Fantasy Football is strictly about value, so which New England Patriots tight end deserves your pick? Do you take Rob Gronkowski or Martellus Bennett? Fantasy Football 2016.
Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.
TODD:
It is fantasy football drafting season! The NFL season begins in a few weeks, which means this is the time to draft in fantasy football leagues. Though there is quite a debate at the top of draft boards this year, there are also a ton of intriguing options throughout the middle rounds as well. A number of these decisions will come down to roster alignment and how you choose to build your team. However, the most pressing questions come down to options between players at the same position with similar skill sets, who may even find themselves on the same NFL team. It is hard to split hairs, which brings us to a game of “who’d you rather?”
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
This is going to sound crazy but first let me explain myself. After I explain, this will still probably sound crazy, but at least then I’ll have some information on my side.
I would rather draft New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett in fantasy football this season than New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
This is all about value, as all fantasy football selections should be. No one, including myself, is going to argue that Bennett is the better tight end between the two new teammates. No one is arguing against Gronkowski’s dominance of the position. But that dominance has led to him being overvalued, especially in a year when there are more than a dozen viable fantasy tight ends to trust and a bunch more worth taking a flyer on.
According to consensus draft rankings compiled at Fantasy Pros, Gronkowski is unsurprisingly the first tight end off the board. He is going in the first round of nearly all drafts. CBS drafts have him going fifth overall, ahead of Odell Beckham Jr. This is a bit screwy. We know how good Gronk can be, but really, ahead of OBJ?
Meanwhile, the tremendous-in-his-own-right Bennett is not going in the first round. Scrolling down to find his average draft position was a test of my patience. Bennett isn’t coming off the board in drafts until 139th overall as the 14th-ranked tight end. Kickers are being taken ahead of him. Let me say that again. KICKERS are being taken ahead of him! And not just one; there are currently four kickers going ahead of Bennett in the average draft.
Related Story: AFC East is Best Division in 2016
There is little doubt that Gronk is going to outperform Bennett on the aggregate this season. There is also little doubt that Bennett is going to outperform his own draft position by more. The 14th-best tight end is hardly even worth owning. Yet Bennett is one of the most talented TE’s in the league, coming to arguably the best offense for his position in the sport, with the best quarterback in the sport (after Week 4). It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Bennett finish as a top-10 TE this season. Grabbing that in the 14th round and being able to select someone like Beckham in the first round is an infinitely more effective use of draft picks than taking Gronkowski and a Michael Thomas-type, or (*sigh*) your kicker.
DAN:
You make an excellent argument and nearly swayed me to your side. But the sheer distance between Gronkowski and the second rated tight end in the NFL is too much for even you to overcome. There’s a reason Gronk is going ninth overall on average, while the second most drafted tight end is going 38th overall. Jordan Reed is that player, being drafted way back at the end of the fourth round on average (for a ten team league).
I would hesitate to select a tight end anywhere inside the first six rounds, mainly because the difference in fantasy numbers is practically non-existent once you get past Gronk. The upside of drafting nearly anyone else is too high to ignore. Tight end is important, but there are now quite a number of very good players at the position. But there’s only one great player and Gronk will never lose out to another tight end, especially his own teammate.
The only tight end I would consider drafting high is Gronkowski. By having the best player at that position, you nearly guarantee yourself five to ten more points than the opposition each and every week. Your opponent’s tight end will not be as good. Last season Gronk averaged over 12 fantasy points a week. Only three other players averaged over 10 points a week, and none of them played in as many games as Gronk, who missed one game last season. He tallied 183.6 fantasy points on the year, a whopping 25 points more than the 2nd ranked guy.
NFL Predictions: AFC West Over/Under Win Totals Debated
Just for comparison’s sake, Bennett averaged 5.6 fantasy points a week last season. Do you honestly believe he’ll find the endzone on a weekly basis in New England’s offense? He may stick by his average of a season ago, but I’ll take that extra seven points and you can have New England’s backup tight end. Gronk all the way.