Rob Gronkowski Suspended: Top Waiver Wire Targets to Stream in Fantasy

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski earned a one-game suspension for his late hit on Tre'Davious White, the NFL announced Monday. While New England should be fine without him, it couldn't come at a worse time for fantasy football owners. 

Gronkowski is one of the best and most consistent performers at a position that doesn't have too many players you can trust. He is also coming off his two best showings of the season, tallying 229 yards and two touchdowns in the past two weeks.

Now fantasy owners will have to play without him for likely the first round of the fantasy playoffs or the final week of the regular season. During a time when they can't afford to lose, owners will be without one of their top players.

Instead of sulking and complaining, however, owners need to find someone who can replace him in their lineup. While no one can fill Gronkowski's production, there are some options available in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues worth targeting for Week 14.

Ricky Seals-Jones, Cardinals (28 percent owned)

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After three weeks of solid performances, it's hard to keep calling Ricky Seals-Jones a fluke.

Matthew Berry of ESPN discussed the Cardinals tight end as a top option to replace Gronkowski:

Cameron Brate is eliminated by the 50 percent rule, although he could be valuable if available. As far as Seals-Jones is concerned, the rookie could be a top option regardless of your previous situation at tight end.

Seals-Jones was invisible for much of the season, but with Blaine Gabbert under center, he now has 170 yards and three touchdowns in the last three games. Although he only played 15 of 64 snaps last game, the Cardinals like using him in passing situations and Gabbert clearly trusts him to make plays.

While he might be difficult to trust, he likely has the most upside of anyone available.

David Njoku, Browns (5 percent owned)

The Browns are finally starting to feature David Njoku in the offense.

After the rookie first-round pick failed to catch more than three passes in any of his first 10 games, he now has four catches in each of the last two. This includes his best game of the year Sunday against the Chargers when he went for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Bleacher Report's Ian Kenyon had high praise for the young player:

Cleveland hasn't had much of a passing attack all year, but there are finally legitimate targets on the outside between Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman. This should take some attention away from Njoku, who could see plenty of openings across the middle of the field.

While owners could be scared away by the fact the Packers, the Browns' Week 14 opponent, allow the fewest fantasy points to tight ends in the league, this is likely due to not facing many elite tight ends on the schedule more than anything else.

Tyler Kroft, Bengals (43 percent owned)

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In what could look like a wasteland of options on the waiver wire, Tyler Kroft is the most established of the group.

The Bengals tight end now has five touchdowns on the season, including one in each of the last two weeks. At 6'5", 240 pounds, he is a difficult player to defend in the red zone and Cincinnati has taken advantage.

On the other hand, Kroft only has eight catches in the last four games and aside from a few long passes, he is mostly dependent on getting scores to be effective.

He probably has the best chance to get into the end zone but might be a boom-or-bust option.

Trey Burton, Eagles (1 percent owned)

Berry mentioned Trey Burton as a possible option, while John Paulsen of 4 for 4 Football also noted he could be a replacement for Zach Ertz:

Ertz left Sunday's game against the Seahawks with a head injury and did not return. Burton performed well in the fourth quarter, finishing with four catches for 42 yards.

In the one game Ertz missed this season, Burton also came up big with 41 yards and a touchdown against the Broncos.

Carson Wentz and the Eagles like using their tight ends, and if Ertz is forced to miss time, Burton immediately becomes a valuable part of the offense. Those looking to replace Gronk or Ertz could end up battling for his services on the waiver wire this week.