Start Pat Freiermuth or Darnell Washington? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Pat Freiermuth over Darnell Washington in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Pat Freiermuth at 7.8 points and Darnell Washington at 6.4, a gap of 1.4. 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 Darnell Washington, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market has Darnell Washington at 22.5 receiving yards and 2.5 receptions, with a 23% chance to score a touchdown (14, 14 and 13 market sources).

Player markets imply 7.9 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 25% chance to score a touchdown (15, 11 and 14 market sources).

That puts Pat Freiermuth 1.4 points ahead of Darnell Washington on the market projections.

Injury status

Darnell Washington is not on the injury report.

Pat Freiermuth is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Darnell Washington played 66 percent of PIT snaps, drew 9 percent of the targets, earned 5 percent of the air yards and had 8 percent of the red zone chances.

Darnell Washington, Week 1 against ATL: 43 of 67 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 18 yards.

Darnell Washington, Week 2 against NE: 37 of 70 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 7 yards.

Darnell Washington, Week 3 against CIN: 47 of 62 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 67 yards.

Darnell Washington, Week 4 against CLE: 51 of 72 snaps, 5 targets and 3 catches for 27 yards, 1 touchdown.

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.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Darnell Washington played 16 games for PIT and scored 73.4 PPR points, 4.6 a game, finishing TE39.

He caught 31 of 43 targets for 364 yards and 1 touchdown, with 8 red zone targets and 135 air yards.

He was on the field for 57 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

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.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start AJ Barner over Darnell Washington.
• Start Cade Otton over Darnell Washington.
• Start Chig Okonkwo over Darnell Washington.
• Start Pat Freiermuth over AJ Barner.
• Start Brenton Strange over Pat Freiermuth.
• Start Pat Freiermuth over Cade Otton.