May 5, 2026, 7:37 PM ET

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki had a forgettable year in 2025, but he did just enough at the tail end of the season to prove he'll still have streaming potential in 2026. Gesicki's 42 targets and 28 receptions marked the lowest totals since his rookie campaign, but the raw stats alone don't tell the full story. With quarterback Joe Burrow sidelined by Week 3 with a Grade 3 turf toe injury, Cincinnati's normally high-powered offense sputtered through the opening portion of the schedule with an ineffective Jake Browning under center. The team was able to get back on track offensively with a mid-season trade for Joe Flacco, but Gesicki suffered a pectoral injury two snaps into Flacco's first start with the Bengals and was placed on injured reserve. Gesicki got back onto the field around the same time as Burrow, and in their six games played together to end the year, Gesicki caught 16 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns, good enough to make him TE15 over that stretch. With the Bengals forgoing the tight end position in free agency and adding only Jack Endries in the seventh round of the NFL Draft, Gesicki's biggest competition could come from 2024 fourth-round pick Erick All Jr., who missed the entirety of the 2025 season with a torn ACL and has not had a fully healthy season since 2021 at Michigan. Gesicki will have his occasional spike weeks while running a distant third behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but should either miss time in 2026, Gesicki has proven himself capable of stepping into a number-two role of fantasy relevance. At RotoBaller's TE31, he's unlikely to be selected in many redraft leagues, but his early-season schedule bears monitoring as he will again enter the streaming conversation whenever the matchup dictates.--Patrick McGrath