GREAT SCOTT! WITH NO GRONK
Chandler is obvious best replacement at TE
By now you should already have executed your contingency plans if you have Rob Gronkowski on your team. One of fantasy’s most dominant and valuable assets went down with a knee injury at the worst possible time, with fantasy playoffs a week away in most six-qualifier formats.
One of the best Plan Bs to use is simply deploying Gronkowski’s replacement, Scott Chandler. Bill Belichick is a master of adjustments, but he’s not going to simply overhaul the offense to limit the number of tight end routes. Plus, with Julian Edelman out and Danny Amendola always an injury concern, Chandler is a great bet to get plenty of looks for as long as Gronkowski is sidelined, which could be for the duration of the fantasy playoffs if the Patriots err on the side of caution.
Chandler caught five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown Sunday night against the Broncos, a performance one would gladly take at tight end for fantasy purposes. It’s also important to note Chandler was targeted 11 times by Tom Brady. New England’s backup tight end is no slouch. At 6-foot-7, he’s an inch taller than Gronkowski, according to the Pats’ website, though five pounds lighter at 260. This is
not to suggest Chandler is Gronkowski’s equal in athleticism, route-running and hands, but he has the size to be a matchup problem.
Chandler was solid with Buffalo over the previous four seasons. He had six touchdowns in both 2011 and 2012; each year he had four touchdowns through four games but his production fizzled. In 2013 he posted career-highs of 53 receptions and 655 yards.
When he sees a healthy dose of targets, he usually produces. Last season when he was targeted a season-high 11 times at Denver, he caught eight passes for 81 yards. Earlier in the season against New England of all teams, Chandler caught six passes on nine targets for 105 yards. In 2013, his lone double-digit target game (11) yielded seven catches for 72 yards.
Chandler’s touchdown on Sunday came in the second quarter when Gronkowski was still in the game, and Chandler was split out to the right. The Patriots have no qualms about moving Chandler around the field, and there’s no doubt he’ll be a factor in the coming weeks. Start him with confidence against the dreadful Eagles in season-long and daily leagues — where he’ll get a high usage rate but is hard to pass up on because of
his cost.