Patriots fans from all across the globe collectively held their breath when tight end Rob Gronkowski went down to the ground, writhing in pain in the third quarter of New England’s miraculous 27-26 win over the Browns. Patriots fans’ worst fears were confirmed the next day, when the team announced Gronkowski suffered a torn ACL and MCL, effectively ending his season.
The Patriots are now without Gronkowski, Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, Brandon Lloyd and Danny Woodhead, a group who combined to give the Patriots the top-ranked offense in 2012.
Replacing them is a group of inexperienced rookies and hobbled veterans.
“You just have to find a different formula,” Patriots quarterback Tom Brady told WEEI sports radio following Gronkowski’s injury.
Fantasy owners who owned “Gronk” can attest to Brady’s wise words. With the fantasy playoffs upon us, owners are scrambling to find a replacement for arguably the best fantasy tight end.
So even though Gronkowski will join Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo on the list of injured New England stars, there is still an outlet to your pain. When reality gets tough, turn to fantasy.
Because the trade deadline has passed in most leagues, I will present to you my “start, sit” list for the final three weeks of the fantasy season.
-Start-
Joe Flacco (QB, BAL)-The defending champions, the Ravens, are barely hanging on to that last wild card spot in the AFC. Flacco’s next two games are against the Lions and the Patriots. Both of these games are projected to produce a high scoring output. The Ravens will utilize the passing attack in order to keep up with their opponents.
Chris Johnson (RB, TEN)-The Titans announced that they are planning to part ways with Johnson after this season. No team will want a 29-year-old with an $8 million salary who has seen his production dip consistently the past couple of years. In order to try and salvage some interest from potential suitors, expect the Titans to hand the ball off to Johnson more and more. Incidentally, Tennessee is playing two of the worst defenses in the game, Jacksonville and Houston, in weeks 16 and 17.
James Jones (WR, GB)-Jones has not caught a touchdown since week five. He has struggled mightily since quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone. Now, the Packers find themselves in the hunt to make the playoffs. Quarterback Matt Flynn is targeting Jones more than any other player on the Packers. Expect Flynn to continue to air it out to his number one deep target and expect the yards to pile up.
-Sit-
Eli Manning (QB, NYG)-2013 has not been Manning’s year. He has thrown more interceptions (20) than he has touchdowns (16). On top of that, the 5-8 Giants have already been eliminated from the playoffs. There is no reason Manning should have a late season turnaround, especially since he will be facing the stellar Seahawks defense in week 15.
Fred Jackson (RB, BUF)-The Bills do not have much more to play for other than pride. However, they may also decide to do everything in their power to keep their 26-year-old running back happy. C.J. Spiller signed a six-year, $40 million contract in 2010. According to my calendar, Spiller still has three more years left on that juicy contract. Look for the Bills to hand the ball off less to the veteran Jackson and more to Spiller in order to keep the franchise player satisfied.
Steve Smith (WR, CAR)-There is no real secret to how to shutdown the Carolina offense: simply contain wide receiver Steve Smith. Because Carolina has so few other potent wide receiving options, Smith is often faced up against the opposing team’s best cornerback or double teams. He has failed to eclipse 70 yards in a single game this season, and it does not look like things will be getting any easier for the 34-year-old.
Seth Coven can be contacted at [email protected].
