Who Should I Start? Mike Gesicki or T.J. Hockenson


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
6.6 0.0 0.0 2.7 27.4 0.2

Mike Gesicki News

Mike Gesicki Sliding Toward Streaming Territory

Friday, August 28, 9:53 AM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki has made enough plays this summer to stay involved, but not enough to strengthen his redraft case. Gesicki caught 28 of 42 targets for 307 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games last season after a pectoral injury cost him four games. He has flashed in camp, including a contested catch during the August 16 two-minute drill, a 17-yard reception and another third-down grab from Joe Burrow on August 18, and a red-zone touchdown against Chicago two days later. The problem is still volume. Cincinnati's current depth chart lists Drew Sample ahead of Gesicki, while Erick All Jr. is back from ACL surgery and Tanner Hudson remains part of a deep rotation. Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown also sit well ahead of the tight ends in the target hierarchy. Gesicki showed he can produce with more opportunity when he caught 65 passes for 665 yards in 2024, but that workload is difficult to project with the offense healthy. RotoBaller currently ranks him TE28, leaving him better suited for matchup-based streaming than a standard redraft roster spot.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
8.4 0.0 0.0 3.8 34.4 0.2

T.J. Hockenson News

T.J. Hockenson Only a Deep-League Waiver Add for Week 1

Tuesday, September 8, 7:15 AM

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson is still sitting on plenty of waiver wires, but that does not make him one of the better Week 1 tight end pickups. He is rostered in only 22% of Yahoo leagues after finishing 2025 with 51 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns on 66 targets in 15 games. Minnesota's offensive-line problems were part of it. Hockenson had to stay in and chip more often, which cut into his routes. There has been at least one encouraging sign this summer, with Hockenson and new starting quarterback Kyler Murray connecting repeatedly in the red zone during camp. The target tree is still crowded with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings, though, and Hockenson has not been a reliable weekly fantasy starter lately. RotoBaller has him at TE22 for Week 1 and lists him as an add in 14-team leagues. That is probably where he belongs. In a standard 10- or 12-team league, there are better streaming bets on the wire.


Mike Gesicki vs. T.J. Hockenson

Still trying to decide between Gesicki and Hockenson? 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 6.6 points this week while T.J. Hockenson is projected to score 8.4 points.