In the 2017 season, there were 32 wide receivers that saw 95+ targets. Only seven tight ends hit that mark, all of whom finished in the top-seven of their position in PPR. A common saying in fantasy circles is “volume is king,” and the tight end position is indeed not an exception to that rule.

But finding that volume is more than just looking at last season’s targets and going from there. If it were that easy, there would be no point in me writing this or you reading this. We can look at the targets and say “Kansas City tight ends have seen a top-five target share every season over the last four” but what does that tell us? That Kansas City likes throwing the ball to their tight ends? I’d argue that it could just as easily tell us that Kansas City likes throwing the ball to its best playmaker in Travis Kelce.

So where do we look? I’ve compiled the target data over the last five seasons to try and figure out some trends and identified some teams, and by extension players, that we should be targeting in our drafts. I’m not going to name players/teams like Gronkowski and the Pats, Kelce and the Chiefs, Olsen and the Panthers, etc. because we’ve seen that those guys are exceptional players that would command targets in any scheme or with any quarterback. We’re looking for guys with volume that we can find at a discount.

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Indianapolis Colts
TE target share over last three years: 30.3%, 26%, 21.1%,
Tight ends: Jack Doyle, Eric Ebron

There’s nothing particularly exciting about Doyle, a guy who finished as TE7 last season on 105 targets. The 4.91-40 running tight end went undrafted out of Western Kentucky in 2013 and didn’t do much the first three years in the league before snagging 59 balls. He doesn’t get much separation (27th among tight ends) and doesn’t go far downfield (33rd in air yards for the position) yet still gets plenty of volume. This is a constant trend over the Andrew Luck years (yes, I know, he didn’t play last season) with other mediocre tight ends such as Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen. Doyle is going as the TE12 at pick 127 in drafts. He’s likely not going to win you your league, but if you are looking for some weekly consistency, he’s not a bad option.

With all that said, the other tight end on the roster, Ebron, could have the upside you’re looking for if Doyle were to go down. The former 10th overall pick struggled with drops and inconsistency in Detroit, but has the talent to be a dynamic fantasy option if he can put it all together with the volume and elite quarterback play he should see if Luck stays healthy.

Tennessee Titans
TE target share over last 3: 30.8%, 25.6%, 37%
Tight ends: Delanie Walker, Jonnu Smith

Another year, another TE1 finish for Walker. That marks five straight seasons for the Titans tight end. The shocking thing is the consistency. He’s had over 100 targets over the last four seasons, leading to three top-five finishes and a TE8 for his worst mark. I won’t pretend like Walker isn’t a talented football player. He is.

But he probably doesn’t command that sort of target share on his own as a Kelce or Gronkowski would. Player Profiler’s “production premium” is a weighted metric to judge player efficiency to a standardized mark. Walker comes in at -5.3, even though the average is zero, and is 18th at the tight end position. He’s produced less than the average tight end would with his volume if you were to believe this metric. His most comparable player is Ben Watson via Player Profiler.

However, volume is king, so Walker is undoubtedly a viable fantasy target as he’s a sure bet to see the 100 targets he’s accustomed to. If he were to go down, don’t assume it would be a committee. Smith is super athletic and was taken in the third round last season. He’d be sure to get plenty of volume and would fill in wonderfully for Walker.

Minnesota Vikings
TE target share over last three years: 18.6%, 25.3%, 24.4%
Tight ends: Kyle Rudolph, David Morgan

You might wonder why I’m listing an 18.6% target share on here, and that’s fair. But two of those three years were well above average, and the addition of Kirk Cousins, who threw to his tight ends 23.6%, 25.7%, and 24.9% of the time over the last three years despite missing Jordan Reed for over a third of the games, should bring them back up to that 25% range. Rudolph has finished as TE6 and TE3 the last two seasons, the latter of which saw him get 132 targets. With Rudolph coming off the board as the TE8, his overall ADP has him at the 72nd overall pick. He’s a little rich for my blood at that price point, but if he starts to fall, he’s someone that could see an uptick in targets and finish in the top five of his position.

Baltimore Ravens
TE target share over last three years: 24.1%, 23.7%, 20.2%
Tight ends: Hayden Hurst, Nick Boyle, Maxx Williams

These target shares aren’t crazy high like the first two teams we looked at, but they’re above the league average. In fact, the Ravens have been above league average in tight end target shares in four of the last five years despite having a whole host of JAGs (just a guy) at the position. Hurst is admittedly a divisive prospect, but some are peddling the idea that his advanced age, 25, should help him acclimate quicker than your normal rookie tight end typically would.

I find it hard to believe the Ravens would use a first-round pick on a tight end only to reverse a five-year trend of consistently utilizing the position. Hurst is coming off the board as the TE24, and there’s a very good chance he’ll exceed his ADP. He’s worth a look in deep or two-TE leagues.

In the end, finding volume, and ultimately value, is going to be the key at the tight end position whether you select one early or try to stream weekly. There’s plenty of options outside of the top dogs, and if you dig into the numbers, we can come up with a reasonable projection for some of the lesser known names. Once we do that, it’s all about deciding whether to go for the high-floor or the high-ceiling options. There are plenty of ways to play the game, and it’s all about choosing which one fits your style best.

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Ryan Melosi is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Ryan, check out his archive and follow him @RTMelosi.