Start or Sit Mike Gesicki, Hayden Hurst, or Austin Hooper in Fantasy Football Week 14?

I’m proud of us. I’m proud of you, and I’m proud of myself. The NFL? Not so much. Their coronavirus handling kept the league (mostly) on schedule, but they allowed multiple outbreaks on several teams. They flew by the seat of their pants, and they made that all the way to week fourteen. And that’s where we stand, in the first round of the fantasy football playoffs. This week, we take a look at three start or sit options at tight end who we took at the back edge of fantasy football starting relevance. Should we start or sit Mike Gesicki, Hayden Hurst, or Austin Hooper in fantasy football week fourteen?

Start or Sit Mike Gesicki versus Kansas City?

Well, he’s done it. After I abandoned my boy in most of my leagues, and after he made me look incredibly foolish with my (rather aggressive) TE6 ranking to start the year… Mike Gesicki currently sits at TE6. Granted, a lot of that happened in the last few weeks, but that’s the push and pull of tight ends. Gesicki turned in 9 catches for 88 yards and a touchdown last week, which gave him 19.3 fantasy points. That most important part, however, is his eleven targets with Tua Tagovailoa. Gesicki accounted for more than 28% of Tua’s targets, which fits more in line with guys like DeAndre Hopkins (and Darren Waller).

This week, Gesicki gets—on paper—a neutral matchup. The Chiefs allow the fourteenth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. But, just like every other tight end matchup, you have to look at the guys who actually had volume. Eight different tight ends had at least seven targets against the Chiefs this year. Only Mark Andrews and Noah Fant escaped with single digit fantasy days. The back end of tight end is all about chasing recent targets and production. Because of that, I will start Mike Gesicki.

Start or Sit Hayden Hurst at L.A. Chargers?

On paper, it looks like Hayden Hurst has started to circle the drain since the Falcons’ week ten bye. He has 57 yards on five catches in the three games since, then and has topped four targets just once in those three games. But if you look a little bit deeper, you see a fairly consistent tight end (getting 4-6 receptions for 48-68 yards weekly) who faced the New Orleans Saints twice in three weeks. The Saints just flat out have the Falcons’ number this year, and it dragged the whole team down. His 4/48 game in the middle against the Raiders gives me all the hope I need to stick with Hurst. This week, he gets a Chargers squad that gives out touchdowns to TEs like it’s going out of style; since their week six bye, a tight end has at least one touchdown in five-of-seven games against the Chargers. I will go ahead and continue to start Hayden Hurst this week.

Start or Sit Austin Hooper versus Baltimore?

Run away. Run far, far away from Austin Hooper. The Cleveland Brown his falling apart at the seams, and this is an impassioned plea to free yourself from the pain of a roster filled with Hoopers. Baker Mayfield and the Browns have rattled off 68 points in the last two games, and Hooper has… four targets. Four targets! He scored a touchdown in week twelve, his first since week four. Hooper has no games over 57 yards this season, and just two touchdowns. Why exactly are we hanging onto him in two-thirds of leagues? They get the Ravens defense this week, so the gravy train will stop. Go ahead and sit Austin Hooper in week fourteen.

What’s The Verdict?

I would roll Mike Gesicki getting the target volume lately first, then Hayden Hurst, then a massive gulf, then Austin Hooper.

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