Who Should I Start? Mike Gesicki or Jake Ferguson


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

Mike Gesicki Faces Uncertain Role Entering 2026

Friday, August 7, 6:15 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki enters his ninth NFL season facing more competition for targets than in any previous year. In 2025, Gesicki had just 28 receptions for 307 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games, finishing as the TE40 in half-PPR formats. Now, with wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins set to dominate the target share, and other playmakers, including running back Chase Brown and wideout Andrei Iosivas, handling secondary roles, Gesicki is facing limited targets despite an elite quarterback in Joe Burrow. However, he's unlikely to have a high snap count in 2026, as tight ends Drew Sample (58%) and former Bengal Noah Fant (38%) each played more snaps than Gesicki in 2025. With young player Erick All Jr. standing out in training camp as well, Gesicki could be a much smaller factor than he's been in his first two seasons in Cincinnati.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
9.8 0.0 0.0 4.2 34.8 0.3

Jake Ferguson News

Jake Ferguson's Red-Zone Role Keeps Him in the TE1 Mix

Saturday, August 8, 12:06 PM

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was one of Dak Prescott's favorite options near the goal line last season, and that still gives him a path to TE1 value. Ferguson caught a career-high 82 passes for 600 yards and eight touchdowns on 102 targets, finishing TE7 in half-PPR. He also drew 23 red-zone targets, catching 14 of them for seven scores. The problem is that Dallas has plenty of mouths to feed. CeeDee Lamb is healthy, George Pickens is coming off a huge season, and Ferguson averaged only 7.3 yards per catch in 2025. He is not the kind of tight end who can live on a handful of deep shots if the volume falls. The good news is that his job is secure, and the connection with Prescott has looked sharp again in camp. RotoBaller has Ferguson 129th overall and TE14 in its August 8 half-PPR rankings. That price reflects the risk without burying a player who just finished inside the top eight. Ferguson is better viewed as a borderline TE1 than someone fantasy managers need to chase.


Mike Gesicki vs. Jake Ferguson

Still trying to decide between Gesicki and Ferguson? 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 Jake Ferguson is projected to score 9.8 points.