Gary Barnidge Catches A Touchdown In Season Finale
Gary Barnidge finished off his 2016 campaign in style, catching five passes for 40 yards and adding a touchdown reception in the second quarter. Solid game against the Steelers aside, Barnidge was a fantasy disappointment this season as he finished with just 55 catches for 612 yards and two touchdowns. This came a season after topping 1,000 receiving yards and scoring nine times. Barnidge's fantasy value was short-lived as it appears his 2015 All-Pro campaign was an outlier. He won't be anything more than a low-end tight end option in 2017.
Gary Barnidge has disappointed a bit after he turned in a huge 2015 campaign. The big tight end has yet to score a touchdown this season and has settled in as a low-end TE1 in PPR leagues. That all could change this weekend as Terrelle Pryor may not play with a hamstring issue. Pryor has been one of the main reasons Barnidge hasn't scored this season as Pryor has taken over as the team's top red zone target, a role that Barnidge filled in 2015. Look for Barnidge to be more involved if Pryor doesn't play and don't be surprised if he's able to pick up his first score of the season. The Bengals are fresh off of allowing Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett to combine for 210 yards and a touchdown in Week 6.
Gary Barnidge Turns In Solid Game; Still Looking For End Zone
Gary Barnidge had his busiest game of the season in Week 4, hauling in 7-of-7 targets for 57 yards. Barnidge's usage has gone up each week of the season and he's starting to return low-end TE1 numbers for the fantasy owners who were patient with him. With Corey Coleman out a few more weeks and Josh Gordon now in rehab instead of getting set to rejoin the team in Week 5, look for Barnidge to operate as the team's number two option in the passing game, after Terrelle Pryor. A matchup with the Patriots is up next for Barnidge.
Gary Barnidge Coming Off Best Game Of Year; Low End TE1 This Week
Gary Barnidge has seen his usage increase each game this season. He should continue that upward trend as long as rookie Cody Kessler is under center. Rookie quarterbacks generally tend to lean on their tight ends to complete short passes, which should keep Barnidge active. There's a chance that Browns will need to lean on Barnidge to keep the chains moving with star cornerback Josh Norman likely to shut down his side of the field this weekend. Barnidge can be used as a low-end TE1 this week with hopes he can pull down an end zone target against the Redskins.
Gary Barnidge Just A TE2 In Week 3; Can Be Left On The Bench
Gary Barnidge has been disappointing so far this season, catching just four passes for 37 yards through the first two weeks. Barnidge will catch passes from his third quarterback in as many weeks against the Dolphins in Week 3 as the Browns will start rookie Cody Kessler. There is some hope for a decent performance from Barnidge this weekend as rookie quarterbacks tend to rely on their tight ends to complete short, safe passes, but it is really hard to envision Barnidge (or the offense in general) having much upside against Miami. He's nothing more than a TE2 this week and can be benched if you have a better option.
Gary Barnidge did not have a good 2016 debut as he dropped both of the targets sent his way by Robert Griffin. The normally sure-handed Barnidge should bounce back, but it is worth noting that the Browns struggled to complete passes in the middle of the field in Week 1.That, coupled with a leaky offensive line has to be concerning to his fantasy owners. Barnidge is going to struggle to replicate the success he enjoyed in 2015 if the Browns don't fix some issues on offense.
