Is Pat Freiermuth a hidden gem in this year's fantasy drafts?

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is looking for a rebound season after a disappointing backward step last year as the Steelers offense sputtered. As a rookie in 2021 with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback, Freiermuth had a very productive season, catching 60 passes for 497 yards and seven touchdowns, quickly establishing himself as a presence in the red zone.

He followed up his rookie year with more catches (63) and yards (732) in 2022 but caught only two touchdowns. Pittsburgh’s scoring offense struggled as Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky combined to throw just 11 touchdowns. The passing offense bottomed out last season as Pickett and Mason Rudolph combined for just 2,789 aerial yards and a woeful nine touchdown passes.

That lack of production translated to all receivers, but Freiermuth was as adversely impacted as any skill position player on the roster. Freiermuth missed five due to injury; he caught just 32 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns in 12 appearancs. He had just one game with more than three receptions, one outing with more than 44 receiving yards, eight contests with 21 or fewer receiving yards, and didn’t score a touchdown after Week 3.

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By any measure, the last two years have been a disaster for the Steelers’ passing game. The hope is that the arrival of quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will bring the offense back to the level it was when Roethlisberger was at the wheel.

It was clear that the Pickett experiment didn’t work. Will things change with Wilson and Fields? If they do, Freiermuth’s value will jump sharply.

Fantasy football outlook

If you’re looking to invest in Freiermuth, the downturn in his production in 2023 will need to be ignored, because the playing field has been tilted with the arrival of Wilson and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The latter’s history in Atlanta was to lean on the running game. That benefits tight ends that can block, because they’re on the field for more snaps, and you can’t score fantasy points from the sideline. Furthermore, Smith is a former TEs coach whose system has at least attempted to incorporate the position in past settings.

Freiermuth had 60 or more receptions in each of his first two seasons and was one of the more consistent fantasy tight ends on a weekly basis. If last season was an aberration, he could be a value pick.

A compelling factor to believe that Freiermuth’s production will return to pre-2023 level is that Diontae Johnson was traded to Carolina in the offseason and Allen Robinson was cut. Those receptions need to be made up by somebody and Freiermuth, who is in a contract year, will be motivated to be a big part of filling that void in an offense with more questions than answers at wide receiver.

Freiermuth currently has an ADP in the TE13-15 range. That would make him a priority No. 2 in 12-team fantasy leagues. He would be an ideal complement in tight end-mandatory leagues for someone who opts not make a significant early investment of the position or those looking to wait and gamble on a rebound.

If Freiermuth can get back to catch 60 passes for 600 yards and a handful of touchdowns, he will be a value pick for any tight end tandem.