Aaron Hernandez Injury: Is Patriots TE Reliable Fantasy Play vs. Jets?

New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has been out since Week 2 with a sprained left MCL and his return date is uncertain at this point.

The second-year tight end was wearing a brace on his knee and did meet with the media on Thursday, but he didn't say whether or not he would play on Sunday against the New York Jets.

The fact that the Patriots haven't yet declared Hernandez fit to play is troubling for his status against the Jets this week. I think it probably means he'll be out another week to let his knee fully heal. The Florida product hasn't practiced all week and head coach Bill Belichick almost never allows guys who haven't practiced to play on Sundays.

Obviously, this has to be disappointing if you drafted Hernandez. He's clearly one of the top fantasy tight ends and this injury has really thrown off a lot of owners. In his absence, fellow second-year tight end Rob Gronkowski has continued to look great, which means quarterback Tom Brady has got even more comfortable with him.

That may not mean fewer balls will head Hernandez's way, but with Wes Welker and Gronkowski both garnering their fair share of touches, there are only so many balls to go around.

In the two games he did play this season, Hernandez was fantastic, racking up 14 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns. He has shown improved hands and a much better understanding of New England's offense this season, which should bode well for his future.

Unfortunately, his return isn't looking promising for this Sunday. Hernandez is likely to be sidelined once again as the Patriots try and get him back to 100 percent.