Pat Freiermuth has cemented himself as one of the best tight ends in the NFL. He is a great possession receiver who also excels with catch-and-run plays. He was one of Kenny Pickett’s favorite targets last year because of his great skills and ability to get open often. Freiermuth could even see an uptick in targets and volume this year as the Steelers start to expand their passing offense. But with the team bringing in a few more weapons, especially at tight end, could Pat Freiermuth’s fantasy football stock be going down for 2023?
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Pat Freiermuth 2023 Fantasy Football Profile
Pat Freiermuth’s 2022 Season Recap
Freiermuth dealt with injuries in 2022 and was therefore limited in his playing time. He didn’t appear in all 17 games and he left a few games early due to concussion warnings. But in the time he did play, Freiermuth was second on the team in targets and receptions. He finished with 63 catches for 732 yards (11.62 yards-per-catch average) and two touchdowns. He had nine catches of 20 or more yards and also picked up 37 first downs, which made him a valuable target for Pickett.
His first season saw him bring in seven touchdowns and the sharp decline in 2022 was a result of the offense’s overall inefficiency. Freiermuth finished with an average of about 9.9 points per game in PPR leagues, which ranked him as TE7 at the end of the year despite his injuries.
Pat Freiermuth’s 2023 Season Prediction
Freiermuth should see a similar volume in terms of targets and receptions as long as he stays healthy. But the biggest thing that will make him a top-five fantasy tight end or well below the top-ten range is the Steelers offensive efficiency. The team will have to have longer drives and score way more than they did in 2022. They only scored 12 touchdowns through the air as opposed to 14 interceptions, numbers that will have to change. I estimated that the Steelers (Kenny Pickett) will have around 20-25 touchdowns through the air in 2023. This should give Freiermuth a decent 5-7 touchdown mark.
My estimated final stats for Freiermuth are between 70 and 80 catches for between 750 and 900 total receiving yards. With a hopefully better offense, he should bring in between 5-7 touchdowns on the year. This could give him around an 11.5-12 point per game average.
Freiermuth’s Fantasy ADP/Ranking
Most major fantasy sites have Freiermuth between the range of the sixth and tenth tight ends. He’s on most big boards between the 80th and 90th overall pick, which is good for going between the seventh and ninth rounds in most standard 8-12 team fantasy leagues. He should be a starter in most leagues come Week 1 but depending on his usage early in the season, Freiermuth could easily be worth a bench spot or one of the top fantasy tight ends in the league. It is important to note that he has the seventh-easiest fantasy schedule for tight ends, which could end up helping his overall production.
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