Jack Doyle

Unable to recreate his 2017 magic in Take II of the Jacoby Brissett project, Doyle finished 2019 with an unusual stat line that included a career-high 10.4 yards per reception and career-low 59.7 percent catch rate. The supposedly reliable TE did himself no favors in dropping five passes, with his 7.0 percent drop rate seventh highest at the position. Doyle drew 30 targets in the final five weeks after Eric Ebron suffered a season-ending injury, but the opportunity was wasted as the veteran caught only 13 of those passes for 144 yards and a score. Even so, it offered a glimpse of the volume potential for 2020, with only Mo Alie-Cox and Trey Burton providing snap competition at tight end for the Colts after Ebron left for Pittsburgh. New quarterback Philip Rivers has a long history of feeding volume to tight ends and running backs, though his affinity for Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry won't necessarily translate to a pure possession guy like Doyle.

Doyle's per-game production in 2018 was about what we'd come to expect, but a hip problem cost him 10 games and the Colts added a more athletic tight end in Eric Ebron, who scored 14 times during a breakout campaign. The two tight ends may be able to coexist to an extent, but Doyle's 80-catch ceiling from 2017 is probably out the window so long as Ebron stays healthy. And even if his younger teammate gets nicked up, the 29-year-old Doyle has never shown much in the way of red-zone production (14 TDs on 200 career catches) or big-play ability (career 8.6 YPR, long gain of 26 yards). Bye weeks were made for players like Doyle, who otherwise may only be useful to desperate teams that fall into a torrential flow of injuries. But whatever sunshine we threw at Doyle a year ago is out the window now.

Doyle is not a man made for long trips - he's averaged just 9.2 YPC the last two seasons. But he's reliable with what he's asked to do; his 76-percent catch rate over that span is the highest among tight ends. Doyle also deserves credit for boosting his fantasy rank without Andrew Luck taking a single snap. In standard-scoring formats, Doyle checked in as the No. 9 tight end, and he was seventh in PPR. He should get Luck back in the saddle this year, hopefully for Week 1 (good luck getting the Colts to give us a straight answer on that). But he'll also have to share more, with Eric Ebron joining the club on a two-year contract. The Colts have shaky wide receiver depth after T.Y. Hilton, so perhaps Doyle and Ebron will frequently be on the field together. Doyle might not have a higher level to climb in his pro career, but he's at least proven to be bankable as a lower-end fantasy TE. And there isn't a dynamic red-zone threat on the roster; someone has to score the short touchdowns here.

Doyle isn't the type of player who jumps off the game tape -- he didn't even average 10 yards a grab last year -- but he had a handy catch rate and scored on 8.5 percent of his receptions. And now more work is likely to come Doyle's way, with Dwayne Allen traded to New England, after Coby Fleener departed for New Orleans last offseason. The Colts' willingness to let both tight ends leave strongly hints at confidence in Doyle, whose 80 percent catch rate the last three years is the highest at the position. He doesn't have particularly good speed, which explains why he went undrafted in 2013, but Andrew Luck likes to use big bodies around the goal line, and Doyle definitely qualifies at 6-6, 267. Three of Luck's six most common touchdown targets throughout his career are tight ends -- Doyle, in fact, is already on that list. He is a sleeper candidate to lead the Colts in touchdown receptions, and his workload figures to increase now that he is the only proven talent at tight end in a prolific passing game which also has questionable depth at wide receiver. Doyle isn't going to produce a lot of highlights between the 20s, but a tight end never looks better than when he is spiking a football in the painted area of the field.

Doyle is primed for his best season yet as he is the incumbent to the number two spot on the Colts' depth chart behind new starter Dwayne Allen. The 26-year-old recorded 12 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown last year. While he'll see an increase in reps, his fantasy value doesn't appear to be too significant.

Doyle is mostly a blocking tight end who faces a tough road for playing time behind Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener.

Doyle is mostly a blocking tight end who faces a tough road for playing time behind Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener.