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There’s the adage that young tight ends are always better in their second season, but I’m not necessarily sure if that rule applies if the team you play for is actively trying to lose. In any case, when it comes to Mike Gesicki, it’s not so much about his transition from Year 1 to Year 2, it’s about life with and without Ryan Fitzpatrick. Heading into Miami’s Week 5 bye, Gesicki had caught just six passes for 51 yards in a collection of games mostly quarterbacked by Josh Rosen. However, since Fitzpatrick re-took his starting job midway through Week 6’s loss to Washington, Gesicki’s been a changed man. Within that current span, the Penn State product has seen 19 passes thrown in his direction, a workload that he’s translated into a near-elite 10.4 yards per target. The 24-year-old is also coming off a career-best performance against the Jets, a contest in which he amassed six catches for 95 yards and 15.5 DKFP.
Of course, Gesicki’s viability isn’t simply about things within his control. Assisting his value this weekend is the fact that few teams funnel opponent passes towards TEs quite like the Colts in recent games. In fact, since the beginning of Week 3, offenses playing Indianapolis have featured the position at an AFC-high 27% target share. Additionally, the Colts have surrendered six double-digit PPR weeks to opposing tight ends for the entirety of 2019.
Fantasy Football Analysis, Miami Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki
It’s undeniable that the Dolphins have been leaning more heavily on Gesicki in the passing attack in recent contests. That inclination should only get stronger with the loss of Preston Williams to a knee injury last Sunday. The rookie wideout was Miami’s team-leader in targets (60), receptions (32) and receiving yards (428), not to mention the fact that no AFC player had enjoyed a larger share of his team’s red-zone targets than Williams at a whopping 38.5%. Gesicki’s role will grow in his absence, and he makes a lot of sense as a replacement option with six squads on bye in Week 10.
Start/Sit Recommendation
Start.