Seahawks tight end AJ Barner gets Week 7 fantasy start call after Arroyo injury
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The gist
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner has 15 catches for 138 yards and no touchdowns in six games.
With Elijah Arroyo on IR, Barner's role against Kansas City is the fantasy question.
Background
AJ Barner is a Seattle Seahawks tight end (#88, 6'6", 251 lbs) drafted in the fourth round in 2024 out of Michigan. His 2026 output — 15 receptions for 138 yards and zero touchdowns in six games — is well behind 2025, when he had 52 catches for 519 yards and six touchdowns. Seattle placed fellow tight end Elijah Arroyo on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, and head coach Mike Macdonald indicated Arroyo will be sidelined for quite some time, so the team needs more from Barner.
How it unfolded
- 2024Barner is drafted in the fourth round by the Seattle Seahawks.
- 2025He records 52 catches for 519 yards and a career-high six touchdowns.
- Oct 15, 2026He has 16 yards on three receptions in a 14-17 loss to Denver.
- Oct 20, 2026Seattle places tight end Elijah Arroyo on injured reserve after a shoulder injury; the team adds veteran tight end Josiah Deguara to the practice squad.
- Oct 22, 2026FantasyPros' Derek Brown notes Barner has not reached double-digit PPR points in any game this season.
- Oct 23, 2026Barner is ranked outside the top 25 tight ends for Week 7.
- Oct 25, 2026Seahawks Wire's Matt Legros lists Barner as a tight end to start in fantasy for Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Seahawks Wire's Matt Legros calls Barner a start in Week 7, saying his passing-game role could pay off against a Chiefs defense that has not been the most formidable against tight ends.
- Analysts
- FantasyPros' Derek Brown notes Barner has no double-digit PPR games this season but puts him on the streaming radar with an 11.6% target share and five red zone targets.
- Caution
- Barner was ranked outside the top 25 tight ends for Week 7, and Legros still calls him a speculative fantasy play.
Still unverified
A Facebook video argues Barner, originally drafted as a blocking specialist, is becoming a complete tight end who will rank in the NFL's top five next season; an Instagram reel says he has become a vital, multi-dimensional weapon for Seattle.