Pat Freiermuth or Quentin Johnston: Who Should You Start?

Preliminary board

2026 Week 4 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Verdicts sharpen as practice reports land.

Start Freiermuth, with Johnston’s stronger volume keeping it close

Freiermuth gets the nod on the stronger standing at tight end and a less imposing matchup, though Seattle’s defensive rank comes from a short, low-confidence sample. Johnston’s broader involvement and small projection lead make him a legitimate alternative; Freiermuth’s TE1, chain-moving role is the separator, not a comfortable margin. The risk is that Freiermuth’s 13% target share leaves little room for a quiet red-zone day.

What flips it: Freiermuth losing his TE1 pass-catching role.

Sources: ESPN · Sep 17, 2026

AI editor

Pat Freiermuth

Pat Freiermuth

TE24PITvs CLE

Projected Points

Start
Quentin Johnston

Quentin Johnston

WR47LACvs SEA

Projected Points

Toss-Up

Pat Freiermuth’s market

REC
O/U 3.5
+103 / -131
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 28.5
-114 / -110
Receiving Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+400
Anytime Touchdown Props →

Quentin Johnston’s market

ATD
Anytime TD
+265
Anytime Touchdown Props →
PIT@
CLEThu, Oct 1, 8:15 PM ETView the game →
LAC@
SEASun, Oct 4, 4:25 PM ETView the game →

Why Pat Freiermuth

Start

TE1 in pass-catching role. Reliable chain-mover with red-zone size and dependable hands.

Start — TE24 consensus, projects TE21 this week: 13% target share, 7.9 PPR projected vs CLE.

  • His TE1 role and red-zone size give his modest target share a path to scoring value.
  • ESPN 2026-09-17 describes him as trending upward after Week 1.

Latest on Freiermuth

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Quentin Johnston

Toss-Up

Starting outside WR2. Big-bodied contested-catch target with red-zone scoring production.

Toss-up — WR47 consensus, projects WR57 this week: SEA is the 8th-toughest matchup vs WRs, 20% target share.

  • His broader snap and target involvement gives Johnston the stronger volume-based case.
  • Contested-catch ability and red-zone production offer a way to overcome the tougher matchup.

Head-to-head stats

MetricPat FreiermuthQuentin Johnston
Projected points
Consensus rankTE24WR47
Opponent vs positionCLE · 19 of 323-game sampleSEA · 8 of 323-game sample
Receptions25 of 329 of 32
Receiving Yards24 of 321 of 32
Receiving TDs10 of 327 of 32
Targets27 of 3215 of 32
Anytime TD9 of 326 of 32
Target share13%20%
Reception share17%12%
Implied total · spread21.5-2.521.3+3.0
Depth chartTE1WR2
Snap share66%82%
Start/Sit record—0–2+1 toss-up

Recent form

Pat Freiermuth — last 3 weeks

Week 3vs CIN
Week 2vs NE
Week 1vs ATL

Quentin Johnston — last 3 weeks

Week 3vs BUF
Week 2vs LV
Week 1vs ARI

Signal breakdown

  • 7.9 vs 8.6 projected PPR pointsQuentin Johnston +
  • Rank 24 vs 47Pat Freiermuth +
  • Opponent DvP rank 19 vs 8 (32 = softest)Pat Freiermuth +
  • Implied 21.5 vs 21.3 team pointsPat Freiermuth +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 66% vs 82% snap shareQuentin Johnston +

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