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

Wednesday, June 19, 12:35 AM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki "shifted all around the line of scrimmage" during offseason programs, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. Several playmakers within Cincinnati's offense had their versatility on display recently and Gesicki was no exception. The 28-year-old is coming off a 29-catch, 244-yard, and two-touchdown season in New England where he operated behind Hunter Henry. He's due for increased volume in 2024 given that he projects as the Bengals' No. 1 tight end. A versatile skill set would allow him to get on the field even more, and it seems like the Bengals will explore using Gesicki in a variety of ways. It's too early to let this impact his fantasy stock, but he could flirt with the low-end TE2 tier this season.

Monday, July 22, 2:07 PM

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) will start training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, according to head coach Kevin O'Connell. It's not a surprise, although O'Connell said Hockenson is "well ahead of schedule" with his rehab from ACL surgery in late January. The 27-year-old tight end tore his ACL at the end of last season and is doubtful to be ready for Week 1 of the 2024 campaign despite being ahead of scheduled this offseason. In addition to coming off a major injury, Hockenson will be more of a fantasy question mark now that he's going from quarterback Kirk Cousins to a potential mixture of Sam Darnold and rookie first-rounder J.J. McCarthy this season. Even when Hockenson does return to the field in the regular season, he's likely to be eased in, so he should be considered more of a high-end TE2 stash in fantasy football drafts this fall.