Tony Gonzalez, Tight End, Atlanta Falcons
NFL Experience: 17 Years
First Round, 13th Pick in 1997
College: California
2013 Statistics | Games | Rec | Yds | AVG | TD | Points |
| 16 | 83 | 859 | 10.3 | 8 | 135.90 |
Best Performance
Week 4, VS New England Patriots: 12 receptions, 149 yards and two touchdowns
Gonzalez finished Week 4 as the No. 1 fantasy receiver, ahead of Jimmy Graham, Antonio Gates and Jordan Cameron. He put up a ridiculous 12 catches on 14 targets for a 86-percent catch rate. He did so against a team that was relatively solid against tight ends all season long. This gave many hopes that Gonzalez, despite the lack of team success, was prepared to continue being an upper-echelon fantasy option in what many considered to be his final season in the NFL.
Best Four-Game Stretch
Weeks 13-16: 21 receptions, 192 yards and four touchdowns
Despite averaging less than 10 yards per reception during this span, Gonzalez was a bright spot for a Falcons team that had already given up on the season. He put up a touchdown in all four games and was the No. 3 fantasy tight end during that span. Gonzalez's best performance during these four games came against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16. He tallied eight receptions for 63 yards and a score, including an important late-game touchdown.
Lowest Statistical Output
Week 10, VS- Seattle Seahawks: Three receptions, 26 yards and zero touchdowns
Who didn't struggle against the Seahawks defense this season? Gonzalez's 26 yards represented his lowest single-game total since he put up nine yards against the Detroit Lions in Week 16 of the 2012 season. Simply put, Gonzalez couldn't do anything against the combination of Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas.
2013 Season at a Glance
As I mentioned above, Gonzalez was one of a few bright spots for the Falcons in what ended up being a disastrous season. He finished 2013 as the No. 4 fantasy tight end in the league. He did so despite putting up his lowest yardage total since 2010.
Consistency was somewhat of an issue here. 20-perecent of his entire fantasy output came in that one game against the Patriots in Week 4. Outside of that, he averaged just 7.3 fantasy points per game, which would have ranked him behind the likes of Charles Clay and Greg Olsen.
2014 Outlook
It was widely believed that Gonzalez's swan song in the NFL was the Pro Bowl late last month. He had pretty much announced that 2013 was going to be his final season. Unfortunately for Gonzalez, who was looking to win a championship before he went out, the cards didn't fall in place with the Falcons.
Gonzalez recently indicated that he'd be open to a late-season return on a contender. While that might be great for teams who will be in need of receiving options come November or December, it does little for fantasy owners.
The good news here is that most fantasy drafts take place later in the summer, at which point we might get a better understanding of whether Gonzalez will return for a full season and where he might land. If it's with the Falcons, he's going to be a top-six tight end option. Until then, look elsewhere.
Next Up: #97, Josh McCown, Quarterback, Chicago Bears