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Former Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki has found a new home in the AFC East, as he agreed to a contract with the New England Patriots. Gesicki was once viewed as an up-and-coming star tight end, but his production dipped with the additions of Jaylen Waddle in the 2021 NFL Draft and Tyreek Hill via trade during the 2022 offseason.
Now, Gesicki gets a fresh start and another chance to be a real factor for an offense. The Penn State product is challenged with improving a struggling New England passing attack.
How has Gesicki played during his five-year career and what is his fantasy football outlook in 2023? Let's get to it.
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Mike Gesicki Career Review
After posting 202 yards on 22 receptions as a rookie, Gesicki improved his receptions and yards total in each of the next three seasons. He posted seasons of 570 yards, 703 yards, and 780 yards and saw no fewer than 85 targets in his second, third, and fourth seasons.
However, Tyreek Hill's arrival completely shut off his production as most believed it would. Last season, Gesicki caught just 32 of his 52 targets for 362 yards and five touchdowns. He was still a solid red zone weapon and reliable chain-mover, but Waddle and Hill simply commanded too much volume for him to post nuclear statistics.
He was still viewed as one of the top tight ends on the market and was eventually brought in by the Patriots this offseason.
Mike Gesicki 2023 Fantasy Football Outlook
Jonnu Smith has been traded to the Atlanta Falcons and Hunter Henry has underwhelmed expectations since joining the team, so there's a good chance Gesicki is featured as the clear-cut receiving tight end in New England. In 2019, 2020, and 2021, Gesicki ranked inside the top three among tight ends in slot snaps. He plays more like a possession slot receiver than a true, in-line tight end. That's an attractive skill set for fantasy football and means he'll likely be on the field even when Henry is.
New England brought in former Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien to run the offense after a tough season with Matt Patricia calling the shots, so hopefully, the playbook will be opened up and we will see more passing volume in 2023. The Patriots signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to be their No. 1 option, but Gesicki will compete with a combination of Tyquan Thornton, Davante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, and Henry to be Mac Jones' No. 2 option.
Ultimately, it's tough to expect New England to boast a top-five offense, but if they can be a league-average attack, Gesicki will have a high-end TE2 fantasy outlook.
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