Who Should I Start? Mike Gesicki or Darnell Washington
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 25.1 | 0.2 |
Mike Gesicki News
Wednesday, July 22, 9:32 AM
Across 13 games in 2025, Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki recorded 28 catches for 307 yards and two touchdowns on 42 targets. After a TE13 finish in 2024, Gesicki plummeted to TE41 last season. Entering 2026, Gesicki could play a larger role in the Bengals' offense after the offseason departure of former Cincinnati tight end Noah Fant. However, the 30-year-old's production outlook will likely remain tied to the health of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, as Gesicki's best moments in Cincinnati have often come when Higgins is sidelined by injury. As long as Higgins and fellow superstar Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase are on the field, Gesicki is unlikely to see enough target volume to provide fantasy-relevant production. Still, the veteran tight end could remain a low-cost handcuff option for deep-league dynasty managers to roster for the upcoming season.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.1 | 23.5 | 0.1 |
Darnell Washington News
Tuesday, August 4, 6:38 PM
Pittsburgh Steelers 24-year-old tight end out of Georgia, Darnell Washington, has a massive frame, standing tall at 6'7", 264 lbs., and has shown more involvement in the offense since his rookie campaign, but simply isn't a focal point in this Steelers offense. In 2025, he hauled in 31 of his 43 targets for 364 yards and one touchdown. While his target rate is elite (23.8 percent), his target share (nine percent) is not. He simply isn't seeing the volume and route participation (34 percent) that it takes to be fantasy relevant. 27-year-old Pat Freiermuth projects to be the team's starting tight end and has been involved in the offense much more than Washington, as they've spent the last three seasons on the same team. Additionally, the Steelers brought in Michael Pittman over from Indianapolis, which should only make it more difficult for Washington to see an increase in target share. Fantasy managers will want to look elsewhere at the tight end position when drafting in both dynasty and redraft formats.
Mike Gesicki vs. Darnell Washington
Still trying to decide between Gesicki and Washington? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Mike Gesicki is projected to score 6.0 points this week while Darnell Washington is projected to score 5.3 points.
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