Fully healthy after offseason procedures, AJ Barner enters 2026 coming off a 52-catch campaign backed by a 17.1% Target Rate and a 15.0% Target Share. Seattle’s shift toward two-tight-end sets under new coordinator Brian Fleury expands route participation for Elijah Arroyo while keeping both tight ends on the field.
Commanding short-yardage rushing usage and red zone touchdown equity, Barner has the edge over Arroyo in this upgraded Seattle offense. Barner is the perfect late-round tight end target in fantasy football TE premium league formats.
The Seattle Seahawks' new-look offense is expected to ...
Although Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner is expected ...
A second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks ...
Despite being selected with No. 50 overall draft capital, Elijah Arroyo remains trapped behind AJ Barner on the depth chart after a pre-draft knee injury dampened his rookie campaign.
With a low TE39 Average Draft Position, Arroyo must battle just for designed touches while Barner commands the primary tight end role. We will continue to track training camp reps, but Arroyo is merely an upside dynasty league stash until he earns meaningful target share, which is unlikely in Seattle’s run-first scheme.
The Seattle Seahawks are preparing to heavily deploy pre-snap motion under new play-caller Nick Fleury, a strategic shift that added an average of 0.25 yards per play across the league last season. This versatile alignment directly impacts tight ends AJ Barner, who earned a 15.0-percent target share in 2025, and Elijah Arroyo, who posted a 16.9 college yards per reception on his way to be drafted in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
While it remains uncertain how frequently quarterback Sam Darnold target tight ends, the schematic change elevates the overall fantasy ceiling for this entire passing offense. Under Fleury, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed should enjoy more clean releases, and Arroyo will likely see a significantly higher snap share and route participation rate per PlayerProfiler.
The Seattle Seahawks took tight end Elijah Arroyo with the 50th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft but the rookie has made a minimal impact this year. Arroyo has failed to garner much of playing time behind veteran AJ Barner.
Arroyo finished the season with 15 receptions for 179 yards and one touchdown playing sparingly behind Barner. Arroyo did have some flashes, he caught four passes for 42 yards in week seven and followed that up in week 8 by scoring his only touchdown on the year.
Arroyo will try to put an exclamation point on his season by making an impact in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. Despite the underwhelming season Arroyo will be given the opportunity to prove himself next year based on his draft status alone.
Author: David Leonard Jr. (@RealDelcoDave)
After agreeing to terms on a deal with rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo the Seattle Seahawks have cut ties with veteran tight end Noah Fant. Fant was due $8.5 million in non guaranteed money for the 2025 season.
Fant’s release gives Arroyo a clear path to playing time and a substantial role in the Seattle offense. Fant, a former 1st round selection by the Denver Broncos, is 27 years old and is likely to find an opportunity with another team during training camp.
With Arroyo’s main competition for snaps gone expect to see a rise in his adp, most expected Arroyo to be the featured tight end already but the clarity will push him up draft boards even if just slightly. Fant was already only a late round dart throw and now will probably begin going undrafted until he signs with a new team.
Author: David Leonard (@RealDelcoDave)
Tight end Elijah Arroyo became the latest second-round pick to sign his rookie deal, just hours after the Seahawks signed fellow second-rounder, safety Nick Emmanwori. Arroyo — the 50th overall pick — secured 78% of his contract in guarantees, a significant jump from the 68% guaranteed to last year’s 50th overall selection.
Arroyo is an explosive playmaker, with 34% of his 2024 catches going for 20 yards or more, and he led all FBS tight ends with 9.1 yards after the catch per reception. He also boasts strong hands, having recorded just one drop in his college career.
He enters a favorable system under new OC Klint Kubiak, who deploys tight ends and fullbacks at league-high rates—condensing the target tree and creating more opportunities for athletic playmakers like Arroyo. HC Mike Macdonald has already floated the idea of using him at X receiver, with DK Metcalf gone and neither Cooper Kupp nor Jaxon Smith-Njigba profiling for that role.
Arroyo will compete with holdover TE Noah Fant for early snaps, though Fant is a rumored cut candidate who would save Seattle $8.5 million in cap space. Now under contract and set to report for training camp, Arroyo is a worthwhile flier at his current Round 18 ADP on Underdog.
Author: Pat Mitchell(@PatMitchellFF)
