Dwayne Allen

Allen was signed by the Patriots last year to provide the team with both valuable insurance for, as well as a complementary option to, oft-injured tight end Rob Gronkowski. Allen never really panned out as a fantasy option though, with Gronkowski staying healthy in 2017. Allen did a solid enough job as a blocker, however, to stick around and assuming the Patriots decide that his contract terms aren't prohibitive, the 28-year-old looms as a potential in-season pickup in the event of an injury to Gronkowksi. While Allen didn't really show it much in his first season with New England, during his stint with the Colts he did show a knack for doing damage around the red zone.

Rob Gronkowski has dominated the tight end landscape since the Pats drafted him in 2010, but the team often has made room for a second TE of relevance. Aaron Hernandez had three fantasy-useful years, and Martellus Bennett (seven touchdowns), Tim Wright (six touchdowns) and Scott Chandler (four touchdowns) also had their moments, be it playing alongside Gronkowski or in his stead. The Patriots inherited Allen's sizable contract when they traded for him, so they obviously see him having some sort of role in 2017. Allen brings some baggage to the table -- he's missed 23 games the last four years -- but he also knows what to do in the scoring area, spiking 16 times over his last 41 games. No one expects Gronkowski to play a full season, so look for Allen to be in our fantasy lives, in one way or another, at some point this fall.

Perhaps surprisingly, the Colts chose Allen over Coby Fleener in free agency after four years of the two sharing snaps and targets. A glorified offensive lineman last season, Allen had 29 targets in 13 games with 3.8 YPT, but is in line for a major increase this year. Fleener leaves behind 84 targets and departed wideout Andre Johnson leaves 77. The Colts replaced neither. Plus, more stability at quarterback with a healthy Andrew Luck should mean more targets all around, and more accurate targets. At 6-3, 265, with a 4.89 40, Allen is neither tall nor fast and doesn't seem likely to boost his yards after the catch, so he might be reliant on volume. He's a good blocker, though, which will keep him on the field for three downs. And what he lacks in yards might be made up at the goal line. Allen is 15 of 20 in the red zone for his career with nine touchdowns. Inside the 10-yard line, he is 10 of 13, converting nine into scores. And other than Allen, who scored eight touchdowns in 2014, the Colts don't have an obvious red-zone target. The tallest wide receiver is Donte Moncrief at 6-2. Backup tight end Jack Doyle is 6-6, but he has two goal-line targets in three years. To realize his potential, though, Allen must stay healthy after failing to play a full season the last three years.

Allen returned last year after missing nearly all of 2013 with a hip injury and matched fellow tight end Coby Fleener with eight touchdowns. Allen missed three games because of ankle and knee injuries and was limited in two more, but he otherwise was consistent, failing to score in only two of his remaining 11 games. A better blocker, Allen usually lines up tight while Fleener plays in the slot. That benefits Fleener in the downfield passing game, but Allen is just as effective at the goal line. He caught seven of eight targets in the red zone, including all six of his targets inside the 10 for five touchdowns last year. At 6-3, 265, Allen doesn't have Fleener's size or speed, but he's the better all-around tight end because of his blocking. If he stays healthy this year, he'll likely split targets more evenly with Fleener after having 42 fewer last season. With Fleener around, though, Allen's ceiling is limited.

After an exellent rookie season in 2012, Allen played just one game last year before undergoing season-ending hip surgery. He is expected to be healthy for training camp and should have a significant role in the passing game again. Allen likely will be the primary in-line tight end with Coby Fleener playing in the slot. The 6-3, 265, Allen is the better blocking tight end of the two, and as he proved in his rookie year, he is a sure-handed, physical receiver who excels in and out of breaks. Fleener did not become a consistent threat in the passing game last year even though he had the position to himself, leaving the door open this year for Allen to pull away.

Entering his rookie season, Allen was assumed to be the blocking tight end while teammate Coby Fleener handled the receiving duty. It didn't turn out that way, however, as Allen carved out a role in the passing game and led rookie tight ends in receptions (45) and receiving yards (521). A physical tight end with good hands, Allen caught more than 68 percent of the balls thrown his way, but was targeted only seven times in the red zone, scoring three times. Allen will have to share targets with Fleener once again but could enter the season a slight favorite for more of them thanks to his strong rookie campaign.

Allen, a 2012 third-round draft pick, has a legitimate NFL tight end build (6-foot-4, 255 pounds) but still has the athleticism to be a matchup problem for NFL defenses. He caught 49 passes for 592 yards (12.1 YPC) and eight touchdowns in 14 games in 2011 at Clemson and will team with Coby Fleener as the Colts will feature a two-tight end offense. He'll likely be the second tight end in the passing game, but he could be a sleeper in deep leagues.