The tight end position is the toughest to figure out in fantasy football but this season should offer some hope in that regard.

Unless you're taking Travis Kelce in the first round, it's increasingly likely that you're going to have to make a decision of whether you want to wait until the end of the draft on tight end or pay the premium that the top five require.

More often than not, the best option is the former when there's the amount of value sitting there toward the end as there is this year.

With that in mind, there's no player quite as intriguing as Pat Freiermuth.

Here's a look at Freiermuth's fantasy football projections and outlook for the season.

Pat Freiermuth Fantasy Football Projection

(Projections via numberFire)

2023 Projected Points: 122.9 points
numberFire Positional Projection: TE9
2023 Projected Stats:

• 64.2 receptions
• 97.9 targets
• 648.3 receiving yards
• 4.4 receiving TDs

Pat Freiermuth Fantasy Football Outlook

Top-10 TE in Second Year

With question marks heading into the 2022 season at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pat Freiermuth was being drafted outside the top 10 as the TE12. He proved to be a bargain, though, as he finished as the TE8 while missing one game.

Freiermuth finished with 116.7 points, just shy of his 121.7 in his rookie season. The main reason for that was a lack of touchdowns, as the combination of Mitchell Trubisky and rookie Kenny Pickett combined for 11 total -- which Freiermuth caught two of compared to his seven as a rookie.

But the good news is that he finished with the fifth-most targets among tight ends last year with 98, as Pickett looked for him a lot as his security blanket once he took over at the helm.

Freiermuth ultimately had 63 receptions for 732 receiving yards and the previously mentioned two scores. It's nothing to sing and dance about, but if that's the floor -- which it sure felt as though it was -- then Freiermuth could be set up for a far more exciting Year 3 if the improvements of Pickett are anything to be hopeful about.

Playing With the Best QB of His Career?

Yes, Freiermuth did play with Ben Roethlisberger in the first year of career. But, no, that was not the Roethlisberger that's going to go into the NFL Hall of Fame.

What the Steelers had in 2021 was a shell of Big Ben playing quarterback. And what the Steelers had in 2022 was a flat-out bad Trubisky and a rookie with training wheels on in Pickett.

So, to say it's been easy for Freiermuth to get the ball from an above-average quarterback would be an understatement.

But as we've seen in the preseason, Pickett is now looking like the first-round talent that he was drafted as. So far in this preseason, Pickett is 13-for-15 with 199 passing yards and two touchdowns. We know it's the preseason, but he's been getting the ball to the starters, including Freiermuth, who caught a touchdown from Pickett already.

Preseason isn't everything -- sometimes it's barely anything -- but when Pickett looks this good and is taking shots down the field, you take notice. Freiermuth not only has a chance to be a great tight end option, but he could be Pickett's favorite target, too.

Hey, a touchdown in the preseason is already halfway to last season's totals, so there's growing hope here.

Final Verdict: The TE You Want if You Wait

As we mentioned at the beginning, there's nothing easy about selecting a tight end unless you take Kelce.

Nothing feels guaranteed at the position, and many times, you just don't want to spend the draft capital for guys who all may be within 10–20 points of one another while averaging 10 points per week. It's why Freiermuth is the guy to pick.

He's shown in his first two seasons that he clearly has the ability to make plays. If he's able to follow up his first two seasons and put together the good of each (7 TDs in 2021; 732 receiving yards on 63 receptions in 2022), a big season could be in the works -- especially for where he's going in drafts.

numberFire's model has Freiermuth projected for much of the same heading into 2023. They expect him to finish with 122.9 points and finish as the TE9. That point total would be an improvement, and with how this position falls out at the bottom, you'll take the 120-ish points as a floor.

According to FantasyPros' average draft position (ADP) data, Freiermuth is going as the TE9 with an ADP of 85.3 -- a Round 9 selection in 10-man leagues.

If your plan is to fill up on running backs, wide receivers, and even your quarterback then, yeah, taking Freiermuth at this spot works pretty well with the rest of the roster's makeup.

FanDuel best ball leagues are drafting Freiermuth much later than his season-long ADP, as he currently is going as the TE10 -- following David Njoku -- and being drafted at a 139.7 ADP instead.

No matter the format, Freiermuth is coming in as a value who should be the tight end you're going to go out of your way to get if you're waiting on the position. The Steelers' offense is on its way to taking a turn this season, and while there are multiple mouths to feed, Freiermuth has a good rapport with Pickett to get his targets time and time again.

While you wait for Week 1's daily fantasy football slates to lock, you can get in on some best-ball fantasy football drafts on FanDuel, as well. Just draft your team and watch the points pile up throughout the season.

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.