Start Tyler Higbee or Pat Freiermuth? Week 8

Our Week 8 call

Start Pat Freiermuth over Tyler Higbee in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Pat Freiermuth at 8.1 points and Tyler Higbee at 8.1, a gap of 0.1. 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 Tyler Higbee this week yet, so his 8.1 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (7.1, 7.7 and 9.4); 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 0.3 touchdowns (7 market sources).

No Week 8 player market is posted for Tyler Higbee yet. His market-based projections were 7.1, 7.7 and 9.4 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 8.1, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

That puts Pat Freiermuth 0.1 points ahead of Tyler Higbee 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.

Tyler Higbee and LAR host LAC on Sunday at 4:05 PM ET.

LAC allowed 11.1 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the 10th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 58 yards and 0.2 touchdowns a game against LAC.

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

Injury status

Pat Freiermuth is not on the injury report.

Tyler Higbee 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, Tyler Higbee played 59 percent of LAR snaps, drew 12 percent of the targets, earned 12 percent of the air yards and had 3 percent of the red zone chances.

Tyler Higbee, Week 4 against PHI: 55 of 84 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 67 yards.

Tyler Higbee, Week 5 against BUF: 55 of 82 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 83 yards.

Tyler Higbee, Week 6 against ARI: 48 of 58 snaps, 4 targets and 4 catches for 22 yards.

Tyler Higbee, Week 7 against LV: 53 of 72 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 14 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, Tyler Higbee played 10 games for LAR and scored 71.1 PPR points, 7.1 a game, finishing TE40.

He caught 25 of 36 targets for 281 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 8 red zone targets and 141 air yards.

He was on the field for 54 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 Tyler Higbee over AJ Barner.
• Start Brenton Strange over Tyler Higbee.
• Start Cade Otton over Tyler Higbee.