Start Pat Freiermuth or Cade Otton? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Pat Freiermuth over Cade Otton in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Pat Freiermuth at 7.8 points and Cade Otton at 7.3, a gap of 0.5. 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 7.8 fantasy points for Pat Freiermuth, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market has Pat Freiermuth at 27.5 receiving yards and 3.5 receptions, with a 24% chance to score a touchdown (15, 11 and 15 market sources).

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).

That puts Pat Freiermuth 0.5 points ahead of Cade Otton on the market projections.

Injury status

Pat Freiermuth is not on the injury report.

Cade Otton is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Pat Freiermuth played 69 percent of PIT snaps, drew 13 percent of the targets, earned 11 percent of the air yards and had 13 percent of the red zone chances.

Pat Freiermuth, Week 1 against ATL: 49 of 67 snaps, 5 targets and 5 catches for 46 yards, 1 touchdown.

Pat Freiermuth, Week 2 against NE: 46 of 70 snaps, 1 carry for 2 yards, 5 targets and 4 catches for 32 yards.

Pat Freiermuth, Week 3 against CIN: 37 of 62 snaps, 1 carry for 1 yards, 4 targets and 2 catches for 30 yards.

Pat Freiermuth, Week 4 against CLE: 54 of 72 snaps, 5 targets and 3 catches for 17 yards, 1 touchdown.

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.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Pat Freiermuth played 17 games for PIT and scored 113.6 PPR points, 6.7 a game, finishing TE25.

He caught 41 of 54 targets for 486 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 9 red zone targets and 231 air yards.

He was on the field for 49 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

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.

Their other Week 5 calls

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