Who Should I Start? Mike Gesicki or Sam LaPorta

Wednesday, November 12, 2:26 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki (pectoral) has been making positive progress in his recovery from a pectoral injury suffered in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. Gesicki was placed on Injured Reserve following that game and is now entering the fourth game he was required to miss on IR, but should have a good chance of returning in Week 12 versus the Patriots. The 30-year-old was having a quiet start to the year before going down, catching eight of 16 targets for 61 yards in six games. Noah Fant has mostly filled in as the Bengals' tight end with Gesicki sidelined, and he's been a solid contributor, recording 13 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns since Week 6. Fant will again be a low-end streaming option for fantasy managers in Week 11 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Friday, November 14, 4:01 PM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) has officially been ruled out for his team's Week 11 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles due to a back injury. The exact nature of LaPorta's back injury is unclear, but it prevented him from logging a single practice this week. It's a frustrating development for fantasy managers, as LaPorta has been playing some of his best football of late. Over his last five games, LaPorta has recorded 24 catches for 312 yards and three touchdowns on 28 targets. Without him, veteran tight end Brock Wright (ankle) will likely see the majority of the tight end snaps for Detroit. Wright is listed as questionable for Week 11 due to an ankle injury, but is expected to play. Still, Wright does not profile as a fantasy-relevant tight end even without LaPorta in the lineup. Lions wideouts Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, as well as running back Jahmyr Gibbs, are the most likely players to benefit from LaPorta's absence from a target volume perspective.