Analyze Aj Barner's matchup for week 9
Barner has scored on 4-of-5 red-zone looks this year and faces a Washington defense that just gave up 122 yards and a TD to KC tight ends; start him as a high-floor TE stream.
Washington enters Monday night ranked 15th in TE fantasy points allowed (8.0 per game) but is trending down after Travis Kelce and Noah Gray combined for 122 yards and a score last week. Barner’s 80% red-zone TD rate and 86% snap share give him a clear path to another end-zone look in a game Seattle is expected to move the ball.
Barner is riding a four-game TD streak, converting 4-of-5 red-zone targets while averaging 3.6 catches and 42 yards over his last five outings.
Barner’s transformation from blocking specialist to red-zone weapon is the story of Seattle’s 2025 offense. The second-year tight end plays 86% of snaps yet sees only 4-6 targets per game, but his 80% conversion rate inside the 20 makes every look a potential six points. Washington’s linebackers and safeties struggled to match Kelce’s physicality last week, and Barner wins similarly with size and timing routes. Seattle comes off a bye with extra time to script specific packages for him near the goal-line, and the Monday night spotlight historically leads to heavier usage of reliable veterans. Expect another 4-5 targets, one inside the 10, and a better-than-50% chance he punches in his fifth score of the year.