Fantasy Football Tight End Waiver Wire Debate: Mike Gesicki Vs. Kenyon Sadiq
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Plenty of tight ends presented notable fantasy football value in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. In the AFC, New York Jets tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki each posted respective top-12 finishes at the position in the opening week of fantasy football, presenting compelling waiver wire cases entering Week 2.
Both Cincinnati and New York secured victories in Week 1, due in large part to the efforts of their tight ends in the passing game. Both Sadiq and Gesicki are under-the-radar fantasy assets, vastly outperforming their ADP in the first game of the year. Let’s explore each fantasy outlook for both star tight ends, determining which of the two is worth a waiver claim:
The Case For Mike Gesicki
Gesicki endured a notable dip in production from 2024 to 2025, but kicked his ninth season off with a bang against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The veteran pass-catcher led the team with five catches over seven targets for 78 receiving yards and a touchdown, posting a TE4 finish prior to Monday Night Football’s kick off. Gesicki will be one of Joe Burrow’s top targets near the goal line throughout the season, and projects to enjoy a solid bounce-back campaign if his Week 1 performance is any indication.
The Case Against Gesicki
The Bengals’ receiving group remains one of the most crowded units in the league this season. Ja’Marr Chase is the obvious headliner, and Tee Higgins will likely rack up 100 targets once again this year, which will hamper Gesicki’s ceiling at some points during the fantasy campaign. Without a cemented role and consistent volume, it’s hard to make a case for Gesicki as a weekly starter for the course of the entire year.
The Case For Kenyon Sadiq
Despite dealing with some nagging injuries during the offseason, the Jets’ first-round pick and star tight end suited up for his regular season debut against the Tennessee Titans. He was featured on a number of designed looks, racking up three catches for 21 yards with a three-yard rushing touchdown in the opener. Sadiq posted 11.4 PPR points, good for a TE11 ranking in Week 1. The highly touted rookie has a clear path to a cemented role in New York’s passing game, though it could take a few weeks to find consistent fantasy production. Rostered in just over 16% of league’s, Sadiq will emerge as a popular waiver add entering Week 2.
The Case Against Sadiq
Sadiq could take over as New York’s No. 2 option behind Garrett Wilson down the stretch of the year, though the offense is expected to face some struggles as the season progresses. In a run-heavy offense, fantasy managers can’t rely on starting Sadiq on a weekly basis at this point of the fantasy season.
The Verdict
I’m quite high on Sadiq as a player, though I feel the Jets’ offensive limitations will hamper his fantasy ceiling in his rookie season. I’m going to pick Gesicki for sake of our waiver debate, suiting up in one of the NFL’s top passing offenses. Finishing Week 1 with 18.8 points in PPR, Gesicki could offer top-10 upside at the position despite coming into the year with TE43 ADP in fantasy drafts.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.