DarnellWashington

News: 6 days agoWashington caught four of six targets for 25 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 26-19 overtime win over the Bucs.

Spin: The Steelers entered the fourth quarter trailing 16-3, but Washington sparked the comeback with a five-yard touchdown to make it 16-10. It was the big tight end's second touchdown of the season, and he's now recorded 15 grabs for 156 yards and the two scores on 22 targets through six games. He's on pace for a career year in the receiving department and is a preferred target of Aaron Rodgers near the goal line due to his sheer size advantage.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Though he never quite made it onto the fantasy radar, Washington was one of the most fun, surprising "breakout" players of 2025. Essentially an extension of the offensive line at 6-foot-6, 264 pounds, Washington is known mainly for his blocking. Still, the 2023 third-round pick played well enough that he was stealing snaps and targets from both Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth. Washington never cleared six targets or 10.7 fantasy points in any game, but he was effective with the ball in his hands and averaged 8.5 yards per target. Though Smith has been released, Pittsburgh's offense is no longer being led by TE superfan Arthur Smith, which is likely to lead to a lesser role for Washington. Expect him to operate as a rarely targeted blocking complement to Freiermuth.