It's hard to describe what Antonio Gates is experiencing with the torn plantar fascia in his right foot. Gates himself says he doesn't know what to expect from day to day. But one thing is for sure: He's living and playing with tremendous pain. "It's weird, because after the game you just never know how this thing is going to react," Gates said Sunday to the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I deal with so much pain after the game. It discourages me so much. It's so painful that I say, 'I can't keep doing this.' The beauty of it is I pray about it and I wake up Sunday morning, and that's usually when I know if I'm going to play or not."

Fantasy Analysis:

This is what we've come to expect with Gates. That torn plantar fascia is not going to heal without extensive rest, something the Chargers can't afford to give their star tight end since they are fighting for their divisional life. Gates won't practice during the week and we probably won't know if he'll play each week until an hour or so before kickoff. That's just the way it's going to be for the rest of the season. But at least that makes your decision of whether or not to play him on your team very easy. If he's active, you're starting him. He might be running on two mangled feet, but he did so yesterday and still recorded six receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. He's just too good to sit.