, 1 touchdown.

Evan Engram, Week 2 against JAX: 32 of 62 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 17 yards.

Evan Engram, Week 3 against LAR: 40 of 67 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Evan Engram, Week 4 against SF: 44 of 65 snaps, 5 targets and 1 catch for 6 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

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.

In 2025, Evan Engram played 16 games for DEN and scored 102.8 PPR points, 6.4 a game, finishing TE29.

He caught 50 of 76 targets for 461 yards and 1 touchdown, with 10 red zone targets and 159 air yards.

He was on the field for 42 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start Brenton Strange over AJ Barner.
• Start Brock Bowers over AJ Barner.
• Start Cade Otton over AJ Barner.
• Start Chig Okonkwo over Evan Engram.
• Start Evan Engram over Colby Parkinson.
• Start Evan Engram over Cole Kmet.