Fantasy: Which TEs will exceed expectations in 2016?

Every year, the tight end position appears deeper than it actually turns out to be.

Fantasy owners who miss out on Gronk often wait till much later in the draft to address the position, confident they'll find the next breakout star. Sometimes you end up with last year's version of Gary Barnidge, but the rest of the time, the sand slips through your fingers and you're left empty-handed.

After taking a look at some of the running backs (pre-draft) and wide receivers who are currently undervalued heading into this year's fantasy season, it's time to see if we can find the Gary Barnidge of 2016.

Who will exceed expectations?

• Quarterbacks
• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers
• Tight Ends

Ladarius Green

After four seasons with the Chargers, Green left the shadow of Antonio Gates to sign with the Steelers. Todd Haley's offense has been kind to the tight end, giving the now-retired Heath Miller at least 80 targets in each of the last two seasons. The ultra-athletic Green brings Pittsburgh a game-breaking ability that Miller never possessed.

With Martavis Bryant serving a one-year suspension, Green could push for close to 100 targets if he emerges as the Steelers' second option downfield behind Antonio Brown.

Offseason ankle surgery has helped Green elude some of the hype up to this point, but once he's back on the field catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger in training camp, casual fantasy owners will see exactly how he'll improve a passing game that's finished in the top three the last two seasons. The 25-year-old is being drafted as a low-end TE1, but there's a legitimate chance he cracks the top five at his position.

Dwayne Allen

Allen checks all the boxes for a potential breakout. The Colts let Coby Fleener leave in free agency, which will finally allow Allen to stand alone atop their depth chart.

His obvious increase in targets will also be elevated by Rob Chudzinski, who stepped in as offensive coordinator in November and is one of the most tight end-friendly play-callers in the league. Chud was at least partially responsible for Jordan Cameron's 917-yard, seven-touchdown campaign with the Browns in 2013, as well as Greg Olsen's 843-yard, five-touchdown campaign with the Panthers in 2012.

Allen has some durability concerns, but he's entering the year healthy and has even started doing yoga to try to help him avoid injuries. With Andrew Luck back under center, Allen is going to have a career year in all categories, and cement himself as a TE1 in fantasy.

Zach Miller

There's a common thread on this list so far - new opportunities. While Green went to a new team to find his, Allen and Miller benefited from the departure of a teammate.

Prior to the second half of last season, Miller had never made a noticeable impact in the NFL. He sat out the majority of a three-year stretch from 2012-14 due to multiple injuries, but when the seven-year veteran got his chance late last year, he delivered.

From Week 10 to Week 16, Miller played on 84 percent of the Bears' snaps and was a top-five fantasy tight end. The Bears rewarded his efforts with a new contract and traded Martellus Bennett to New England, setting Miller up as the new starter. Miller is available outside of the top 15 fantasy tight ends, but has top 10 potential.

Deep Shots

Jordan Cameron - There's no denying how disappointing Cameron was for fantasy owners during his first season with the Dolphins, but the arrival of head coach and offensive guru Adam Gase should help him rebound. Gase favored the tight end during his recent stops in Chicago and Denver and could help Cameron show his one big season in 2013 wasn't an outlier.

Charles Clay - The Bills failed to address their receiving corps in the offseason, leaving Clay as a sneaky candidate to slide in as the No. 2 option behind Sammy Watkins. If Watkins' foot injury causes him to miss time, Clay could drastically outperform his late-round ADP.

Jeff Heuerman - This one is a real long shot, since the second-year Broncos tight end is going undrafted in most mocks and MFL10s. A torn ACL cost him his entire rookie season, but there were reports that Denver had big plans for him prior to the injury last year. With veteran Owen Daniels gone and Heuerman healthy, he could emerge as the starter - if he can stay on the field.