Fantasy Football 2016 Tight End Rankings: Week 13

Remember when it was a forgone conclusion that Rob Gronkowski was going to be the No. 1-ranked fantasy tight end every week and the debate would be who was next? Well the battle for the top spot is on with the news on Thursday that Gronk has a herniated disc in his back and will undergo surgery. It's safe to assume that, from a fantasy standpoint, Gronk's season is over.

Jordan Reed also is hurting right now, dealing with a Grade 3 AC joint separation in his left shoulder, which has already caused him to miss practice time.

So that leaves Greg Olsen, Travis Kelce (coming off back-to-back 100-yard games) and Jimmy Graham as the most likely leadoff options for this week’s rankings, and it’s possible Tyler Eifert could sneak into the conversation too. Two guys who already are eliminated from consideration are Delanie Walker and Gary Barnidge, as Tennessee and Cleveland are the last two teams to go on bye.

Positional Rankings: QB I RB I WR I TE I DST I K I Flex

Teams on bye: Cleveland, Tennessee

Note: Rankings were updated once it was reported that Rob Gronkowski would need back surgery.

— Rankings by Michael Horvath, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Horvath is a Canadian who also happens to be a fantasy football (not to be confused with CFL) and fitness nut. Follow him on Twitter @realmikehorvath.