Finally, the Pittsburgh Steelers have found their next "Heath Miller" at the tight end position. Second-year man out of Penn State, TE Pat Freiermuth exploded onto the NFL scene in his promising rookie year for the Steelers and looks to join the NFL top tight ends discussion this season!
Twitter/ @pat_fry5
Not only is the tight end ready to breakout even further for the Steelers, he's ready to put up points for your fantasy football teams as well!
In a recent article published by The Athletic, Mark Kaboly listed Freiermuth as the Steelers representative to have a breakout season in regards to Fantasy Football!
"Some might suggest Freiermuth’s rookie campaign was his breakout season with 60 receptions on only 79 targets and seven touchdowns in fewer than 60 percent of the offensive snaps," Kaboly stated in the article. "But with Eric Ebron gone and the Steelers likely to attack the middle of the field more with likely starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky, Freiermuth’s numbers could skyrocket him into one of the top six tight ends in the league by the end of the year.Freiermuth became a red zone target for the Steelers last year with his athletic ability and good hands. He scored six touchdowns in a seven-game span, and Matt Canada’s motion offense should allow him to rack up some easy catch-and-run opportunities."
Whether it be Trubisky or 2022 first round pick, QB Kenny Pickett, Freiermuth is a sure-fire target! His 75.9% catch rate is strong and he'll be a reliable guy to help the Steelers offense move the ball down the field. 34 of Freiermuth's 60 receptions accounted for 1st downs.
Apologies Penn State, this promises to be a most prolific Pa. pass connection – Ben Roethlisberger to Pat Freiermuth for six. Here, Freiermuth (88) scores one of his two touchdowns during the first half the NFL preseason game vs. the Lions. (AP Photo/Fred Vuich)AP
He's already building a strong connection with Pickett! This isn't the only praise the Steelers second-year tight end has received this off-season.
“Najee Harris made the Pro Bowl after shouldering a heavy offensive load in his first season, so the next-best option on the Steelers roster is Freiermuth, who fit in seamlessly as a rookie and looks to be on a path toward becoming the franchise’s next beloved tight end," NFL.com writer, Nick Shook said about the franchise’s sure-handed tight end. "A new quarterback will make the going a little rougher, at least initially, but a reliable tight end is often a young passer’s best friend.I expect Freiermuth to see a ton of targets, no matter who plays quarterback for Pittsburgh in 2022, and to be in the conversation for the Pro Bowl, even with some stiff competition (including Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce) awaiting him.”
A lot of love for Freiermuth this off-season, but it's incredibly well deserved. The Steelers offense looks to prove a lot of people wrong in this upcoming season, but Freiermuth looks to prove a lot of people right! NFL analysts from many different outlets have high expectations for him in only his second NFL season. Will he prove them right? Will you select Freiermuth as high in your Fantasy Football drafts as he got in the picture below?
Emilee Chinn / Getty Images
What are yinz thoughts on TE Pat Freiermuth's fantasy value going into the 2022 season? Let us know in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
#SteelerNation
