X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Is Rob Gronkowski Playing This Year? Will Kyle Rudolph Replace Gronk?

rob gronkowski fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

What are the chances that Tampa Bay Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski stays retired in 2022? Who is the better tight end for fantasy football, Kyle Rudolph or Cameron Brate?

He’s still filming USAA commercials. His agent says he thinks he might come back during the season. Skip Bayless agrees.

Fantasy football managers would like for Rob Gronkowski to return – if not now, at least in time for the fantasy playoffs.

For a while, he was a trendy late-round pick in best-ball formats, but now he has dropped from an ADP of 113 to 215 on Underdog in the past month. If he does return, Gronk would be a great value pick! But will he?

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Rob Gronkowski's Fantasy Football Background

Gronkowski is likely to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He has accumulated the third-most touchdown catches by a tight end in history and has the fifth-most yards. He initially retired after the 2018 season, but he returned to TE1 status after joining quarterback Tom Brady in Tampa Bay in 2020.

He scored seven TDs in his first year back, although his targets and receptions were down from his peak. In 2021, he scored six TDs and increased his target numbers. He finished as the TE5 in standard scoring despite missing four games, and he was the TE3 in average points per game.

He was an unrestricted free agent following last season, and many had speculated that his future would be tied to that of his friend and long-time teammate, Tom Brady. When Brady unretired, most folks figured Gronk would accompany him on his quest for another ring.

 

How Did Rob Gronkowski Handle Tom Brady's Return?

When Brady ended his 40-day retirement, it was reported that the Buccaneers would try to get Gronk to re-sign, too. Some analysts were "certain" that he would reunite with Brady.

Mike Moraitis of Titans Wire wrote,

The veteran tight end, who came out of retirement in 2020 just to team up with his buddy, Brady, will almost assuredly want to reunite with him once again, taking Gronk off the board in free agency.

Brady wanted him to come back. In late April, Gronk said he hadn't made up his mind.

Finally, on June 21, Gronk announced his decision: he was done. He has spent much of July trying to convince us he's 100 percent sure, saying he's not coming back, even if Brady gives him a call.

At this point, nothing will convince some that he won't eventually unretire for a second time.

 

Will Kyle Rudolph Take Over Rob Gronkowski's Role?

With Rob Gronkowski retired and O.J. Howard signing with the Bills in the offseason, the Bucs signed former Viking Kyle Rudolph. While Rudolph caught 50 or more passes in three straight seasons from 2016 to 2018, he only caught 26 passes for 257 yards and one TD last season with the Giants. The move suggests the Bucs believe Gronkowski is sincere in his desire to stay retired.

The Bucs also signed future Hall of Fame receiver Julio Jones. While this move seems more related to addressing depth at the receiver position with Chris Godwin (knee) recovering from a torn ACL, the absence of Gronkowski is a significant factor for Tampa Bay's passing game heading into the 2022 season.

 

Who Will Benefit More If Gronk Stays Retired, Kyle Rudolph Or Cameron Brate?

Rudolph's signing certainly isn't great news for Brate, who had 30 receptions for 245 yards and four touchdowns on 57 targets in 17 regular season games (three starts) while sharing the field with Gronkowski in 2021. Brate has the edge based on familiarity and chemistry with Brady after playing with him the last two seasons.

On the flip side, the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud suggests that Rudolph will inherit most of Gronkowski's workload.

Either way, the Bucs need to replace Gronk's 55-802-6 line from a season ago, and both Rudolph and Brate give Brady experienced, big-bodied receivers at the position, especially in the red zone.

If both tight ends stay healthy in 2022, Brate should be the one to benefit the most if Gronkowski actually stays retired. Of the 31-year-old's 57 targets in 2021, 19 of them came in the red zone, and he's scored at least six TDs three times in his career.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jon Rahm

Looks to Prove His Importance on European Ryder Cup Team
Tommy Fleetwood

Among Leaders of European Ryder Cup Team
Christian Kirk

Expected to be Sidelined in Week 1, Could Miss More Time
Amari Cooper

Informs Raiders of Retirement
Jayden Reed

Returns to Practice
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Jauan Jennings

Gets Incentives Added to Contract
Jakobi Meyers

Unsure About Potential Extension
Matthew Stafford

Off Injury Report Ahead of Week 1
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Departs Monday with Quad Injury
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP