The New England Patriots decided to splurge once again at the TE position in free agency by signing Mike Gesicki, but will that equal a bounce-back fantasy football season for the former Miami Dolphin? Let’s take a closer look.
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Mike Gesicki’s Fantasy Outlook
To call Gesicki’s 2022 campaign a disappointment would be a major understatement. It felt like the entire Dolphins offense enjoyed a breakout fantasy season … except for Gesicki.
After setting career highs in receptions (73) and receiving yards (780) in 2021, he plummeted all the way to the TE23 in PPR formats by seeing just 52 targets all season long.
Now, he’ll join a Patriots passing attack that hasn’t been able to sustain two fantasy-relevant TEs during Mac Jones’ tenure under center.
If you recall, the Patriots made a splash in free agency back in 2021 when they signed both Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith to bolster the TE position.
Well, here were the fantasy finishes for both players during that stretch:
- Hunter Henry: TE10 (2021) and TE22 (2022)
- Jonnu Smith: TE36 (2021) and TE47 (2022)
While Smith is no longer with the team, Henry will still very much be a factor in 2023. The highest target total either TE has seen over the past two seasons was Henry back in 2021 with 75 targets.
Should You Draft Mike Gesicki at His Current Draft Day Price?
Unfortunately, Gesicki sustained a mild dislocated shoulder on Aug. 14, which has his Week 1 status up in the air at this time.
#Patriots TE Mike Gesicki, who has been impressive early on in camp, suffered a mild dislocated shoulder during yesterday’s practice, source said. While nothing is given, the hope is he’s back for Week 1 despite the AC joint injury.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 15, 2023
Currently, Gesicki has an ADP of 194 overall as the TE23 off the board.
Unless you play in a league that puts a premium on the TE position, you can probably spend your late-round draft pick on other options and simply monitor his progress once he returns to the field.