Fantasy Football 2017 Preview: Rob Gronkowski is NOT a First Round Pick Anymore

Rob Gronkowski has gotten a shiny new extension from the New England Patriots, but that shouldn’t mean much to fantasy owners. For all his tantalizing talent, Gronkowski is no longer a first round pick.

Let’s get the superlatives out of the way; Gronk is an absolute beast, and if he were healthy for 16 games there’s no doubt he’d be the top TE available, and at worst, be in the mix of the Top 12 in terms of value. But you have no guarantees that he’ll suit up for 16 games, and his career would indicate its highly unlikely. Gronk has made it through 16 games just once in his seven-year career, and he’s failed to get through 10 games five times. While he may do so much in that time that he rates as a top tight end, fantasy football is not a game of accumulation.

Injuries, however, are not the primary reason for this article. You already know he’s an injury risk, and despite that, he’s routinely accepted as a back-end first rounder. The reason I’m trying to steer you in another direction is that I believe the position is no longer so barren that you need to lock him up to get anything valuable from your TE spot.

2016 was generally terrible for tight ends. Travis Kelce led the way in yards (1,125) and only two TEs topped 1,000. Cameron Brate and Hunter Henry tied for the lead in touchdowns with eight each, and neither of them managed even 60 catches. If it sounds like I’m making the argument FOR drafting Gronk as high as possible, hang tight.

2017 was a surprising down year for Redskins TE Jordan Reed, who should rebound and be targeted as much as ever after the team lost DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, who combined for 214 targets. Tyler Eifert only made it through eight games for the Bengals, and made two starts. Injuries afflicted Titans TE Delanie Walker as well, limiting him to 10 starts. A bit of injury luck for these players adds depth to a position that also includes a resurgent Jimmy Graham in Seattle, a consistent Greg Olsen in Carolina, and breakout Kelce in Kansas City.

There’s more. The next tier down includes Kyle Rudolph, a touchdown machine in Minnesota, Martellus Bennett, who is twice the player Jared Cook is, and can expect to be used the way Cook was in a stellar postseason, and Zach Ertz, a target hound in Philadelphia. Below them are high-upside young tight ends. Hunter Henry is a red zone monster, and Eric Ebron is consistently targeted; all he needs are more looks in the red zone to jump up a class.

Tight ends have become a greater emphasis in the way teams are building their offense. The 2017 NFL Draft included THREE tight ends being taken in the first round; O.J. Howard went to the Bucs, and he looks like a Graham-esque freak. Evan Engram, who was taken by the Giants, is an oversized wide receiver who will line up vs. linebackers and safeties and draw little attention. There’s also David Njoku, a massive tight end taken by the Browns who may already be their best option in the red zone.

There are even fringe TEs who have the ability to put up big numbers. Jack Doyle (Colts) and Coby Fleener (Saints) are relevant on a weekly basis thanks to their quarterbacks, and Julius Thomas (Dolphins) and Austin Hooper (Falcons) will benefit from potent offenses.

None of this is to say that these TEs will outperform Gronkowski, because if Gronk is healthy they won’t. This is to say that the gap is closing, and the days of TE being a throwaway position built for streaming are coming to an end. It’s deeper than you think, and you should be using your first round pick to lock in a dope wide receiver or running back.