Start Mike Gesicki or AJ Barner? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Mike Gesicki over AJ Barner in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Mike Gesicki at 8.4 points and AJ Barner at 6.4, a gap of 2.0.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 8.4 fantasy points for Mike Gesicki, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market has Mike Gesicki at 30.5 receiving yards and 3.5 receptions, with a 26% chance to score a touchdown (9, 8 and 15 market sources).

Player markets imply 6.4 fantasy points for AJ Barner, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market has AJ Barner at 22.5 receiving yards and 2.5 receptions, with a 23% chance to score a touchdown (15, 17 and 16 market sources).

That puts Mike Gesicki 2.0 points ahead of AJ Barner on the market projections.

Injury status

Mike Gesicki is not on the injury report.

AJ Barner is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Mike Gesicki played 46 percent of CIN snaps, drew 10 percent of the targets, earned 14 percent of the air yards and had 10 percent of the red zone chances.

Mike Gesicki, Week 1 against TB: 21 of 64 snaps, 7 targets and 5 catches for 78 yards, 1 touchdown.

Mike Gesicki, Week 2 against HOU: 21 of 60 snaps, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Mike Gesicki, Week 3 against PIT: 29 of 57 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 37 yards, 1 touchdown.

Mike Gesicki, Week 4 against JAX: 47 of 76 snaps, 5 targets and 3 catches for 40 yards, 1 touchdown.

Through Week 4, AJ Barner played 87 percent of SEA snaps, drew 13 percent of the targets, earned 4 percent of the air yards and had 13 percent of the red zone chances.

AJ Barner, Week 1 against NE: 44 of 50 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 13 yards.

AJ Barner, Week 2 against ARI: 56 of 70 snaps, 1 carry for 1 yards, 1 target and 1 catch for 8 yards, 1 touchdown.

AJ Barner, Week 3 against WAS: 61 of 67 snaps, 9 targets and 5 catches for 69 yards.

AJ Barner, Week 4 against LAC: 54 of 60 snaps, 3 targets and 1 catch for 12 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Mike Gesicki played 13 games for CIN and scored 70.7 PPR points, 5.4 a game, finishing TE41.

He caught 28 of 42 targets for 307 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 7 red zone targets and 244 air yards.

He was on the field for 38 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, AJ Barner played 17 games for SEA and scored 147.3 PPR points, 8.7 a game, finishing TE14.

He caught 52 of 68 targets for 519 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 12 red zone targets and 248 air yards.

He was on the field for 78 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start Brenton Strange over Mike Gesicki.
• Start Mike Gesicki over Chig Okonkwo.
• Start Mike Gesicki over Colby Parkinson.
• Start Brenton Strange over AJ Barner.
• Start Brock Bowers over AJ Barner.
• Start Cade Otton over AJ Barner.