Pat Freiermuth · Tyler Higbee · 2026 week 5

Pat Freiermuth or Tyler Higbee?

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

Start Tyler Higbee — barelyThis one is a coin flip — the projections are within 0.6 points. The matchup leans Tyler Higbee (BUF allow the 16th-most TE points), but you can defend either call.

Player	Wk 5	Proj (PPR)	Matchup	Form L3	Trade value	Status
Pat Freiermuth	vs IND	8.4	17th	7.7	25	healthy
Tyler Higbee START	vs BUF	9.0	16th	11	12	healthy

TEs vs IND recently: Travis Kelce 16.1 pts (W2) · Foster Moreau 6.7 pts (W3) · Chig Okonkwo 0.5 pts (W4).

TEs vs BUF recently: Dalton Schultz 3.5 pts (W1) · Sam LaPorta 11.2 pts (W2) · Hunter Henry 6.2 pts (W4).

🎓 The coach's read

Projections are 0.6 apart — too close to call on projection alone.
Tyler Higbee has the higher floor (2.6) — the safer start if you are favoured.
Tyler Higbee has the higher ceiling (17) — the play if you need points.
Pat Freiermuth is boom-or-bust — about 9% more volatile week to week than a typical TE projected here — wider range in both directions.
Pat Freiermuth faces IND, 17th most generous to TEs.
Tyler Higbee faces BUF, 16th most generous to TEs.

Who wins a straight-up trade?

Pat Freiermuth carries the higher trade value — 25 against 12 (a 52% gap). In a one-for-one, the side receiving Pat Freiermuth gets the most. Momentum: Pat Freiermuth +25 and Tyler Higbee +12 over the last 30 days.

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

More TE decisions

Pat Freiermuth or Hunter Henry?Pat Freiermuth or Oronde Gadsden?Pat Freiermuth or AJ Barner?Tyler Higbee or AJ Barner?Tyler Higbee or Mike Gesicki?

All numbers are the 2026 season, refreshed nightly.