RosterWatch Nation, the Christmas season is here. Everywhere families are putting up their Christmas trees, feeding the gloriousness of American consumerism and drinking Gingerbread Lattes by the gallon. I just put up more Christmas lights than Clark W. Griswold and now I’m going to have to throw back some egg nog like Clark and Cousin Eddie to deal with some of these garbage fantasy performances. I expected big things out of Crockett Gillmore last Monday, but he stunk up the joint worse than Cousin Eddie’s raw-sewage-management processes.

When you were a kid did you ever get a Christmas card from a relative and you assumed it was just the crappy old family picture with your uncle and aunt wearing antlers – but then you opened the envelope and their was a fresh 20 dollar bill in it? This week, you could get a similar happy surprise if you decide to play unheralded Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate.

The tight end position continues to be a nightmare and the situation became much, much worse after news broke that Rob Gronkowski may miss several weeks. There’s a decent possibility Heath Miller will miss this week. While Miller is certainly not an every week TE1 anymore he has done some damage against the Indianapolis Colts. Jimmy Graham’s 2015 season is done and his 2016 season is also in jeopardy.

It’s time to get some value. If there’s one guy I’m willing to take a chance on this week it’s Cameron Brate.

I wrote about another Bucs tight end, Austin Seferian-Jenkins earlier this season. I’m a big fan of ASJ, but he just cannot stay healthy. He’s been plagued with injuries in college and since he came into the league last year. Brate has done some good things with limited snaps in his relief.

The tight ends in Tampa Bay are lucky to play with two monsters in the receiving corps, Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. Brate’s got a better matchup than a few other tight ends worth considering this week (Crockett Gillmore and – lord help us all – Vance McDonald). Brate’s upside isn’t massive but I like his value and what feels like a high floor in Week 13.

Let’s take a look at the positives and negatives for Cameron Brate while considering his fantasy value in Week 13 versus the Atlanta Falcons defense.

Positives

– Size and Quickness: He’s almost the same size as ASJ at 6’5” and 250 lbs. He timed in the 40 at 4.67 but he plays faster. He’s quick in and out of his breaks for being a big guy.

– Quarterback Play: Jameis Winston is going through the ups and downs of a usual rookie season. He has shown a lot of promise throughout the season. The upside to Jameis in fantasy is he’s not afraid to take shots. He wrecked the Eagles but struggled against the Colts. I think he has a bounce-back week against the Dolphins. Winston showed he has trust in Brate as he has thrown two touchdown passes to him in two consecutive weeks.

– Production: Brate has been productive with limited snaps. He was given 41 snaps against the Colts and showed his ability to work well in the offense. Because of sharing time with former fellow Harvard Crimson tight end Kyle Juszczyk in college, Brate is accustomed to making the most out of restricted playing time.

– Role: The coaching staff is clearly not afraid to use Brate in the red zone and he really benefits from having Mike Evans and VJax drawing so much attention from the defense.

– Matchup: I’m excited about this matchup. The Falcons have been very susceptible to passing attacks. They’ve given up the 11th most fantasy points to tight ends this season and I like that ranking considering the Colts had given up the 13th most fantasy points to tight ends. Brate’s not a mismatch nightmare but can Paul Worrilow and the secondary keep him in check? I don’t think so.

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Negatives

– ASJ: This is the big one. If ASJ is able to finally suit up, this whole column won’t be worth a damn. Austin Seferian-Jenkins got cleared for contact on Friday. This doesn’t mean he’s playing for sure but it doesn’t mean he’s definitely not playing, either. It’s a tenuous situation. If ASJ plays I just don’t see enough opportunity for Brate to consider playing/starting him.

– Limited Athleticism: He’s a good route-runner and that makes up for a lot but he’s not incredibly fast. He doesn’t have great long speed. He’s quick off the line but he’s not a really explosive athlete. This is likely part of the reason he went undrafted. Just not enough measurable there to really entice GMs.

– Ceiling: I just don’t see him going ballistic. I think two touchdowns is probably his highest-possible cap. So don’t expect him to be a top three scorer or anything.

DECLASSIFIED: Cameron Brate’s Week 13 Fantasy Outlook

Cameron Brate is not incredibly exciting. I’m not sure there is one person in the world dying to get him in their Week 13 lineups. He’s probably the box of socks under your Christmas tree. You need him, but he’s no Gronkowski (Nintendo 64). However, he’ll keep your feet warm and help you get where you need to go. And surprisingly he was the 8th highest-scoring fantasy TE in weeks 11 and 12! He’s got three receiving touchdowns, the same amount as Delanie Walker!

He’s available in over 90% of redraft leagues and he’s got a tasty matchup against New Orleans in week 14. At this point, he’s probably better than most tight ends you have stashed on your bench.

He’s only $2500 in DraftKings this week. He’s going for the minimum and I’d take him over other value plays like Vance McDonald and Crocket Gillmore due to their tougher matchups against the Bears and Dolphins, respectively. Also, when basement-dwelling at this pricing level, nearly everyone will be rostering Scott Chandler, who is also only priced at the minimum on DK which will mean likely sub-1 percent ownership this week for Brate.

Keep your eye on the Bucs injury report because if ASJ is probable, I would sit Brate this week.

All factors considered, and assuming ASJ sits, I would expect Brate to pull down 6 receptions for 85 yard and a receiving touchdown in Week 13 versus the Atlanta Falcons!