Fantasy Football 2018: Too much uncertainty surrounding Jordan Reed

Fantasy Football owners may be excited to hear Jordan Reed could be ready for week one. But, selecting Reed is a risk you don’t want to take.

Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden is optimistic Reed will be on the field week one against the  Arizona Cardinals. He expressed to the media that Reed is on pace to play in the season opener.

Despite coach Gruden’s claims, Reed should not jump up your draft board. Last season, the 28-year old tight end recorded a career-low 27 receptions. He only played in six games and needed surgery on both of his big toes.

Since being drafted in 2013, Reed has yet to play an entire season. In total, he has missed 28 games in five seasons, nearly two full regular seasons. With that being said, how can you confidently select Reed in your upcoming draft?

Reed hasn’t shown any progression on being able to stay on the field since his career year in 2015. In fact, his offensive snaps have dropped drastically since 2015.

According to Fantasy Pros, Reed’s average draft position is 8.09. In standard scoring leagues, he is ranked the ninth best tight end. Reed’s value dropped to 10th best tight end in PPR scoring leagues.

NFL.com currently has Reed labeled as a “Tier Three,” tight end that is being selected between rounds eight through ten. Others in that category include Jack Doyle, Kyle Rudolph and Trey Burton. All three options are currently more reliable than Reed and he is the only one with legit health concerns.

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Selecting Reed earlier than the eighth round in any draft format is a mistake. He isn’t undraftable, but if you are going to take him he should be your back-up tight end.

There is no denying Reed has immense upside when he is on the field. He is even more enticing with new quarterback Alex Smith under center, who loves getting tight ends involved. But, the problem is Reed is never on the field and you can’t rely on him to be there.