Rob Gronkowski retired. Jacob Hollister was traded. Benjamin Watson is suspended the first four games, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins was released yesterday. Somebody is going to have to play tight end in New England at the start of the season, and right now it sure looks like it will be Matt LaCosse.
This does not mean, of course, that LaCosse is the next Gronk in New England. Or even the next Benjamin Watson. Ian Allan posted an item a couple of weeks back outlining tight end production in this lineup in games Gronk was sidelined -- it worked out to 44 catches for a season's worth of games. Not anything you want to reach for in drafts.
Plus New England, though it has an uncertain depth chart at wide receiver, has lots of bodies. It could give some of Gronk's targets to a bigger wideout, ala rookie N'Keal Harry or Demaryius Thomas, or flood the field with slot receiver types (including Dontrelle Inman and Braxton Berrios).
But I picked up LaCosse in my dynasty league this morning anyway. It's a really small sample set, but if you look at his last two starts last season -- where he caught 9 passes for 76 yards -- it looks at least possible he could be a viable part of the passing game, if given the opportunity.
| TE PER GAME, 2018 (PLUS LACOSSE LAST 2 GAMES) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | No | Yds | TD | FPG |
| Travis Kelce, K.C. | 6.4 | 83.5 | .63 | 18.5 |
| Zach Ertz, Phil. | 7.3 | 72.7 | .50 | 17.5 |
| George Kittle, S.F. | 5.5 | 86.7 | .33 | 16.2 |
| Eric Ebron, Ind. | 4.1 | 46.4 | .88 | 14.0 |
| Jared Cook, Oak. | 4.3 | 56.0 | .38 | 12.1 |
| O.J. Howard, T.B. | 3.4 | 56.5 | .50 | 12.1 |
| Evan Engram, NYG | 4.1 | 55.7 | .30 | 11.5 |
| Jack Doyle, Ind. | 4.3 | 40.8 | .33 | 10.4 |
| Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 3.6 | 52.5 | .23 | 10.2 |
| Austin Hooper, Atl. | 4.4 | 41.3 | .27 | 10.2 |
| Blake Jarwin, Dall. | 3.6 | 40.1 | .43 | 10.2 |
| Tyler Eifert, Cin. | 3.8 | 44.8 | .25 | 9.7 |
| Ian Thomas, Car. | 4.1 | 38.3 | .29 | 9.7 |
| Kyle Rudolph, Min. | 4.0 | 39.6 | .25 | 9.5 |
| Jordan Reed, Was. | 4.2 | 42.9 | .15 | 9.4 |
| Trey Burton, Chi. | 3.4 | 35.7 | .40 | 9.3 |
| Delanie Walker, Ten. | 4.0 | 52.0 | .00 | 9.2 |
| Vance McDonald, Pitt. | 3.3 | 40.7 | .27 | 9.0 |
| David Njoku, Cle. | 3.5 | 39.9 | .25 | 9.0 |
| Will Dissly, Sea. | 2.0 | 39.0 | .50 | 8.9 |
| Greg Olsen, Car. | 3.0 | 32.3 | .44 | 8.9 |
| Matt LaCosse, Den. | 4.5 | 38.0 | .00 | 8.3 |
| Jimmy Graham, G.B. | 3.4 | 39.8 | .13 | 8.2 |
| Rhett Ellison, NYG | 3.3 | 43.8 | .08 | 8.1 |
| Cameron Brate, T.B. | 2.2 | 21.7 | .50 | 7.3 |
| Chris Herndon, NYJ | 2.4 | 31.4 | .25 | 7.1 |
| Mark Andrews, Balt. | 2.1 | 34.5 | .19 | 6.7 |
| C.J. Uzomah, Cin. | 2.7 | 27.4 | .19 | 6.6 |
| Jeff Heuerman, Den. | 2.8 | 25.5 | .18 | 6.5 |
| Geoff Swaim, Dall. | 2.9 | 26.9 | .11 | 6.2 |
| Dallas Goedert, Phil. | 2.1 | 20.9 | .25 | 5.7 |
| Jake Butt, Den. | 2.7 | 28.3 | .00 | 5.5 |
| Benjamin Watson, N.O. | 2.2 | 25.0 | .13 | 5.4 |
| Gerald Everett, LAR | 2.1 | 21.0 | .21 | 5.4 |
| Vernon Davis, Was. | 1.8 | 26.2 | .17 | 5.4 |
| Jesse James, Pitt. | 1.9 | 26.4 | .13 | 5.3 |
| Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Jac. | 2.2 | 18.0 | .20 | 5.2 |
| Jonnu Smith, Ten. | 1.6 | 20.5 | .25 | 5.1 |
| Ricky Seals-Jones, Ariz. | 2.3 | 22.9 | .07 | 5.0 |
| Nick Vannett, Sea. | 1.9 | 17.9 | .20 | 4.9 |
| Antonio Gates, LAC | 1.8 | 20.8 | .17 | 4.8 |
| Michael Roberts, Det. | 1.1 | 12.5 | .38 | 4.6 |
| Ed Dickson, Sea. | 1.2 | 15.2 | .30 | 4.5 |
| Jordan Thomas, Hou. | 1.3 | 13.4 | .25 | 4.1 |
| Tyler Higbee, LAR | 1.5 | 18.3 | .13 | 4.1 |
| Jason Croom, Buff. | 1.5 | 17.3 | .13 | 4.0 |
| Ryan Griffin, Hou. | 1.7 | 21.8 | .00 | 3.9 |
| James O'Shaughnessy, Jac. | 2.0 | 15.8 | .00 | 3.6 |
| Levine Toilolo, Det. | 1.3 | 16.4 | .06 | 3.3 |
| Charles Clay, Buff. | 1.6 | 14.2 | .00 | 3.0 |
| Hayden Hurst, Balt. | 1.1 | 13.6 | .08 | 2.9 |
| Virgil Green, LAC | 1.2 | 13.1 | .06 | 2.9 |
| Maxx Williams, Balt. | 1.2 | 11.6 | .08 | 2.9 |
| Nick Boyle, Balt. | 1.4 | 13.3 | .00 | 2.8 |
| Mike Gesicki, Mia. | 1.4 | 12.6 | .00 | 2.6 |
| Lance Kendricks, G.B. | 1.2 | 10.6 | .06 | 2.6 |
| Josh Hill, N.O. | 1.0 | 11.6 | .06 | 2.5 |
| Jordan Akins, Hou. | 1.1 | 14.1 | .00 | 2.5 |
| Luke Willson, Det. | .9 | 6.2 | .00 | 1.6 |
Fantasy points are PPR scoring. Now, New England might still add a player. They could trade for Kyle Rudolph, and apparently there's a corner of the Internet that thinks Rob Gronkowski is going to come out of retirement. Both are possible. And once Watson returns in Week 5, he might be their main player at the position, wizened and decrepit though he may be.
But if I'm drafting a Patriots tight end in a best-ball league this week (and I might be), LaCosse would be the guy. Who knows? He won't be the next Gronk. But that doesn't mean he has to be just the next Dwayne Allen, either.
--Andy Richardson