Sit Darnell Washington in Week 2 if you have a real alternative — 3.3 projected points lands 3.7 under the TE starter line.
- Projection
- 3.3 pts
- TE rank
- #40
- Matchup
- at NE
Darnell Washington's fantasy role in Week 2
Darnell Washington goes into Week 2 of the 2026 season as a deep-league TE flyer for the PIT. He is rostered in 1% of leagues and actually started in 0% of them, and we rank him TE40 on our own weekly board at 3.3 projected points.
Roster rates are steady week over week, so his role looks settled rather than in flux.
No injury designation to work around right now, which keeps his projection honest.
Week 2 matchup breakdown
The matchup: at NE. Our Pepper Meter heat rating for this spot is 1 out of 5, which is how we grade the combination of role, projection and opponent difficulty.
Against a typical starting TE baseline of 7 points, his 3.3-point projection is 3.7 points short. That gap is the whole start/sit argument in one number.
How to play it
Sit Darnell Washington in Week 2 if you have a real alternative — 3.3 projected points lands 3.7 under the TE starter line.
If you are deciding between him and another TE, compare projections first, then lean on the Pepper Meter heat rating as the tiebreaker.
Sally's take
Peppers & Picks ranks Darnell Washington (PIT TE), our TE40 this week for Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season at NE, projecting 3.3 projected points with a mild Pepper Meter rating. 3.3 points is roughly 53% short of the TE baseline, and I rank on output, not name recognition. Facing NE away from home, the script reads neutral to friendly, not scary. The Pepper Meter cools him to Mild, and that reading is doing its job.
Tina's take
Peppers & Picks ranks Darnell Washington (PIT TE), our TE40 this week for Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season at NE, projecting 3.3 projected points with a mild Pepper Meter rating. 3.3 points is roughly 53% short of the TE baseline, and I honestly rank on output, not name recognition. Facing NE away from home, the script reads neutral to friendly, not scary. The Pepper Meter cools him to Mild, and that reading is doing its job.