Drafting a tight end in fantasy football can be incredibly difficult. After the top three or so players, everyone else seems to bunch together. On a week-to-week basis, if you aren’t playing Jimmy Graham or Vernon Davis, your tight end position will likely be incredibly reliant on touchdowns for that week.

If you miss out on Graham, Davis or Julius Thomas, look for one of these five tight ends who have a great chance to have big years and be one of those tight ends you can count on to consistently be in the top 10 each week and be threats to score touchdowns each week.

5. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is going to be weird to start out this list, but don’t draft Austin Seferian-Jenkins. He probably won’t be in the top 30 on many people’s draft cheat sheets, but by the middle of the season, Seferian-Jenkins could be worth a pickup should your drafted tight end sustain an injury or if they’re just underwhelming.

In terms of size, Seferian-Jenkins reminds me a lot of Marcedes Lewis, who, for a few years, was one of the most consistent fantasy tight ends. He’s a big guy who will likely get a lot of red zone looks in Tampa.

Although Mike Evans is already there to go up and get jump balls, I think this rookie could make a name for himself in the Buccaneers’ offense. He can go up and get passes, and has surprisingly soft hands for such a big guy. Although he has some off-the-field issues, his raw talent and athleticism make him a great candidate to be a threat in fantasy toward the back end of the season and in the fantasy playoffs.

4. Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions

Yes, I am putting two rookies on this list back-to-back. Right after the draft, I wrote about how Ebron should be drafted in the middle of the pack with the rest of the second-tier of fantasy tight ends.

Acknowledging that rookie tight ends have a history of struggling, like Sefarian-Jenkins, I think Ebron’s body type fits perfectly for what fantasy owners should look for in tight ends. He can run plays out of the slot and fight for tough passes over the middle of the field.

With Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate going downfield, Matthew Stafford will be looking 10 or so yards down the field over the middle, and that’s where Ebron will be. Yes, Brandon Pettigrew signed a new contract in the offseason, but as a pass catcher, the Lions have to see that Ebron has much better hands than Pettigrew.

Ebron will be available in the late rounds of the draft, so take him knowing that based on talent and opportunity (Pettigew was targeted 64 times last season in Detroit’s offense, and Ebron will likely get the same, if not more) alone, he could end up as one of the 12 best fantasy tight ends this season.

3. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles

Ertz had a fairly pedestrian season last year, going for 469 yards and four touchdowns. Although Brent Celek has traditionally been the Eagles’ tight end drafted in fantasy, this will be Ertz’s year in just his second year in the league.

Philadelphia is without DeSean Jackson now, so head coach Chip Kelley will be looking for new passing targets in his fast-paced offense. He is quick off the snap and is a great route-runner, but is also great at lowering his head and finishing plays with the ball in his hand.

Ertz averaged 13 yards per catch last season, and although it will be hard for Nick Foles to repeat the numbers he had last season, Ertz will take that next step this season with the opportunities open because of Jackson’s departure and Celek’s declining production.

2. Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts

Allen was one of the more hyped tight ends heading into drafts last season, but he only had one reception all year, leaving the Colts’ Week 1 game and missing the rest of the season. Coby Fleener will go higher than Allen in drafts because of the numbers he put up last season (608 yards and four touchdowns) but waiting on Allen until late in your draft or waiting to pick him up as a free agent will pay off.

Allen is more talented and is the better tight end than Fleener, and it’s likely that Indianapolis will use a lot of two-tight end sets if Allen and Fleener both stay healthy. Reggie Wayne’s health is still in question, and there’s no telling what the Colts will get out of Hakeem Nicks.

Last season, Andrew Luck completed 66.1 percent of his passes when the Colts had two tight ends on the field, and as long as he can stay on the field, Allen will show that he can beat out Fleener for those snaps when there’s just one tight end on the field.

With Luck as his quarterback, Allen will end up being the better fantasy tight end than Fleener, and although he may end up with less total fantasy points on the year than Ertz, his jump forward would be much higher up the tight end rankings than Ertz, putting him higher on this list. 

1. Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins

By the end of last season, people had already forgotten about Reed because they last saw him on the field in mid-November. But, if Reed can carry over what he did last season, he’ll take the biggest leap forward out of any tight end.

Prior to missing the remainder of the season with a concussion, Reed played in eight games (he was injured in his ninth against Philadelphia). In those games, he averaged 11.1 yards per catch and scored three touchdowns.

Now in his second year, Reed will take over the tight end position full-time with Fred Davis suspended indefinitely. Under new head coach Jay Gruden, there will be a lot of opportunity for Reed in Washington.

After adding DeSean Jackson, Washington can stretch the field with he and Pierre Garcon, leaving Reed with plenty of opportunities over the middle of the field. Last year in Cincy, Gruden’s offense targeted the tight ends (Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert) a total of 125 times. Reed won’t get that many looks, but draft Reed expecting 80 or so targets and a floor of seven touchdowns and 750 yards on the year.