All summer, questions have swirled regarding Rob Gronkowski's fantasy value. Should you draft him? If so, how early? Will he be ready to play Week 1? How many games will he play this season? The elite fantasy tight end has finally put some of these questions to rest as he announced Monday that he will play in the Patriots season opener against the Dolphins on Sunday.
New England has a reputation of being vague when it comes to the playing status of their stars, which led to many fantasy enthusiasts getting duped last year when reports said that Gronk would be playing by Week 3, which turned into Week 4 ... and you get the point. Thing are are a little clearer this season as he's been given a full green light to play Week 1.
Although Gronkowski has stated that he wouldn't be playing "every single snap" against Miami, owners would only need a few redzone looks from him in order for him to put up sufficient fantasy numbers on a weekly basis. He's Tom Brady's favorite target when the Patriots are close to the end zone and he has scored 15 touchdowns in his last 18 games played. The tight end should also boost Brady's fantasy value as long as he is healthy. Simply put, when Gronk is active, don't leave him on your bench:
Gronkowski still comes with risk as his aggressive playing style puts him in dangerous positions physically, but he is well worth consideration at his current Round 4 ADP in NFL.com leagues and will likely start flying off draft boards even earlier since he will officially be on the field Week 1.
Matt Franciscovich is an associate fantasy editor at NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter _**@mfranciscovich**._
