Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates missing each other

For the first eight weeks of the season, Philip Rivers looked like a must-start Fantasy quarterback, even putting together a stretch of seven straight games with multiple touchdown passes. Tight end Antonio Gates was on the receiving end of nine of them.

But in four weeks since then, nothing has gone right for them. Though he got his yardage back up to a respectable level, Rivers had his third straight game with no more than one touchdown pass Week 12 against St. Louis, most likely confining him to the bench in standard 12-team leagues for at least another week. And Gates probably belongs there with him.

As critical as Gates was to Rivers' success in the early going, perhaps it's no surprise he's struggling now. He was targeted only twice in Week 12, catching both balls for 14 yards, and is averaging 2.7 catches for 24.7 yards during Rivers' three-game drought. And of course, he has no touchdowns.

It's not exactly a chicken-and-egg scenario. Whether or not health is a factor, as has been rumored, Rivers' struggles have most likely led to Gates' and not the other way around. But because their fates are so closely tied, you'll need to see Rivers get back on track before you can fully trust Gates again. Tight end being a much shallower position, though, Gates isn't the clear sit Rivers is.