Fantasy Football: 6 Sleeper Tight Ends to Target in 2018

Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills

Charles Clay is Mr. Consistent. Over the last five seasons, the unheralded tight end has seen at least 74 targets each year while averaging 56.8 receptions and 600.4 yards per campaign. Since 2013, Clay has the 10th-most PPR fantasy points and receptions among tight ends. Even on an underwhelming Buffalo Bills offense, Clay has proven to be a reliable fantasy option.

He gets the job done with volume. During his tenure with the Bills, the tight end has finished with at least a 16% target market share every season despite missing seven total games since 2015. In 2017, Clay led Buffalo with 5.7 targets per game, finishing behind only LeSean McCoy in total looks (74). Even though he played just 13 games, Clay was the team's leading receiver with 558 yards.

While the heavy usage provides a solid floor, Clay has been held back by his lack of touchdowns. Luckily, he's due for some positive regression in that area. He scored only 2 touchdowns in 2017 despite seeing 19% of the Bills red-zone targets. He had averaged four touchdowns per year the previous four seasons and is projected for an uptick in 2018, with our models forecasting him for 3.3 scores.

Going by PPR points per game, Clay finished as a starting fantasy tight end (top-12) last season, averaging 9.0 PPR points per game, which ranked 12th at the position. With such solid production, you would expect him to be getting more love in fantasy drafts this season. However, he is currently going undrafted in 12-team leagues and as TE17 in 14-team leagues, making him the ideal target for those wanting to wait it out at the tight end position. --Dale Redman