New England Patriots

Fantasy football emergency: 5 Rob Gronkowski replacement plans

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:28 p.m. ET

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You can survive your Week 1 fantasy emergency–check out these 5 Rob Gronkowski replacement plans.

If you drafted Gronk early, you’ll be looking for a Rob Gronkowski replacement for week 1 after the Patriots star was ruled OUT of Week 1.. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Well, that didn’t take long. Fantasy football owners were already thrown into a major scramble even before the first full Sunday of action. If you drafted Rob Grokowski this season, you didn’t want the year to start this way with the All-World tight end ruled out for Sunday’s Week 1 contest. There is still time, though, to make a move and fix your team, so check out these five Gronkowski replacement plans for this week.

The good news, if there is any, is that Gronk doesn’t look like he’ll be sidelined long. His owners likely had to use a high-first round pick on him, and losing him for an extended period could really sink the whole team. He didn’t make the trip with the Patriots to Arizona this week, and was ruled out early Saturday morning.

The injury to his hamstring first cropped up mid-August but was considered to be pretty “minor” at the time. He “pulled up lame” according to reports, and he has been limited by his hamstring ever since. It was a surprise to many, though, that he wasn’t ready for Week 1, and don’t expect the Patriots to be very forth-coming when it comes to his injury moving forward. My best guess is that he’ll be back on the field and ready to roll for Week 2, but make sure to monitor the situation closely.

If you’re left scouring the waiver wire for a Gronkowski replacement, there are some good options still widely available. We’ll start with the obvious options and work our way to the deeper sleepers.

Jul 28, 2016; Foxboro, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett (88) takes the field for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Martellus Bennett-New England Patriots

The most direct beneficiary of Gronk’s absence will the Patriots’ second tight end Martellus Bennett. Bennett is the Patriots’ direct Gronkowski replacement solution. Bennett was acquired this offseason from the Bears via trade giving the Pats a pair of tight ends which are expected to work in tandem for most of the season.

He had seven catches this preseason for a total of 62 yards, but he showed a strong connection with both Tom Brady and Brady’s short-term, suspension-replacement Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo and Bennett both got plenty of work this preseason while Brady and Gronk were sidelined, so he should be ready to step up and produce solid numbers now that Gronk is out.

Right now, Bennett is un-owned in over 25% of ESPN leagues, and he makes a great pickup option if you need a Gronkowski replacement. The Cardinals ranked in the middle of the pack against opposing tight ends last season, so don’t worry even though Arizona has a solid defense. I wouldn’t start Bennett over a more established option, but I have him as #9 on my week 1 rankings making him a starter in most formats.

Jul 27, 2016; Anderson, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen (83) during training camp at Anderson University. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kryger/Indianapolis Star via USA TODAY Sports

Dwayne Allen-Indianapolis Colts

Another solid Gronkowski replacement option to consider comes from another AFC passing offense. The Colts get Andrew Luck back this year after a disappointing season last year, and will be in a good matchup against the Lions to get the season started. Luck’s return should mean a return to fantasy relevance for many of the Colts receiving options including tight end Dwayne Allen.

Allen has been dealing with a hip injury this preseason, but he’s expected to be fine for this weekend’s contest. Allen’s questionable tag may be one reason why owners are hesitant to buy into him which has left him on the waiver wire in over 60% of EPSN leagues.

The Colts weren’t hesitant on Allen letting Coby Fleener walk this offseason and signing Allen to a four-year, $29 million contract. Allen has been a Red Zone favorite of Lucks’s in the past, and he should be a low-end TE1 for as long as his health lets him stay on the field.

Dec 20, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders tight end Clive Walford (88) during warm ups before the game against the Green Bay Packers at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Clive Walford-Oakland Raiders

If you feel confident that Gronk will be back Week 2, you could go with a short-term, one-week patch job and take a shot on Clive Walford. Walford is clearly the top tight end with the Raiders, and the Oakland offense-on-the-rise will be in New Orleans for what could quickly turn into a shootout with the Saints’ shoddy pass defense.

Walford is only owned in about a third of ESPN leagues despite quite a bit of buzz that he could be on the verge of a breakout year. He gets all the tight end targets in the passing game since he timeshares with blocking specialist Lee Smith.

Walford has a great matchup to start the season since the Saints allowed more fantasy points to opposing tight ends than any other team in the NFL last season. If you want a one-week solution, grab Walford off of waivers and get ready for the potential fireworks in the Big Easy.

Aug 14, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) catches a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the first quarter at Levi

Vance McDonald-San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers don’t have a lot of fantasy-releavnt options since they’re definitely short on skill players in Chip Kelly’s second stop as an NFL head coach. It is worth noting, though, that Blaine Gabbert did throw for over 350 yards last year in the season finale against the same team San Francisco opens this year against, the Rams.

Aside from questions about Gabbert as an NFL QB, there are real question marks around who exactly he’ll throw the ball to. Torrey Smith is still around, but Gabbert isn’t a great fit for Smith’s vertical abilities. Anquan Boldin left the 49ers for the Lions this offseason, so he’s not around either. Bruce Ellington was getting some sleeper buzz before his injury sidelined him as well. With all those non-options, someone has to catch Gabbert’s passes and one option to consider is Vance McDonald.

If McDonald gets targets, he could be a good Gronkowski replacement in the second game of this week’s Monday night doubleheader. There’s a real chance that McDonald could lead the 49ers in receptions after developing a good connection with Gabbert this preseason. McDonald was Gabbert’s most-targeted receiver this preseason and he also presents the biggest red zone target for the starting quarterback.

McDonald is only owned in 5.9% of ESPN leagues coming into week 1, but he could pay off if you had to start him especially in PPR leagues. If Allen and Bennett aren’t available, check out McDonald as a Gronkowski replacement.

Jul 29, 2016; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jesse James (81) runs after a catch in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Jesse James-Pittsburgh Steelers

The Patriots aren’t the only team with a tight end injury to start the season. If you’re looking for a Gronkowski replacement, check out another tight end stepping up for an injured starter on his own team–Jesse James.

James will start on Monday Night Football (the first game) against Washington for the pass-heavy Pittsburgh Steelers. This offseason the Steelers tried to go younger at tight end bringing in Ladarius Green from the Chargers. Unfortunately, Green is still on PUP to start the season meaning James will get his chance to shine.

This will be James’s second year in the NFL after being drafted by the Steelers in the fifth round out of Penn State last season. He was expected to be the starter until Green was signed this offseason. No one has any clarity on exactly what Green’s injury is, but what is clear is that he isn’t coming back soon.

In place of Green, James played with the starters throughout the preseason and was fairly productive working with Big Ben. He was targeted five times in the “dress rehearsal” Preseason Week 3 and hauled in four passes for 25 yards and a touchdown. He has the size to be a nice red zone option for the Steelers who won’t have Martavis Bryant this season or Le’Veon Bell the first three weeks of the season.

James ha good upside as a Grokowski replacement this week and could emerge as a fringe starter every week if he gets enough targets in Pittsburgh’s productive passing attack.