New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski caught nine passes for 143 yards and a touchdown in a 55-31 Week 9 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Gronkowski was targeted a team-high 10 times in the game.
Fantasy impact: Gronk's performance on Sunday was encouraging for his fantasy owners. That's especially true considering he was held to just a pair of catches and 27 yards in a sloppy game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 8.
Pass catchers can generally only perform as well as their quarterback can throw to them, so perhaps the more important story line here is that Tom Brady threw for over 400 yards and four touchdown passes. Also impressive is the fact that only one pass between Brady and Gronkowski failed to result in a catch.
Coming off of a bye Week to face the Carolina Panthers in Week 11, the Patriots will face a Panthers team that seems to be rejuvenated with quarterback Cam Newton carrying the team to multiple victories over the last few weeks.
Though the Panthers possess one of the better pass defenses in the league, fantasy owners can expect a continued high level of performance from both Brady and Gronkowski who will undoubtedly be counted on to lead the team for the remainder of the season.
Along with the New Orleans Saints Jimmy Graham, Gronkowski is the best of the best when it comes to fantasy tight ends.
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