Rob Gronkowski: Why Patriots Superstar TE Will Have Huge Fantasy Day vs. Bills

As the New England Patriots prepare for a must-win road game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, there is no more important player (outside of Tom Brady) to the cause than Rob Gronkowski.

The superstar tight end is coming off one of the most disappointing performances of his young career, where he grabbed just two passes for 21 yards against the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday night.

Though bad games happen with nearly every skill position player, what was most disconcerting was how the Patriots used Gronkowski. Playing without Aaron Hernandez, New England held Gronkowski in to block an inordinate amount of times and the 23-year-old was targeted just three times the entire contest.

With Hernandez still out and an injured hip having Gronkowski listed as questionable for Sunday's trip to Buffalo (via CBS Sports), there are plenty of legitimate reasons for fantasy owners to be nervous heading into the contest.

Well, stifle your worries (at least for this week) because the New England star should be in store for a return to form if he plays in Week 4. 

While it's true that the Patriots used Gronkowski heavily in pass protection last Sunday, it was necessary their game plan. New England confounded the Baltimore defense by going with an uptempo attack predicated on short and intermediate pass attempts. The reason Gronkowski was held into block is the same reason we saw such a heavy dose of Danny Woodhead last week—the scheme dictated it. 

Fortunately, that should not be the case against Buffalo. The Bills have a similarly strong pass rush, but theirs is one dictated by a ferocious front four instead of complex blitz schemes.

That should allow Gronkowski to leave protection and go out on far more routes on Sunday. And if his performance against Buffalo last season is any indication, that can only mean good things for the Patriots. 

In two games against the Bills in 2011, Gronkowski was absolutely sensational. Gronk grabbed 15 receptions for 217 yards and four touchdowns in the matchups as tight end served as the true focal point of the Patriots offense.

Granted, this is a much better Buffalo team than the one New England saw a year ago. Its defense has been fantastic in two of the three weeks and has been strong against opposing tight ends thus far.

Nevertheless, Sunday will be the Bills' first true test of the season defensively. Both the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns possess anemic offenses and the Kansas City Chiefs played without Jamaal Charles for most of its game against Buffalo.

Considering the Patriots come into Sunday's contest 1-2 and desperately needing a victory, look for Brady to come out throwing early and connect with Gronkowski often.

A week after a terrible performance, expect Gronkowski to surpass the 100-yard mark and get in the end zone as he buoys your team to victory.

Follow @tylerconway22