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Contract Terms
According to Adam Schefter, TE Mike Gesicki is signing a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals that could be worth up to $3.25 million.
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Fantasy Football Impact
Gesicki gets another crack at being a starting tight end after playing a backup role in New England last season. The Dolphins drafted him in the 2nd Round of the 2018 draft, and expectations were high. He didn't play much in his rookie season but put together a solid 2019, going for 51 catches, 570 yards, and five touchdowns. That was good for a TE12 fantasy finish.
We saw further improvement in year three, with 53 receptions, 703 yards, and six touchdowns, moving him up to TE7 in fantasy. In 2021, he finished as fantasy's TE8, recording career-highs in targets, catches, and yards. After three consecutive top-10 finishes at a position that fantasy needed superstars, the sky seemed the limit for Gesicki. Enter Mike McDaniel.
In fairness, it wasn't just McDaniel; his offense should have worked out well for Gesicki, and he scored five touchdowns in 2022. However, the additions of Tyreek Hill, Raheem Mostert, and Jeff Wilson made Gesicki more of a luxury than in past years. So, in 2023, he signed a one-year deal with New England and jumped into the complementary role Jonnu Smith held the year before.
In Cincinnati, Gesicki should find a role similar to his early years in Miami. Last year, the Bengals targeted non-Drew Sample tight ends 88 times. Since Zac Taylor took over, the position averages 95 targets per season. If Sample takes 25, that leaves around 70 for Gesicki as a floor. As we saw last year, as many as 90 targets could be up for grabs. With that volume, and assuming he can score five touchdowns, he'll push towards that TE12 slot again and keep himself in the streaming conversation.
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The Fantasy Football Fallout
Honestly, there is not much fallout on either side of this deal. The Bengals came into free agency with no tight ends on their roster. They re-signed Drew Sample, who had minimal impact in 2023. He'll slide into a backup role yet again.
In New England, Gesicki played behind Hunter Henry. He finished the year with 45 targets and put up a stat line similar to Drew Sample in Cincinnati. The Patriots recently added Austin Hooper after re-signing Henry. So, it will be business as usual for the Patriots.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
Overview
After one season in New England, Mike Gesicki is signing a one-year, prove-it deal to play with Joe Burrow and the Bengals. He should be more featured in this offense than he was in the last few years, and it could make him fantasy-relevant once again.
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