Fantasy Football 2015: 5 Undervalued Tight Ends

Nov 30, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed (86) tries to evade Indianapolis Colts safety Dewey McDonald (31) at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts won, 49-27. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins

Sadly, Jordan Reed is one of those players that many think will never be reliable to play a full season in his career. He’s missed 12 games in his first two seasons in the league, and is currently recovering from a hamstring injury that has kept him out of training camp up until this point.

However, if Reed can get (and stay) on the field, there’s no question that he has the talent to be one of the league’s top tight ends, and an excellent fantasy play. Washington tight end Niles Paul had overtaken Reed on the depth chart before suffering a fractured ankle, and now Reed should own sole possession of the team’s top spot.

Both his team and his fantasy owners will thank him if this is the season he can finally stay healthy, but Washington head coach Jay Gruden isn’t going to rush him back:

"“We’ve got to be smart with him and really only Jordan can tell us how he’s feeling,” Gruden said, per ESPN’s John Keim. “Hamstrings nowadays — is it tight? Is it pulled? What is it? You never know. So we’ve just got to trust his word that when he’s right, he’ll be right.”"

Reed is currently being drafted as the 22nd tight end in ESPN fantasy football drafts, and is only owned in 13% of leagues. There’s a lot of risk because it’s impossible to know if he can stay healthy or not, but if he can put it all together then Reed has the talent and is in a situation that could make him a top-5 fantasy tight end. He’s a high-risk high-upside player, and should be considered by anyone willing to take a chance on a potentially huge payout.

Next: He'll Be Back Before You Know It