Michael Mayer · Pat Freiermuth · 2026 week 9

Michael Mayer or Pat Freiermuth?

Wondering who you should start this week — Michael Mayer or Pat Freiermuth? The start/sit call and the numbers behind it are below, plus who wins a straight-up trade. Rebuilt nightly.

Start Pat FreiermuthPat Freiermuth projects 1.9 PPR points clear of Michael Mayer in week 9, drawing CIN — the 10th-ranked matchup for TEs. The numbers behind the call are below; overrule them with your eyes open.

Player	Wk 9	Proj (PPR)	Matchup	Form L3	Trade value	Status
Michael Mayer	@ SF	8.0	25th · tough	11	161	healthy
Pat Freiermuth START	@ CIN	9.9	10th	6.2	168	healthy

TEs vs SF recently: AJ Barner 2 pts (W5) · Chig Okonkwo 6.9 pts (W6) · Kyle Pitts Sr. 8.2 pts (W7).

TEs vs CIN recently: Greg Dulcich 5.7 pts (W5) · Josh Cuevas 3.5 pts (W7) · Gunnar Helm 9.6 pts (W8).

🎓 The coach's read

Pat Freiermuth projects 1.9 points higher in PPR.
Michael Mayer faces SF, 25th most generous to TEs.
Pat Freiermuth faces CIN, 10th most generous to TEs.

Who wins a straight-up trade?

Pat Freiermuth carries the higher trade value — 168 against 161 (a 4% gap). In a one-for-one, the side receiving Pat Freiermuth gets the most. Momentum: Michael Mayer +125 and Pat Freiermuth +136 over the last 30 days.

Open in Start/Sit (any scoring) Open in the Trade Analyzer

More TE decisions

Michael Mayer or Mike Gesicki?Michael Mayer or Mark Andrews?Pat Freiermuth or Juwan Johnson?Pat Freiermuth or Mike Gesicki?Pat Freiermuth or Mark Andrews?

All numbers are the 2026 season, refreshed nightly.