Week 2 at Minnesota
Gronk played 38 of 86 snaps last week, and still rewarded owners with a nice 4-40-1 line. There's been no word of an expected snap count for week two, and I don't expect the Patriots to open up about that. However, we can reasonably expect him to be on the field at least as much as he was in week one, and he should continue to reward his faithful owners.
We rank him as TE3 in both formats this week. Start with confidence, and hope you get to do the Gronk spike in your living rooms again this weekend.
Week 1 vs Miami
Gronkowski has gone on record stating he will play this weekend. Belichick tried to shade and backtrack Gronk's comments, but that's expected from the Patriots. We have every reason to expect Gronk to play Sunday.
Simply put, there is no other tight end as dominant as Gronkowski when he plays. We rank him as TE3 in both PPR and standard. If you own Gronk, you start Gronk when he plays - limited snap count or not.
Fantasy Upside
When on the field, there is arguably no bigger game changer in the NFL - or on fantasy teams. If he plays 16 games, he will likely end up as the top scoring TE in fantasy football.
Fantasy Downside
Gronk's fearless style of play as well as the nature of his previous injuries give even the most ardent of "injury-proneness atheists" pause for concern. Additionally, he may not even start the season on the field, as his week one status is still in question. The talk of his "downside" is purely a conversation about how many games he'll play this year, and he's missed a lot of games.
Bottom Line
The question of drafting Gronk or not has mostly to do with your personal sense of risk/reward in drafts. We have him ranked as the 2nd TE in both formats, and his ADP around the 2/3 turn in 10 and 12 team leagues. If you pass on Gronk anytime in the 2nd round, the odds of him falling back to you are slim. While he can offer fantasy season changing championship upside, the associated risk is clearly there. To draft Gronk, you have to pass on some pretty talented players who...you know...are actually able to practice.
If you want an elite TE and miss out on Graham in the first, we can legitimately debate the value of Gronk in the 2nd versus the 3rd ranked TE, Julius Thomas, in the 3rd. Again, it's mostly a risk/reward debate. If you are one to throw caution to the wind and draft Gronk in the 2nd, consider drafting a "boring veteran TE" late in your draft. Guys like Heath Miller, Antonio Gates, and Marcedes Lewis could offer you some nice, dirt cheap production if Gronk misses any time.
