Pat Freiermuth or Tony Pollard: Who Should You Start?

2026 Week 3 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Too close to call — the edges cancel out.

Pat Freiermuth and Tony Pollard grade out even this week. Freiermuth's best edge is the consensus rank (TE24 to RB28), Pollard's best edge is the projection (10.5 to 8.3) — and they cancel out. Start whichever player's game you trust more this week.

In standard scoring this flips to Pollard.

Pat Freiermuth

Pat Freiermuth

TE24PITvs CIN

Projected Points

Start
Tony Pollard

Tony Pollard

RB28TENvs NYG

Projected Points

Toss-Up· low

Pat Freiermuth’s market

REC
O/U 3.5
-152 / +119
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 35.5
-113 / -113
Receiving Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+340
Anytime Touchdown Props →

Tony Pollard’s market

RUSH YDS
O/U 59.5
-110 / -114
Rushing Yards Props →
REC
O/U 1.5
+137 / -176
Receptions Props →
REC YDS
O/U 6.5
-119 / -106
Receiving Yards Props →
ATD
Anytime TD
+145
Anytime Touchdown Props →
CIN@
PITSun, Sep 27, 1:00 PM ETView the game →
TEN@
NYGSun, Sep 27, 1:00 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 TE22 this week: 13% target share, 8.3 PPR projected vs CIN.

  • CIN ranks 19 of 32 against TEs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 2-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 22.5 team points as 1.5-point underdogs.
  • Listed TE on the latest depth chart with a 70% snap share.

Latest on Freiermuth

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Tony Pollard

Toss-Up· low

RB1 and lead back. One-cut zone runner with breakaway speed and 1,000-yard workload.

RB28 at 10.5 projected with a 54% snap share and neutral NYG matchup (16 of 32) — flex-borderline; tips on your alternative's floor.

  • NYG ranks 16 of 32 against RBs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 2-game sample).
  • Vegas implies 20.8 team points as 3.0-point underdogs.
  • Listed RB on the latest depth chart with a 54% snap share.

The call

  • Projection of 10.5 PPR points and a consensus RB28 rank put Pollard squarely on the RB2/flex line in 12-team leagues, neither a lock nor a clear bench.
  • A 54% snap share over 2 games means he's the lead piece but not a workhorse, and a 7% target share caps his PPR floor.
  • The NYG matchup grades as dead neutral at 16 of 32, but it rests on a 2-game sample with 0.00 confidence, so it shouldn't move the needle.
  • A 20.8 implied team total and 3.0 spread suggest a competitive, modest-scoring script. Start him over a pass-catching-light alternative, but lean toward a flex option with a bigger target share if you have one.

Head-to-head stats

MetricPat FreiermuthTony Pollard
Projected points
Consensus rankTE24RB28
Opponent vs positionCIN · 19 of 322-game sampleNYG · 16 of 322-game sample
Receptions32 of 3211 of 32
Receiving Yards32 of 3213 of 32
Receiving TDs1 of 32—
Targets30 of 32—
Anytime TD1 of 3225 of 32
Rushing Yards—24 of 32
Rushing TDs—10 of 32
Rushing Attempts—10 of 32
Target share13%7%
Reception share17%6%
Implied total · spread22.5+1.520.8+3.0
Depth chartTE1RB1
Snap share70%54%
Start/Sit record—0–0+3 toss-ups

Recent form

Pat Freiermuth — last 2 weeks

Week 2vs NE
Week 1vs ATL

Tony Pollard — last 2 weeks

Week 2vs PHI
Week 1vs NYJ

Signal breakdown

  • 8.3 vs 10.5 projected PPR pointsTony Pollard +
  • Rank 24 vs 28Pat Freiermuth +
  • Opponent DvP rank 19 vs 16 (32 = softest)even
  • Implied 22.5 vs 20.8 team pointsPat Freiermuth +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 70% vs 54% snap sharePat Freiermuth +

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