NFL Free Agency: Best Landing Spots for Mike Gesicki
The Dolphins not using the franchise tag on Gesicki is good news for fantasy managers, because he’ll be more productive elsewhere.
The tight end position was a complete disaster in fantasy football last season. Just one player (Travis Kelce) finished with over 300 PPR points, while only two others (T.J. Hockenson, George Kittle) hit the 200-point mark. Mark Andrews, who was the top tight end in 2021, scored fewer than 200 points. Heck, Taysom Hill (who plays both quarterback and tight end) was a top-10 player at the position last season.
One of the biggest disappointments at the position last season was Mike Gesicki. A top-10 tight end in 2021, the veteran saw his fantasy point total decrease by more than 65 points under first-year Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. In fact, he finished 23rd in PPR and was mostly touchdown dependent (he scored just five times last season). The veteran also saw his offensive snaps drop from 826 in 2021 to just 474 in 2022.
Gesicki can be an asset in fantasy football, however, which he proved the previous year with 73 catches, 780 yards and 165 points. Entering his age-28 season, all he needs is a fresh start and an offensive attack that will utilize him as a pass catcher.
Here are five teams that could have a need at tight end and would be nice landing spots for Schultz next season. Let’s start things off in the Motor City.
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Detroit Lions
The Lions traded Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings last season, leaving a hole at the tight end spot. Detroit could draft a player to fill the position, of course, but Gesicki would be a nice fit in real and fantasy football. Detroit tight ends scored a combined 12 touchdowns last season, including the combination of Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra scoring nine times. Gesicki would be a borderline No. 1 option.
New York Giants
Daniel Bellinger truthers, look away! The Giants need pass catching weapons in the offense, and Gesicki could come right in and make an impact for coach Brian Daboll. New York’s offense isn’t one that takes a ton of chances downfield either, so Gesicki could roam the short and intermediate areas and become a reliable option for Daniel Jones. Gesicki would be fantasy draftable in the later rounds.
Top Five Fantasy Landing Spots: Aaron Rodgers | Jimmy Garoppolo | Saquon Barkley | Tony Pollard | JuJu Smith-Schuster | Miles Sanders | Lamar Jackson | David Montgomery | Josh Jacobs | Jamaal Williams | Kareem Hunt | DeAndre Hopkins | Tee Higgins | Michael Thomas | Odell Beckham Jr. | Dalton Schultz
Houston Texans
The Texans have a boatload of money to spend under the cap and will likely draft their quarterback of the future (Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud), so this could be an attractive landing spot for Gesicki. Keep in mind that their No. 1 wideout, Brandin Cooks, is unlikely to remain with the team. And with a young signal-caller projected to be under center, the tight end position (or Gesicki) could absorb a lot of targets.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have a new head coach in Shane Steichen, an offensive mind who likes to use the tight end position. He was the offensive coordinator in Los Angeles with Hunter Henry, and he spent the last two seasons in Philadelphia with Dallas Goedert. The Colts could use playmakers alongside Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr., and Gesicki would be a nice fit. He’d also re-emerge in the No. 1 fantasy tight end conversation.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers could lose Robert Tonyan to free agency, and Gesicki would be an upgrade regardless. With young wideouts like Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs as the lead options in the pass attack, Gesicki would come right in and see more than his share of targets as the second or third option. Whether he’s catching passes from Aaron Rodgers or Jordan Love, Gesicki would be a late rounder.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business to help you win a fantasy championship!