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Entering the 2014 season, everyone expected Antonio Gates to take a backseat role and let the younger talent take over for the San Diego Chargers. That doesn’t seem to be the case as he is still a superstar tight end playing at a high level. If he’s still available in your league, pick him up now.
Towards the end of last season, Ladarius Green was making an impact and taking receptions away from Gates. From Week 11 to 17, Green had 10 receptions for 228 yards and three touchdowns while Gates had 25 catches for 260 yards and two scores. Gates was still the leading receiver, but Green was getting a bigger role.
Fast forward to Week 1 of this season and Green is nowhere to be found. He had two catches for 29 yards in 1 and wasn’t even targeted in Week 2. Gates has been targeted 17 times in the two games so far and has caught 13 passes.
The upcoming schedule for the Chargers more than favorable over the next five weeks. They play the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills, Jaguars and Chiefs are ranked in the top-half in points allowed to tight ends, so Gates should fair well against most of these teams.
Gates is still Rivers’ most trusted target, possibly behind Keenan Allen. He scored all three of Rivers’ touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks and tied the team-high in receptions. Gates is still available in over 50 percent of ESPN.com and 47 percent of NFL.com leagues. He is a top-tier tight end and will continue to score touchdowns as long as Rivers is the quarterback.
Bill Pivetz is a fantasy sports blogger for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @BPiv_Sports.
