Start Pat Freiermuth or Michael Mayer? Week 6

Our Week 6 call

Start Pat Freiermuth over Michael Mayer in Week 6.

Market-based projections have Pat Freiermuth at 8.4 points and Michael Mayer at 7.1, a gap of 1.3. 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 8.4 fantasy points for Pat Freiermuth, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market-based projection for Pat Freiermuth is 36 receiving yards and 3-4 receptions, with a 22% chance to score a touchdown (10, 9 and 13 market sources).

Player markets imply 7.1 fantasy points for Michael Mayer, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market-based projection for Michael Mayer is 28 receiving yards and 2-3 receptions, with a 24% chance to score a touchdown (10, 10 and 12 market sources).

That puts Pat Freiermuth 1.3 points ahead of Michael Mayer on the market projections.

Injury status

Pat Freiermuth is not on the injury report.

Michael Mayer is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 6

Through Week 5, Pat Freiermuth played 69 percent of PIT snaps, drew 15 percent of the targets, earned 14 percent of the air yards and had 18 percent of the red zone chances.

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.

Pat Freiermuth, Week 5 against IND: 41 of 60 snaps, 1 carry for 1 yards, 7 targets and 5 catches for 44 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Through Week 5, Michael Mayer played 82 percent of LV snaps, drew 15 percent of the targets, earned 8 percent of the air yards and had 4 percent of the red zone chances.

Michael Mayer, Week 2 against LAC: 53 of 63 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 23 yards.

Michael Mayer, Week 3 against NO: 61 of 70 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 32 yards, 1 touchdown.

Michael Mayer, Week 4 against KC: 74 of 84 snaps, 10 targets and 8 catches for 82 yards.

Michael Mayer, Week 5 against NE: 39 of 60 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 2 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, Michael Mayer played 13 games for LV and scored 73.8 PPR points, 5.7 a game, finishing TE38.

He caught 35 of 50 targets for 328 yards and 1 touchdown, with 6 red zone targets and 132 air yards.

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

Their other Week 6 calls

• Start Pat Freiermuth over AJ Barner.
• Start Brenton Strange over Pat Freiermuth.
• Start Pat Freiermuth over Cade Otton.
• Start Michael Mayer over AJ Barner.
• Start Brenton Strange over Michael Mayer.
• Start Cade Otton over Michael Mayer.