Preseason Player Rankings

What You Need to Know:

-Gesicki appeared in all 17 games last year, setting career highs in catches per game (4.3) and targets per game (6.6). He saw a solid 18.7% target share.

-He finished as a top-12 PPR TE 5 times. He was held without a catch in 2 games.

-On the year, Gesicki ranked as the TE9. His upside was capped by only 2 total TDs.

-Gesicki wasn’t particularly efficient alongside Tua Tagovailoa, ranking 14th among 25 TEs with 50+ targets in yards per route run (1.45).

-In March, Miami applied the franchise tag to Gesicki. As of late-May, no long-term deal has been signed.

-The 2022 offseason brought the arrival of Tyreek Hill, Cedrick Wilson and Chase Edmonds. Miami also re-signed blocking TE Durham Smythe to a 2-year deal.

-Gesicki played only 7.4% of his snaps in-line last year, and new HC Mike McDaniel places a premium on blocking from all of his pass-catchers. Gesicki’s never excelled in that area.

-The Fins are expected to roll out a balanced offense, meaning Gesicki probably won’t have the benefit of boosted pass volume.

Draft Sharks Bottom Line:

At best, Gesicki looks like the distant #3 option behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. And that’s in an offense with suspect pass volume — plus a questionable upside on 3rd-year passer Tua Tagovailoa.

With a target dip upcoming, Gesicki’s efficiency will need to rise in order to become a true TE1 difference-maker. Odds are, though, that Gesicki will remain a fantasy spot-starter with a wide range of weekly outcomes.

What You Need To Know:

-Knox enjoyed a massive 3rd-year breakout in 2021. Boosted by 9 TDs, he ranked 9th among TEs in fantasy PPG.

-He finished as a top-10 scoring TE in 6 separate weeks.

-Knox missed 2 games with a mid-season broken hand. He averaged 4.5 targets per game before the injury vs. 4.8 after, so it didn’t affect his role.

-Overall, Knox ran a route on a healthy 86.2% of Buffalo’s pass plays. He played in the slot nearly 42% of the time — up from sub-30% marks over his first 2 seasons.

-Among 25 TEs with 50+ targets, Knox ranked 20th in yards per route run (1.16).

-The TDs were simply money, though. His 9 scores tied for a TE lead. And he ranked 2nd at the position in targets inside the 10.

-Buffalo added former 1st-rounder O.J. Howard in free agency. The TE has struggled to stay healthy but brings serious red zone competition.

-Howard’s recorded 15 career TDs in 59 games; his TD rate is a whopping 12.6%.

-Knox, with 3 years alongside QB Josh Allen, still projects as the lead TE. But it’s worth noting that Buffalo ranked last in the league in 2-TE sets (6%) last season.

-OC Brian Daboll left for the Giants’ HC job. First-time play-caller Ken Dorsey — formerly Allen’s QB coach — figures to keep the same approach.

-Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley departed in free agency. They leave behind 184 targets.

-Beyond Howard, Buffalo’s main offseason additions at pass catcher include RB James Cook, and WRs Jamison Crowder and Khalil Shakir.

Draft Sharks Bottom Line:

Knox was known for 2 things prior to 2021:

Injuries and drops.

While he missed a pair of games with a broken hand — and still posted a drop rate of 9.2% — fantasy owners could forgive the young TE because of his 9 scores.

Finally, the athletic, former Round 3 pick delivered alongside 1 of the game’s best passers.

2022 turns up a contract year — and his most serious challenger for snaps/targets yet. Still, O.J. Howard comes with serious durability concerns. He might steal a few red zone TDs, but Knox remains a top-15 TE.

What You Need To Know:

-Howard’s career has been on a steady decline since a 26-432-6 rookie year.

-In 2020, Howard missed most of the season with a torn Achilles’.

-He appeared in all 17 games in 2021 but wasn’t a difference-maker. He posted only 1 fantasy-worthy line (6-49-1) and it came with Rob Gronkowski inactive.

-Howard was out-snapped by Cameron Brate in 2021, 39.6% to 30.8%. Brate out-targeted him by 36.

-Buffalo signed Howard to a reasonable 1-year, $3.5 million deal in mid-March.

-The former 1st-round pick makes for a worthwhile real-life gamble for the Bills. But he’ll enter a camp battle with Dawson Knox as the clear underdog.

-In 2021, Buffalo ran 2-TE sets only 6% of the time — a league-low.

-Howard’s a pure talent upgrade to the unit, and it’s worth noting that new OC Ken Dorsey took over for Brian Daboll.

-Buffalo projects for top-5 pass volume once again. But their pass catching corps remains deep, headlined by Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.

Draft Sharks Bottom Line

Howard’s fresh start begins this year with the Bills. Playing on a 1-year deal, he’ll be plenty motivated to get back to his early-career form.

But barring massive TD production — or a Dawson Knox injury — Howard isn’t likely to see enough targets to escape TE2 range. He does bring some appeal late in 28-round FFPC (TE premium) drafts.