TE · CIN · GWTTKB

Mike Gesicki — fantasy football 2026

Every game, every stat category, and what the board says. 5.89 points per game in 2025, an ADP of 170.4, usage worth 6.4.

30 years old · 8 seasons of experience · 2018 draft class

Updated 2026-08-16 · free, no account, no paywall
Every figure below comes from our database. Where a stat is not held, the row is absent rather than zero.
ADP 170.4
Consensus across 1 books, 0 picks between cheapest and priciest. Cheapest on underdog, priciest on espn.
ESPN170.4
UNDERDOG209.4
FFA204

Draft-room facts

Goes aroundRound 15, pick 2 in a 12-team draft
Positional rankTE68

What we project for 2026

Our board has him at 88.5 points, 5.8 per game — 34 catches, 359 yards, 3.1 TDs. That is TE5, 200 overall.

The range runs from a floor of 3.7 points per game to a ceiling of 9.6, with the median at 5.8. Boom rate 66%, bust rate 36%. The spread is the actual bet, not the middle number.

He goes at 170.4 on consensus and our board has him 200. We rank him 29.6 picks worse than the room drafts him. At that distance it is a fade: we do not want him anywhere near his ADP.

The offense he plays in, 2026

Cincinnati Bengals returns 6 of 6 continuity slots — the whole offense is intact. Joe Burrow at quarterback, Zac Taylor as head coach, Dan Pitcher calling it. The offense projects to 36.4 pass attempts a game at high confidence and 23.6 rushes.

In: Colbie Young (wr4), Mitch Tinsley (wr5), Kendric Pryor (wr7). Out: Mitchell Tinsley (wr4), Noah Fant (te2).

His own projected target share for 2026 is 9.6%, with a bear case of 8.5% and a bull case of 10.6% and a full range of 6.1% to 11.9%. That comes from 25 historical comparables, not from a depth chart.

The projected target split across the offense:

Ja'Marr Chase26.9%
Tee Higgins19.4%
Chase Brown11.8%
Mike Gesicki 9.6%
Andrei Iosivas9.1%
Colbie Young6%

Our written view on this offense in 2026

Key additions: Retain G Dalton Risner & OT Orlando Brown Jr. Added C Connor Lew in the 4th round from Auburn & WR Colbie Young from Georgia in the 4th round.

Key departures: No key departures

Notes: Burrow and the Bengals look to get back on track & healthy for the 2026 season. Chase & Higgins are set to have fantastic years if the team is healthy. Chase Brown should see his fantasy value stay high in 2026 with Burrow back but it remains to be seen if he is the long term RB solution for Cincinatti. TE play does not typically produce consistent fantasy relevance. Bengals have added heavily on defense this offseason & should be more competitive. Worth note, if the Bengals do not play well this season HC Zac Taylor is going to be fired.

How the volume number was reached: Same QB Joe Burrow returning — anchor to 2025 actuals (37.7 att/g); Regressed 30% toward league mean 33.5, floored at 30 → 36.4 att/g.

How that share projection was built

25 historical comps for TEs age ~29, prior share 11.1%, same team, OC continuity. Distribution: median 9.3%, p25-p75 [6.1%, 11.4%], tails [0.0%, 14.9%]. Closest comps: Mike Gesicki 2024→2025 (CIN: 11.5%→10.3%); Tyler Eifert 2020→2021 (JAX: 12.0%→0.0%); Richard Rodgers 2020→2021 (PHI: 10.5%→5.9%). Adjustment: -3% from mixed_decline (conflicting signals)

self-anchored 58% to own 11.1% role (3yr), 42% to comp median 9.3%

The named comps are the closest historical matches and the arrow is what their share actually did the following season. That is the working, not a summary of it — if you disagree with the projection, this is the part to argue with.

Offensive environment: CIN rates 25.8 against a league average of 23, 2.9 points above it on opponent-adjusted least squares (multi-capture merge).

2026 schedule

Opponent-adjusted pass defense faced, against 2025 ratings. Positive is an easier slate.

Full season+3.3 · easier
Weeks 1–6+4.3 · easier
Weeks 12–17-3.9 · harder
Fantasy playoffs (15–17)+3.5 · easier

Read this narrowly. Our own testing found that season-long strength of schedule does not survive as a draft input — defensive quality is among the least stable team properties year to year, and a preseason slate is built on last year's identities. The playoff-weeks column is the only one we would let break a tie, and even then it is a tiebreaker rather than a reason. The finding.

Dynasty context not redraft

Everything in this section is about his dynasty trade value — what he is worth as a long-term asset in the trade market. It is not a forecast of his 2026 fantasy scoring. A player can be a fine redraft pick while his dynasty value falls, and the reverse. The redraft read is above; this is a different question with a different answer.

Where he sits in the dynasty value cycle

His dynasty value has moved -4.4% over the last twelve months. The market cycle classifies him as stable.

For context on how long this lasts at the position: the average career at his position produces 1.3 elite seasons and 2.3 startable seasons.

The five most similar seasons, and what their dynasty value did next

Matched on production profile — production-driven (pedigree ignored). The last column is how that player’s dynasty value moved the following year — a market outcome, not a scoring one.

PlayerSeasonTheir PPGSimilarityNext year
Austin Hooper20246.463%-14.1%
Gerald Everett20237.458%-55.8%
Austin Hooper2023356%+46.1%
Noah Fant20247.455%-10.7%
Hayden Hurst20242.255%-39.9%

Of the 5 with a following season on record, 1 gained value, 4 lost it and 0 held roughly flat.

Four years of dynasty value

02,0004,000202120222023202420252026
Monthly superflex value, 2020-04 to 2026-07. Down 44% across the series, peaking at 4,065.

The player

Draft capital and athletic profile

Drafted2018, round 2, pick 42 by MIA
CollegePenn St.
Age at draft22
Height6′5″
Weight247 lb
40-yard dash4.54s
Vertical41.5″
Broad jump129″
3-cone6.76s
Shuttle4.1s

Availability and volatility

Career PPR per game7.6
Week-to-week variation0.9
Boom rate20.3%
Bust rate25.7%
Games missed per season0.2
Injury historyPectoral
Correlation between his posted line and his actual score-0.08

That correlation is how closely the books’ posted line tracked what he actually scored, week to week. A higher number means the market has him figured out and there is less to exploit; a lower one means his weeks are harder to price.

Injury type matters more than games missed. Measured across our injury database, knee and foot returns stay below a player’s pre-injury baseline for all three of the first games back, while hamstring returns over-recover by the third.

The record, season by season

2025 · CIN · 12 games

His best game was Week 14 against BUF — 20.6 PPR on 6 targets and a 16.7% target share, in a game that finished 34-39. His worst was Week 3 against MIN at 1.6, on 3 targets, final score 10-48. Across 12 games he cleared 20 points 1 time and came in under 8 points 10 times. In the 5 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 7.7; in the 7 decided by more, 4.6. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 6.4 points per game. He scored 5.89, 7.3% below it. The engine classified the season as neutral.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
1CLE17-162.41314013%31%
2JAX31-274.8341809.3%52%
3MIN10-481.6136011.5%30%
4DEN3-281.811804.5%56%
5DET24-373.52515012.5%50%
12NE20-267.54635017.6%43%
13BAL32-143.9241909.1%28%
14BUF34-3920.66686116.7%42%
15BAL0-242.1121105.6%57%
16MIA45-2112.53435112.9%48%
17ARI37-146.7224706.1%23%
18CLE18-203.3221305.3%38%

Production

Receptions28
Targets42
Receiving yards307
Touchdowns2
Points per game5.89
Yards per target7.31
Catch rate66.67%

Role

Snap share41.5%
Target share10.34%
Air-yards share13.12%
WOPR0.248
RACR0.813

Efficiency

Average depth of target10
Yards after catch per reception2.3
Yards before catch per reception8.7
Total YAC63
Broken tackles0
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted74.2
Receiving EPA per game0.37

Scoring position

Red-zone targets7
Red-zone target share8.9%
End-zone target share14.3%
Expected receiving TDs2.25
Actual receiving TDs2
Receiving TD luck-0.25

Who else ate

The offense threw it 640 times. He took 6.92% of the targets. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Ja'Marr Chase30.48%
Tee Higgins16.14%
Chase Brown14.5%
Andrei Iosivas9.56%
Mike Gesicki 6.92%
Noah Fant6.75%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 3 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Joe Burrow7237.369.789.81%
Jake Browning4132.933.629.45%
Joe Flacco167.55.8317.6%

Blowouts against close games

6 of his 12 games were blowouts, 40.5% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 4.77 in those and 7.72 in close games — his scoring did not depend on garbage time.

2024 · CIN · 16 games

His best game was Week 9 against LV — 27 PPR on 6 targets and a 16.2% target share, in a game that finished 41-24. His worst was Week 11 against LAC at 0, on 2 targets, final score 27-34. Across 16 games he cleared 20 points 1 time and came in under 8 points 9 times. In the 11 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 8.4; in the 5 decided by more, 9.9. He scored more when the game was not close.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 9.2 points per game. He scored 8.84, 3.7% below it. The engine classified the season as neutral. On receiving touchdowns specifically he finished 1 against 2.43 expected, a gap of -1.4.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
1NE10-164.83418013.8%35%
2KC25-2616.17991026.5%47%
3WAS33-388.74547013.2%50%
4CAR34-240.111-903.3%33%
5BAL38-415.1223105.1%43%
7CLE21-141.211204.2%31%
8PHI17-3712.37873022.2%53%
9LV41-242756100216.2%36%
10BAL34-3574930016.7%71%
11LAC27-34002004.3%62%
13PIT38-4410.35553013.5%44%
14DAL27-205.4332407%28%
15TEN37-276.73437011.4%32%
16CLE24-63.4221407.1%34%
17DEN30-2418.6101286024.5%57%
18PIT19-1714.881068021.7%69%

Production

Receptions65
Targets83
Receiving yards665
Touchdowns2
Points per game8.84
Yards per target8.01
Catch rate78.31%

Role

Snap share45.31%
Target share13.17%
Air-yards share14.53%
WOPR0.3
RACR0.856

Efficiency

Average depth of target7.4
Yards after catch per reception3.8
Yards before catch per reception6.5
Total YAC245
Broken tackles0
Drop rate0.1%
Passer rating when targeted108.1
Receiving EPA per game2.11

Scoring position

Red-zone targets10
Red-zone target share8.3%
End-zone target share8.8%
Expected receiving TDs2.43
Actual receiving TDs1
Receiving TD luck-1.43

Where that ranked

Against everyone in the 80+ targets pool that season:

Points per game11 of 13
Yards per target3 of 13
Target share13 of 13
Air-yards share10 of 13

Who else ate

The offense threw it 652 times. He took 13.24% of the targets. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Ja'Marr Chase27.91%
Tee Higgins17.38%
Mike Gesicki 13.24%
Chase Brown10.37%
Andrei Iosivas9.73%
Zack Moss4.31%

Blowouts against close games

3 of his 16 games were blowouts, 30.2% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 14.23 in those and 8.36 in close games — a meaningful share of his scoring came with the game already decided.

2023 · NE · 15 games

His best game was Week 16 against DEN — 9.5 PPR on 2 targets and a 6.5% target share, in a game that finished 26-23. His worst was Week 12 against NYG at 0, on 2 targets, final score 7-10. Across 15 games he cleared 20 points 0 times and came in under 8 points 12 times. In the 10 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 5.3; in the 5 decided by more, 2.4. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 5.2 points per game. He scored 4.36, 15.9% below it. The engine classified the season as unlucky.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
1PHI20-256.6333605.6%41%
2MIA17-248.35633014.3%72%
3NYJ15-102.8111803.7%47%
4DAL3-382.21312010.3%60%
5NO0-343.72417012.9%30%
6LV17-215.8332809.7%60%
7BUF29-258.522516.7%50%
8MIA17-313.12311010.7%28%
9WAS17-20002004.7%86%
10IND6-104.22322011.5%67%
12NYG7-10002005.7%26%
15KC17-271.712706.5%40%
16DEN26-239.5221516.5%66%
17BUF21-277.54635025%68%
18NYJ3-171.5135010.3%72%

Production

Receptions29
Targets45
Receiving yards244
Touchdowns2
Points per game4.36
Yards per target5.42
Catch rate64.44%

Role

Snap share54.2%
Target share9.61%
Air-yards share10.62%
WOPR0.217
RACR0.826

Efficiency

Average depth of target8.3
Yards after catch per reception3.3
Yards before catch per reception5.1
Total YAC96
Broken tackles0
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted74.7
Receiving EPA per game-0.21

Scoring position

Red-zone targets6
Red-zone target share15%
End-zone target share25%
Expected receiving TDs1.29
Actual receiving TDs2
Receiving TD luck0.71

Who else ate

The offense threw it 557 times. 0 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Demario Douglas14.6%
Ezekiel Elliott12.01%
Hunter Henry11.28%
DeVante Parker10.17%
Kendrick Bourne10.17%
Rhamondre Stevenson9.43%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 2 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Mac Jones11324.115.698.71%
Bailey Zappe4135.054.7712.07%

Blowouts against close games

2 of his 15 games were blowouts, 9% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 2.95 in those and 5.32 in close games — his scoring did not depend on garbage time.

2022 · MIA · 17 games

His best game was Week 6 against MIN — 24.9 PPR on 7 targets and a 15.6% target share, in a game that finished 16-24. His worst was Week 14 against LAC at 0, on 2 targets, final score 17-23. Across 17 games he cleared 20 points 1 time and came in under 8 points 12 times. In the 11 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 7.6; in the 6 decided by more, 2.4. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 5.6 points per game. He scored 5.78, 6.1% above it. The engine classified the season as neutral. On receiving touchdowns specifically he finished 6 against 3.92 expected, a gap of 2.1.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
1NE20-71.111103.2%42%
2BAL42-3814.1444118%62%
3BUF21-191.611605%40%
4CIN15-274.32423011.1%44%
5NYJ17-404123006.3%54%
6MIN16-2424.96769215.6%64%
7PIT16-105.73727020%61%
8DET31-2712.83438111.8%46%
9CHI35-321.312306.9%49%
10CLE39-175.1233109.1%46%
12HOU30-15001002.6%54%
13SF17-33001002.9%20%
14LAC17-23002008.3%39%
15BUF29-321.511503.3%20%
16GB20-263.4122408.3%24%
17NE21-239.82418110%42%
18NYJ11-68.64646022.2%38%

Production

Receptions32
Targets52
Receiving yards362
Touchdowns5
Points per game5.78
Yards per target6.96
Catch rate61.54%

Role

Snap share43.82%
Target share9.09%
Air-yards share9.42%
WOPR0.203
RACR0.614

Efficiency

Average depth of target9.4
Yards after catch per reception3
Yards before catch per reception8.3
Total YAC97
Broken tackles1
Drop rate0.1%
Passer rating when targeted98.4
Receiving EPA per game0.12

Scoring position

Red-zone targets14
Red-zone target share20.6%
End-zone target share32.1%
Expected receiving TDs3.92
Actual receiving TDs6
Receiving TD luck2.08

Who else ate

The offense threw it 584 times. He took 9.65% of the targets. 2 team-mates cleared the competing-target threshold.

Tyreek Hill31.54%
Jaylen Waddle21.71%
Mike Gesicki 9.65%
Trent Sherfield9.46%
Raheem Mostert7.79%
Jeffery Wilson4.45%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 3 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Tua Tagovailoa12293.886.077.45%
Skylar Thompson3127.477.8312.83%
Teddy Bridgewater21114.68.3613.35%

Blowouts against close games

2 of his 17 games were blowouts, 9.3% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 4.55 in those and 7.61 in close games — his scoring did not depend on garbage time.

2021 · MIA · 17 games

His best game was Week 7 against ATL — 21.5 PPR on 8 targets and a 20% target share, in a game that finished 28-30. His worst was Week 10 against BAL at 0, on 7 targets, final score 22-10. Across 17 games he cleared 20 points 1 time and came in under 8 points 6 times. In the 7 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 12.6; in the 10 decided by more, 7.7. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 11.5 points per game. He scored 9.71, 15.6% below it. The engine classified the season as unlucky.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
1NE17-160030011.1%39%
2BUF0-357.13641014.3%64%
3LV28-3118.6101286025.5%66%
4IND17-2716.75657120%69%
5TB17-458.34743017.9%78%
6JAX20-2319.589115019.1%70%
7ATL28-3021.57885120%82%
8BUF11-269.83448011.1%97%
9HOU17-99.44854020%79%
10BAL22-100070020.6%81%
11NYJ24-17105650017.6%71%
12CAR33-104.7331709.7%80%
13NYG20-911.671146026.8%67%
15NYJ31-249.35843030.8%63%
16NO20-35.23422015.4%75%
17TEN3-349.14751018.4%76%
18NE33-244.22322014.3%57%

Production

Receptions73
Targets112
Receiving yards780
Touchdowns2
Points per game9.71
Yards per target6.96
Catch rate65.18%

Role

Snap share71.41%
Target share18.39%
Air-yards share22.48%
WOPR0.433
RACR0.858

Efficiency

Average depth of target9.3
Yards after catch per reception3
Yards before catch per reception7.7
Total YAC221
Broken tackles1
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted80.2
Receiving EPA per game1.11

Scoring position

Red-zone targets11
Red-zone target share13.9%
End-zone target share14.3%
Expected receiving TDs2.51
Actual receiving TDs2
Receiving TD luck-0.51

Where that ranked

Against everyone in the 80+ targets pool that season:

Points per game12 of 15
Yards per target9 of 15
Target share8 of 15
Air-yards share5 of 15

Who else ate

The offense threw it 615 times. He took 18.73% of the targets. 1 team-mate cleared the competing-target threshold.

Jaylen Waddle23.41%
Mike Gesicki 18.73%
DeVante Parker12.21%
Myles Gaskin10.54%
Durham Smythe6.86%
Albert Wilson6.52%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 2 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Tua Tagovailoa11669.547.5617.66%
Jacoby Brissett64610.026.1119.72%

Blowouts against close games

5 of his 17 games were blowouts, 20.9% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 6.88 in those and 12.61 in close games — his scoring did not depend on garbage time.

2020 · MIA · 15 games

His best game was Week 2 against BUF — 27 PPR on 11 targets and a 23.9% target share, in a game that finished 28-31. His worst was Week 6 against NYJ at 0, on 2 targets, final score 24-0. Across 15 games he cleared 20 points 3 times and came in under 8 points 6 times. In the 7 games decided by 8 points or fewer he averaged 12; in the 8 decided by more, 9.4. He scored more when the game was live.

Earned against scored

His usage that season was worth 10 points per game. He scored 10.62, 6% above it. The engine classified the season as neutral.

WkOppScorePPRRecTgtYdsTDTgt%Snap%
1NE11-2163530016.7%73%
2BUF28-3127811130123.9%55%
3JAX31-138.51315115%49%
4SEA23-312.5131506.7%63%
5SF43-1714.15691022.2%45%
6NYJ24-0002006.9%66%
8LA28-171.812809.1%57%
9ARI34-317.23442015.4%70%
10LAC29-2162540020.8%48%
11DEN13-208.34543013.5%66%
12NYJ20-311.52535112.8%70%
13CIN19-723.891188128.9%70%
14KC27-3323.55665213%52%
16LV26-259.44754020.6%71%
17BUF26-569.751047016.9%77%

Production

Receptions53
Targets85
Receiving yards703
Touchdowns6
Points per game10.62
Yards per target8.27
Catch rate62.35%

Role

Snap share62.13%
Target share16.16%
Air-yards share23.53%
WOPR0.409
RACR0.701

Efficiency

Average depth of target11.1
Yards after catch per reception3.2
Yards before catch per reception10.1
Total YAC167
Broken tackles0
Drop rate0%
Passer rating when targeted97.3
Receiving EPA per game1.36

Scoring position

Red-zone targets16
Red-zone target share22.9%
End-zone target share29.7%
Expected receiving TDs4.58
Actual receiving TDs5
Receiving TD luck0.42

Where that ranked

Against everyone in the 80+ targets pool that season:

Points per game7 of 12
Yards per target2 of 12
Target share9 of 12
Air-yards share4 of 12

Who else ate

The offense threw it 559 times. He took 15.63% of the targets. 1 team-mate cleared the competing-target threshold.

DeVante Parker18.93%
Mike Gesicki 15.63%
Jakeem Grant9.93%
Myles Gaskin8.64%
Isaiah Ford8.09%
Lynn Bowden6.8%

By quarterback

He caught passes from 2 quarterbacks that season, and the splits are not close.

QBGamesTargetsPPGY/TTgt%
Tua Tagovailoa85011.217.7417.27%
Ryan Fitzpatrick7359.949.0314.89%

Blowouts against close games

5 of his 15 games were blowouts, 27.5% of his snaps coming in them. He averaged 8.76 in those and 11.99 in close games — his scoring did not depend on garbage time.

Ask the Coach about Mike Gesicki →
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