New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is more likely to play than not in the team's Week 4 game against the Atlanta Falcons, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports (via Rotoworld).
Rob Gronkowski injury update: Making progress for fantasy owners
The Pats’ tight end has made considerable progress with his back over the last few weeks and is more likely than not to play against the Falcons in Week 4. We discuss the fantasy implications.
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Gronkowski missed five games last season due to a broken arm and still managed to catch 55 passes for 790 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Fantasy impact: Receivers like Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson looked to have somewhat caught up to speed with quarterback Tom Brady in their Week 3 win over the Tampa Buccaneers. That said, there is no doubt the Patriots need Gronkowski back as soon as possible.
Given that he had a 50-50 chance of playing for the team in Week 3, fantasy owners can peg him as a game-time decision for this Sunday's matchup with slightly more optimism going into Week 4. Though it remains to be seen whether Julian Edelman will be affected by the eventual return of Danny Amendola, there is no doubt that Rob Gronkowski is the team's top tight end.
In limited action, teammate Zach Sudfeld has no catches for the team and has only been used sparingly as he's dealing with his own hamstring injury. The good news for fantasy owners as they probably drafted him at a discount knowing that Gronkowski would be out and the wait to get him back in the lineup won't last much longer.
• Week 4 fantasy football waiver wire: QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST
