The New England Patriots avoided a major scare on Sunday night with the injury to Rob Gronkowski, as the tight end said that the knee sprain he suffered against the Broncos is "nothing serious." Gronkowski is considered week-to-week for now and fantasy owners should look at Scott Chandler to step in for Week 13, while players like Danny Amendola and Brandon LaFell also should make an impact against the Eagles.
Gronkowski was injured against the Broncos on Sunday night and had to be carted off the field, but he was able to walk to the locker room and tests revealed that the tight end suffered a "minor sprain." According to Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal, Gronkowski said that he is "thankful that it is nothing serious" and that he will return for the Patriots when he is "100 percent" healthy. Gronkowski has been the leading receiver for the Patriots this season and losing him to a serious injury could have been devastating for the offense.
Tom Brady and the Patriots have already been dealing with numerous injuries on the offensive side of the ball, as Dion Lewis is out for the season, Julian Edelman is out with a foot injury and Danny Amendola has missed time with a knee issue. Edelman could return for the end of the regular season or the playoffs, while Amendola is expected to be back in the lineup soon. Gronkowski will be out this week and while there is a chance he could play in Week 14, the Patriots likely will be cautious since they basically have the AFC East division locked up already with a 10-1 record.
Gronkowski is having another monster season for the Patriots and he is leading the team with 57 catches for 931 yards and nine touchdowns. Scott Chandler stepped up against the Broncos and he should see some increased worth until Gronkowski returns. Chandler had five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown and he was targeted 11 times by Tom Brady. Chandler has not done much this season playing behind Gronkowski, but he is a solid replacement for the Patriots until the tight end can return.
Danny Amendola missed last week with a knee injury and he could return after practicing this week. According to Pro Football Talk, Amendola was limited in practice on Wednesday and his status leading in the weekend could depend on how he looks on Thursday. Jason Cole at Bleacher Report writes that the Patriots are "expecting" to have Amendola back this week. If Amendola is out, fantasy owners should look at Brandon LaFell and Keshawn Martin as options to start this week.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2594371-insider-buzz-patriots-hopeful-gronkowski-and-amendola-will-play-vs-eagles
The Patriots are also hoping to have Jamie Collins in the lineup after Collins had to sit out with an illness over the past four weeks. According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, Collins was able to return to practice and should be able to play this week.
Check here for more on the Patriots, Gronkowski and Amendola.
