I miss Rob Gronkowski.

Gronk is a fantasy star, perhaps the most consistent player in the Roto World. But this loneliness goes beyond fantasy. It hits directly at the delight a full Sunday of NFL football brings.

Without Gronk, the enjoyment ceiling is lower. I can only be so happy. Where will I get my fill of aggressive touchdown spikes? Where can I see celebrations that absurdly mock British culture? Is Dallas Clark going to do that for me? Jason Witten? Please. I’m weeping just thinking about it.

Jimmy Graham is pretty cool, I guess. Tony Gonzalez is a legend, I suppose. But they’re nothing compared to Gronk. Nothing! Bill Belichick’s “football players play football” slogan is all fine and good when the Patriots win championships, but what about now, when it leaves me yearning for exciting tight ends and all I get is Heath Miller’s 5.1-second 40-yard dash?

Also, let me extend my condolences to every Gronk-owning fantasy team. The injury lessens true contenders to low-end postseason teams and effectively ends the season of any average team hoping to get lucky come playoff time. Sad. Here’s some players to start and sit this week anyway, if it even matters anymore.

START

Andy Dalton (quarterback, Bengals) — Dalton has been phenomenal of late, throwing for nine touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last three outings while leading Cincy to three straight blowout victories. This week, he heads to San Diego to play the chokin’ Chargers in what could very well turn into a high-scoring affair. If that’s the case, Dalton and the red hot Bengals would have no problem keeping up. Bengals win, your fantasy team wins — everyone wins! Except Norv Turner.

Doug Martin (running back, Buccaneers) — Time for some accountability, me. A few weeks ago, I advised fantasy owners to be wary of Martin following his 50-plus point fantasy performance because I wasn’t yet sold on the rookie running back. That was dumb. I was dumb. I’m sorry. Martin kept the momentum and is now a must-play every week. Starting him should be obvious now, and you don’t need me telling you that, but I felt it necessary to apologize for my earlier gaffe. Sorry, Doug.

Chris Johnson (running back, Titans) — Johnson is usually mentioned in fantasy football articles as the butt of jokes. “C.J. no K. LOL!” No fantasy player has fallen farther from grace, partly because of the fact that no fantasy player had a higher perch to fall from. Johnson was a 2,000-yard god. Now, he is not. He is, however, a smart play this week. Johnson’s first good performance this season came in Week Four against the Houston Texans, and he’s played well the last three weeks, with two touchdowns and an average of 116 yards per game. He gets the Texans at home this time around, and there’s no reason to expect less than a 100-yard, two-TD performance.

SIT

Eric Decker (wide receiver, Broncos) — His prominent role with the Broncos is slipping into that gray area of uncertainty. Will Peyton Manning target him 12 times, or three? On the goal line, will the throws go to Decker, or a tight end? Or a running back? Or Demaryius Thomas? Before, it was easy to answer those questions in Decker’s favor, but for the past few weeks, it’s been tough. Decker may return to old form on Sunday, but the odds, and the Doctor, say otherwise.

Anyone on the Ravens — That means no Joe Flacco, no Ray Rice, no Torrey Smith, no Anquan Boldin, no anybody. Why? Because the Steelers are in town this week, two teams built around defense in a rivalry built around punishing hate. In the past, this matchup has seen some high point totals, but statistics say not to count on it. A 17-10 final score is a better bet. So Charlie Batch be damned, this game will be low-scoring.

Jack is a senior in LAS. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JCassidy10.