Fantasy Fallout: Get back on the Martellus Bennett bandwagon with Gronkowski out

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Here are the fantasy ramifications of New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski reportedly expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a ruptured disk in his back:

One lost season

This latest injury punctuates what was a hellish season for the consensus No. 1 tight end in fantasy, whose start to the year was delayed by a major hamstring injury; he also lost a game to a perforated lung before suffering a back injury requiring surgery. Gronkowski finishes with 25 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns.

You can safely drop Gronkowski in redraft formats, since he likely won't be back until deep into the playoffs - if he returns at all. There's no telling how accurate the injury timeline is, but one thing's for certain: Those of you who used a late-first- or early-second-round pick on the gargantuan pass catcher are probably kicking yourselves for doing so.

In dynasty formats, you'll need to consider whether 2016 represents a ridiculous outlier, or whether Gronkowski is going to be a constant injury threat moving forward due to his smashmouth style of play. If you have faith Gronk will come back better than ever in 2017, consider making a low-ball offer to his current owner, who may be in a selling frame of mind.

Bennett's back, baby!

Gronkowski's extended absence means great things for Bennett owners, who will get to see what their guy can do with the tight end position all to himself once again. Bennett has been one of the most frustrating fantasy assets of 2016, alternating sensational performances with absolute duds. And there's no reason to think the trend won't continue the rest of the way.

Still, if you own Bennett, you're playing him. And if he's available on your waiver wire for some strange reason, you're picking him up. He'll be saddled with plenty of blocking assignments moving forward, but he'll still run his fair share of pass routes - and given QB Tom Brady's affinity for throwing to the tight end, Bennett will be a big-game threat every time he takes the field.

Edelman an every-week WR2?

WR Julian Edelman is also in position to benefit from Gronkowski's major injury. Edelman has returned to being a reliable target in the New England offense, and while the touchdowns haven't been there, the targets certainly have. With one fewer mouth to feed - and a big one, at that - look for Edelman's target share to increase, or at the very least, hold steady.

Edelman should be viewed as an every-week WR2 regardless of opponent, with the upside to move into WR1 range in better matchups. The lack of scores is a concern, and the Patriots will likely continue to look to RB LeGarrette Blount in close - but TDs can come in bunches, and with a higher target volume, Edelman should find the end zone more often.

Malcolm Mitchell's chance will continue

Mitchell has been the most recent in a long and storied trend of mid-tier Patriots receivers to emerge as deep threats late in seasons. Over his past two games, Mitchell has caught nine of 12 targets, totaling 140 yards and three touchdowns.

While he has routinely been behind Gronkowski, Bennett, Edelman and the running backs, and competed with WR Chris Hogan for looks, the injury to Gronkowski props the door open a little more. For season-long owners desperate for a WR3/FLEX play, Mitchell has enough upside to boost teams over the top. Daily fantasy owners can take a risk at a reasonable salary.