Is AJ Barner playing this week?
No injury designationAJ Barner has no injury designation on the latest injury reports for the week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kickoff: Sun, Oct 4 · 4:25 PM ET.
Checked Oct 3, 7:37 PM ET against the ESPN injury report and the NFL's official weekly report (via nflverse). Injury news can change up to kickoff, so confirm with the team close to game time.
Ask StatGrades about AJ Barner
Ask your own questionOur numbers plus what they can't show: injuries around him, role changes, weather, rest and travel, line moves and the latest reporting, all linked.
Fantasy football · Week 4
Our own start/sit calls for every player, with a projected score, the range of likely outcomes and the reasons spelled out. Built from usage, matchup, Vegas lines and injuries. How we rank
Bench. LAC's defense has allowed 19% fewer points to TEs than the league average.
Why we say bench
- Projected 5.9 points, #18 among TEs this week, 0.4 points behind #16, the last one we'd start.
- LAC's defense has allowed 19% fewer points to TEs than the league average.
- Averaging 4 targets a game.
- Played 91% of the offense's snaps last game.
Recent form
Dashed line: the usual 6.4 a game
This week's matchup
- Expected team score
- ~25 pts
- Vegas line
- SEA favored by 7
- Game total
- 42.5
- LAC vs TEs
- 19% fewer points
- Last game snaps
- 91%
All week 4 tight end rankings →Start or sit tool →How our past calls did →
Age
24
Height
6'6"
Weight
251 lb
College
Michigan; Indiana
Experience
2 seasons
Draft
2024 · Pick #121 (SEA)
Status
ACT
Grade Breakdown
What do these mean?Why 2.1?
Barner's grade is last among the 24 qualifying tight ends, almost entirely because of expected points per target. One game and 12 targets is a small sample, so a single play can swing it, and a costly interception hurt a lot.
Holding it back
- EPA per target was -0.645 expected points per play, 24th of 24, which pulled the grade down a lot.
- Week 3 vs WAS, Q4 2nd and 15: Darnold's pass intended for Barner was intercepted by Medrano and returned for a touchdown (-8.7 expected points).
- Week 3 vs WAS, Q2 4th and 2: a pass to Barner fell incomplete (-3.1 expected points).
Written by StatGrades AI from this season's play-by-play through week 3. It explains what happened; a grade isn't a forecast (what grades do and don't predict).
EPA / play
-0.582
Success rate
50%
WPA (sum)
-0.22
Opponent adj.
-0.062
Plays graded
12
Advanced stats
2026 season through Week 3 · tracking data from NFL Next Gen StatsWhat do these mean?
- Separation:
- Average distance from the nearest defender at the moment of the catch.
- Cushion:
- Average distance from the nearest defender at the snap.
- YAC above exp:
- Yards after catch above what the situation would be expected to produce.
- YAC / rec:
- Average yards after the catch per reception.
- Expected YAC:
- Expected yards after the catch, based on tracking data.
- Air yards share:
- Share of the team's intended air yards that were thrown toward this player.
- Intended air yds:
- Average depth of the targets thrown his way.
- Catch %:
- Receptions divided by targets.
Next Gen Stats data via nflverse (CC BY 4.0). Updated after games are final, not live, and covers QB, RB, WR and TE.