Week 11 at Houston Texans
Jermaine Gresham had a great game against the Seahawks last week, catching 5 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. He’s been largely ineffective most of this season, but has a touchdown in two straight games. There’s no reason to think Blaine Gabbert will be worse than Drew Stanton moving forward, so Gresham’s value should remain the same with the quarterback change.
The Texans have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to the tight end position this year, giving Gresham some upside this week. He’s still a low-end option, but has streaming potential given the matchup and his recent production.
Week 4 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Jermaine Gresham caught 5 passes for 47 yards last week against the Cowboys, but that’s probably the most you can expect from him in any given week. The Cardinals don’t emphasize the tight end position under head coach Bruce Arians, and Gresham’s upside will be limited because of it. Fantasy owners should look elsewhere for streaming options.
Week 2 at Indianapolis Colts
Jermaine Gresham had 3 catches for 15 yards last week against the Lions. He had his moments of success last season, but overall he struggles to produce at a consistent level due to Bruce Arians’ offensive system that doesn’t emphasize receiving stats for tight ends. Gresham has a little upside against the Colts this week, since Indianapolis looked terrible against the Rams last week, but there should be much better options available on waivers.
Fantasy Upside
Jermaine Gresham hasn't had a huge impact on the Cardinals, but they awarded the veteran a four-year deal over the offseason. Gresham caught 37 passes last year (which was more than double his 2015 total of 18), and he has 3 touchdowns in two seasons with the Cardinals.
Fantasy Downside
The numbers are reflective of head coach Bruce Arians' usage of tight ends since his arrival in Arizona. They are a blocker first and foremost (and Arians reportedly appreciates Gresham's nasty streak). That's unlikely to change.
2017 Bottom Line
Arians' approach limits the value of any Arizona tight ends, relegating them to bargain-basement DFS fodder for the most part.
Week 17 vs. Los Angeles
Jermaine Gresham had only two catches for 40 yards last week against Seattle, and while he strung together a few good games over the later part of the season, the matchups have caught up to him recently. That should continue this week. The Rams have given up the sixth least fantasy points to the TE position this year, making it unlikely that Gresham finishes the season with a bang. There should be better options available.
Week 16 vs. Seattle
Jermaine Gresham has been more active in the passing game over the second half of the season, and he had 42 yards on three receptions against the Saints last week. It’s good to see the Cardinals using him with a fair amount of regularity, but fantasy owners shouldn’t expect a good game this week against the Seahawks. Seattle is second in the league in scoring defense, and they’ve only allowed two touchdowns to the TE position all season.
Week 15 vs. New Orleans
Jermaine Gresham only had 45 yards last week against the Dolphins, but he was targeted seven times and caught five passes. For four weeks in a row now, Gresham has been an active part of the Arizona passing game, which is a new trend in an offense that has traditionally been unkind to the TE position.
This week, Gresham has some upside against a Saints defense that has given up 60 catches and 724 yards to the TE position this season. Gresham isn’t without risk, but since he’s been more and more active in the offense lately and he has a nice matchup, we have him as a borderline starter and viable streaming option in most league formats.
Week 14 vs. Miami
Jermaine Gresham only had 52 yards on five catches last week, but it’s good to see him getting more work in the Cardinal passing game. Gresham has a touchdown in two of the last three games, and has at least five targets in four of his last five, making him worth considering in deep leagues.
Gresham has some upside this week against a Miami team that has given up seven touchdowns to opposing TEs this year, including two to Dennis Pitta last week. While far from a sure thing, he’s an interesting flyer to take a gamble on if you’re streaming the TE position and options are limited.
Week 13 vs. Washington
Head Coach Bruce Arians has historically not been kind to the TE position, but Gresham has touchdowns in two straight games now after a five-catch, 35 yards and a score against Atlanta last week.
He faces a very average Washington pass defense this week, and he still might be fool’s gold in an offense that doesn’t feature the TE position, but we have him ranked inside our top 20 for the first time this year and could be worth a gamble in large leagues where you’re desperate for a streaming option.
Fantasy Upside
Jermaine Gresham's first season with the Cardinals was a bit of a disappointment. He appeared in 15 games (starting 12) but was limited to just 18 catches for 223 yards and one touchdown.
Fantasy Downside
Gresham was coming off a back injury from the 2014 season, but it's hard to use that as an excuse for his poor showing last year. More likely it's the lack of focus the tight end position gets in Bruce Arians' offense. In addition, Gresham might not be a lock to make the final roster.
2016 Bottom Line
Nobody should be investing in Arizona tight ends in redraft leagues. Gresham, like Troy Niklas and Darren Fells should be viewed as potential bye-week fillers of low-end DFS plays.
