Start Pat Freiermuth or Michael Mayer? Week 8

Our Week 8 call

Start Pat Freiermuth over Michael Mayer in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Pat Freiermuth at 8.1 points and Michael Mayer at 7.6, a gap of 0.5. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. No player market is posted for Pat Freiermuth this week yet, so his 8.1 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (7.7, 8.3 and 8.3); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Michael Mayer this week yet, so his 7.6 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (7.8, 6.9 and 8.1); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Pat Freiermuth yet. His market-based projections were 7.7, 8.3 and 8.3 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 8.1, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

The market-based projection for Pat Freiermuth is 0.4 touchdowns (7 market sources).

No Week 8 player market is posted for Michael Mayer yet. His market-based projections were 7.8, 6.9 and 8.1 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 7.6, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

That puts Pat Freiermuth 0.5 points ahead of Michael Mayer on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Pat Freiermuth and PIT host CLE on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

CLE allowed 13.6 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 14th most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 49 yards and 0.6 touchdowns a game against CLE.

Michael Mayer and LV visit NYJ on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

NYJ allowed 10.4 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 6th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 48 yards and 0.1 touchdowns a game against NYJ.

By points allowed to the position, Pat Freiermuth has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Pat Freiermuth is not on the injury report.

Michael Mayer is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, Pat Freiermuth played 67 percent of PIT snaps, drew 13 percent of the targets, earned 14 percent of the air yards and had 11 percent of the red zone chances.

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.

Pat Freiermuth, Week 6 against TB: 57 of 79 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 11 yards.

Pat Freiermuth, Week 7 against NO: 34 of 64 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 20 yards.

Through Week 7, Michael Mayer played 81 percent of LV snaps, drew 15 percent of the targets, earned 8 percent of the air yards and had 3 percent of the red zone chances.

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.

Michael Mayer, Week 6 against BUF: 52 of 66 snaps, 9 targets and 7 catches for 95 yards.

Michael Mayer, Week 7 against LAR: 56 of 68 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 32 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 8 calls

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