Pat Freiermuth Career Contextualization

While most of the fantasy football community focused on Kyle Pitts in 2021, tight end Pat Freiermuth quietly posted a solid rookie season. The second-round pick out of Penn State caught 60 of his 79 targets for 497 yards and seven touchdowns and became a quality weapon in Pittsburgh’s passing game.

Freiermuth’s campaign was good enough to finish as the TE13 in half-PPR. Considering how difficult it can be for rookie tight ends to acclimate to the NFL, Freiermuth’s performance should be viewed as highly encouraging.

Freiermuth primarily operated as a short-field option in the middle of the field for retired quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, as evidenced by his average depth of target of just 5.3 yards. He was a quality safety valve and dropped just two targets all season.

The question is whether Freiermuth can build off his rookie season and take the next step in 2022.