Which Steelers Tight End Should We Draft in Fantasy: Jonnu Smith or Pat Freiermuth?

Amid the trade that has sent Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jonnu Smith has been reunited with Arthur Smith, who is entering his second year as the offensive coordinator of the Steelers. At least on paper, adding Smith certainly provides a boost to a new-look Pittsburgh offense that has already brought in the likes of Aaron Rodgers , D.K. Metcalf, and rookie Kaleb Johnson this offseason.

While the lack of a secondary receiver option alongside Metcalf could lead to more opportunities for Smith, Pat Freiermuth still figures to have a role in the offense at the tight end position. Although there will certainly be trade rumors surrounding Freiermuth upon Smith's arrival, Freiermuth inked a four-year, $48.4 million extension before the 2024 campaign kicked off, which goes to show that the current front office views him as a vital piece to the offense moving forward.

When looking at this move through a fantasy football lens, which tight end from the Steelers should we be targeting for the 2025 season? Let's take a look at how Smith and Freiermuth performed last season, and discuss whether or not both -- or either -- of them can be fantasy relevant in the upcoming campaign.

Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth in 2024

After joining the Miami Dolphins ahead of the 2024 season, Smith tallied career-best marks in receptions (88), receiving yards (884), and receiving touchdowns (8). As a result, Smith finished as the overall TE4 in half-PPR scoring a season ago, earning a top five tight end finish in six of his final eight games of the regular season.

Smith exploded in fantasy football due to his role in the red zone for the Dolphins, as he tied Tyreek Hill for the highest red-zone target rate (21.7%) in Miami's aerial attack, per Pro Football Reference. Additionally, Smith excelled with the ball in his hands, registering the seventh-most yards after the catch per reception (5.9) on the third-lowest average depth of target (5.0) among tight ends with 50-plus targets in 2025, via PFF.

As for Freiermuth, he concluded last season as the overall TE9 in half-PPR formats -- totaling 65 receptions, 653 receiving yards, and 7 receiving touchdowns. Freiermuth wasn't too far behind Smith in terms of red-zone target rate (21.1%) a season ago, but he certainly isn't the explosive weapon that Smith is.

Of the tight ends who saw 50-plus targets in 2024, Freiermuth had the 11th-fewest yards after the catch per reception (4.3) and 15th-fewest yards per route run (1.46). Although Smith and Freiermuth are tight ends who can bring differing skill sets to the table for Pittsburgh's offense, can they produce enough in fantasy to make them worth rostering?

Can Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth Co-Exist?

We've seen teams over the years have two notable tight ends featured in their offense, and the vast majority of the time, both players essentially prevent the other from being a top option in fantasy. Given the fact that Arthur Smith deploys a run-centric offensive attack and we're uncertain what we'll get from Aaron Rodgers in a new offense, this could easily be another situation where both tight ends cancel each other out.

Of the two players, Smith likely has the better chance of being worth a look due to his previous success in this scheme. During the 2023 season with the Atlanta Falcons -- when Arthur Smith was the head coach -- Jonnu earned the third-highest red-zone target rate (16.7%) behind Drake London and Bijan Robinson en route to an overall TE17 finish despite sharing the field with Kyle Pitts.

On the other hand, Freiermuth's role undoubtedly changes with Smith joining the offense -- though we'll likely see more two tight end sets from the Steelers in 2025. While Freiermuth has finished as the TE9 or better in two of his last three seasons, he'll now compete for red-zone targets alongside Smith, Metcalf, and the backfield duo of Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson.

In terms of real-life football, Smith and Freiermuth can unquestionably co-exist to help Pittsburgh's offense evolve into a better unit than recent years. However, when strictly speaking about Smith and Freiermuth from a fantasy perspective this year, my interest in either of them has certainly taken a massive hit.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.