TE Strength of Schedule
Tue Jun 11 11:11am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
Bowers could have big year one
Using our rules for our money leagues, we came up with a schedule strength ranking for the tight end position. We are using our fantasy defenses report to calculate the rankings. This report can be found in all of our leagues under the "reports" heading. We took the schedule of each team and entered the average number of fantasy points allowed to tight ends last season from all of their opponents to get our fantasy points allowed number. This is a good indication of the tight ends with the most favorable schedules for fantasy scoring for the coming season. Defenses obviously change from year to year, but knowing the tight ends that might have the easiest schedule for fantasy is always a good idea when formulating your rankings and draft strategy.
| TE SOS | ||
| 1. | Cincinnati Bengals | 186.39 |
| 2. | Miami Dolphins | 193.98 |
| 3. | Philadelphia Eagles | 196.38 |
| 4. | Washington Commanders | 197.75 |
| 5. | Houston Texans | 198.15 |
| 6. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 199.18 |
| 7. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 199.68 |
| 8. | New York Giants | 201 |
| 9. | Dallas Cowboys | 201.18 |
| 10. | Los Angeles Rams | 201.38 |
| 11. | Buffalo Bills | 201.39 |
| 12. | Chicago Bears | 201.66 |
| 13. | Arizona Cardinals | 201.76 |
| 14. | New York Jets | 202.56 |
| 15. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 202.86 |
| 16. | Baltimore Ravens | 203.04 |
| 17. | Denver Broncos | 203.95 |
| 18. | Los Angeles Chargers | 204.02 |
| 19. | Atlanta Falcons | 204.25 |
| 20. | Cleveland Browns | 204.59 |
| 21. | New Orleans Saints | 205.62 |
| 22. | Seattle Seahawks | 205.73 |
| 23. | San Francisco 49ers | 206.80 |
| 24. | Indianapolis Colts | 206.89 |
| 25. | Detroit Lions | 207.92 |
| 26. | New England Patriots | 208.23 |
| 27. | Kansas City Chiefs | 210.92 |
| 28. | Tennessee Titans | 211.44 |
| 29. | Green Bay Packers | 212.07 |
| 30. | Minnesota Vikings | 212.23 |
| 31. | Carolina Panthers | 213.66 |
| 32. | Las Vegas Raiders | 213.81 |
A rookie led fantasy tight ends in scoring last year and the top rated rookie tight end this year gets the easiest fantasy schedule for tight end. Brock Browers and the Raiders have the most favorable schedule for tight ends. Sam LaPorta showed last year that a rookie can make an immediate fantasy impact, so don’t discount Browers to have big-time success in year one. He certainly looks the part of an elite tight end.
Another rookie with a good chance to start has the second easiest schedule for tight ends. Panthers tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders will compete with Tommy Tremble to start, but should emerge and be the top pass-catching tight end. He is looking like a good late-round gamble for fantasy teams.
The Vikings, Packers and Titans round out the top-five most favorable schedules for tight ends. T.J. Hockenson would be looking like a great pick if he wasn’t returning from a major injury. He is no sure thing to play early in the year. But once he is healthy, he could help fantasy teams in a big way once again.
Green Bay is likely to have Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft split a lot of the work at tight end, hurting both their value. They could produce some big games along the way, though, making them decent No. 2 fantasy tight ends this season. Both produced well in an expanded role last year.
Lastly, Chin Okonkwo didn’t quite have the breakout season many hoped last year, but he wasn’t bad by any means. Maybe he gets a few more chances this year and has some bigger games along the way with this favorable schedule. He is another decent tight end to grab as your backup.
The teams that top the list for toughest fantasy tight end schedules are teams that haven’t really utilized the tight end much in recent seasons. The Bengals have the toughest schedule followed bye the Dolphins. Mike Gesicki is the starter for the Bengals, but probably isn’t worth the risk with this schedule and the Bengals recent track record with tight ends.
Miami uses their tight ends to block more than anything in their offense. They have the occasional big game, but Jonnu Smith is going to be a risky weekly fantasy play. He would have looked much better landing with a different team.
There are a couple big-time fantasy tight ends that have unfavorable schedules. Dallas Goedert has the third toughest schedule. Goedert can be a little hit or miss to begin with in this offense, so this schedule gives him a little more concern. You might want to pass on him come draft day and go with another elite tight end with a better schedule and more consistency.
Dalton Schultz is the other elite tight end with a top-five unfavorable schedule. Schultz had a big first season with the Texans, becoming a favorite target of C.J. Stroud. He should get the targets this year. But he has a challenging schedule and more to compete with for targets, so his consistency might be a little off this year compared to last.
We also wanted to look at playoff schedules for fantasy tight ends. So we crunched the numbers of all the schedules from Week 14-17, which is the fantasy playoffs for most leagues. We know you have to get to the playoffs first, but knowing the tight ends with the easiest playoff schedules doesn’t hurt by any means, especially in the big-money contests.
| TE PLAYOFF SOS | ||
| 1. | Atlanta Falcons | 175 |
| 2. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 182.37 |
| 3. | Philadelphia Eagles | 184.73 |
| 4. | Arizona Cardinals | 187.67 |
| 5. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 187.77 |
| 6. | New England Patriots | 189.83 |
| 7. | Miami Dolphins | 190.37 |
| 8. | New Orleans Saints | 191.3 |
| 9. | Los Angeles Rams | 192.17 |
| 10. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 192.43 |
| 11. | Cincinnati Bengals | 196.1 |
| 12. | Detroit Lions | 196.12 |
| 13. | Houston Texans | 196.2 |
| 14. | Indianapolis Colts | 198.97 |
| 15. | Buffalo Bills | 199.63 |
| 16. | Kansas City Chiefs | 203.03 |
| 17. | New York Jets | 204.13 |
| 18. | Carolina Panthers | 205.7 |
| 19. | Baltimore Ravens | 205.9 |
| 20. | Green Bay Packers | 207.7 |
| 21. | Chicago Bears | 213.73 |
| 22. | New York Giants | 214.27 |
| 23. | Seattle Seahawks | 214.72 |
| 24. | Cleveland Browns | 214.97 |
| 25. | Dallas Cowboys | 215.8 |
| 26. | Las Vegas Raiders | 219.4 |
| 27. | Washington Commanders | 220.13 |
| 28. | Denver Broncos | 220.8 |
| 29. | Minnesota Vikings | 221.72 |
| 30. | Tennessee Titans | 223.73 |
| 31. | San Francisco 49ers | 225.53 |
| 32. | Los Angeles Chargers | 228.53 |
The Titans and Vikings are the only two teams with the most favorable fantasy schedule for tight ends during the regular season and playoffs. Hockenson is the intriguing one because he might not be fully healthy until late in the season. So while he might not be a huge fantasy factor for the regular season, Hockenson might be a difference maker in the playoffs.
Okonkwo is looking like a player worth grabbing as a No. 2 fantasy tight end, especially if you have an established starter ahead of him. Okonkwo has a high fantasy ceiling for the coming year because of a schedule that could facilitate a breakout season for him.
The Chargers actually have the best fantasy playoff schedule for tight ends. Donald Parham is the likely starter and has some potential in an offense looking for playmakers in the passing game. This could be his best season to date, making him an intriguing late-round gamble.
George Kittle is the biggest name on the list for top-five favorable fantasy tight end playoff schedules. He is going to produce big and could be even better down the stretch with a schedule setup for success.
The Falcons have the most challenging playoff schedule for fantasy tight ends. This is not good news for Kyle Pitts. He is already a polarizing fantasy player, so this schedule won’t do him any favors to get in good graces with more fantasy owners. Many think he could finally turn things around this year with a new coaching staff in place, but nothing is certain with this situation. Pitts could be a boom or bust pick once again.
The Eagles are the only team on both the top five most difficult fantasy schedules for tight ends for the regular season and playoffs. Goedert is looking like a player you might want to let someone else grab come draft day. There are a lot of good, young options at tight end this year. Going with one of those guys over Goedert might be the play on draft day.
Trey McBride is a favorite for many fantasy owners this year for a breakout season. He had a huge finish to last year and is shooting up draft boards. We wouldn’t avoid him come draft day because he has the fourth toughest fantasy playoff schedule. It is a little bit of a concern, but not a huge red flag for the talented tight end. Maybe just prepare for his numbers to dip a tad during the playoffs.
Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.
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The Paur Report
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. Since Smith showed no signs of the injury during the Eagles' Week 9 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the severity of the injury is currently unknown. Smith has started to heat up over the last couple of weeks. He has scored a touchdown and reached at least 85 receiving yards in each of the last two weeks. With fellow wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee) also limited on Wednesday, the Eagles will have to hope that they will have both of their star wide receivers available in Week 10. Smith checks into Week 10 as the WR17 in PPR formats. He has reached that number despite missing a game due to injury, recording one catch in another, and already having his bye. As such, he has been an excellent fantasy asset in 2024. This is a situation worth monitoring as soft tissue injuries tend to linger.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker bounced back in a big way from Week 8 to Week 9. He finished as the K4 after he knocked through a 34 and 37-yarder while making all five of his extra-point attempts. While the Ravens' offense continues to be elite, it only raises the value of Tucker in all fantasy formats. In Week 10, he'll go up against the Cincinnati Bengals and he finished as the K6 the last time these teams met in Week 5. Fantasy managers can continue to rely on Tucker as he's looked more consistent after his shaky start to the year.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons LB JD Bertrand (concussion) and LB Matt Judon (illness) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6. DT Grady Jarrett (Achilles), OG Chris Lindstrom (knee) and DE James Smith-Williams (leg) were limited during practice. LB Troy Andersen (knee) and C Drew Dalman (ankle) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, unfortunately, ended his string of solid fantasy outings in Week 9 as he finished in TE3 territory. Heading into a Week 10 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals gives him some new hope to return to TE1 though. Isaiah Likely (hamstring) has been ruled out so Andrews should see more than 50% of the snaps on Thursday night. During the first time these two teams matched up this year, Andrews received five targets and ended up with four receptions for 55 yards. The Bengals give up the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, so the added opportunities against a weaker defense should mean TE1 potential for the veteran.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets CB Michael Carter II (back), OG Jake Hanson (hamstring), OT Morgan Moses (knee), LB C.J. Mosley (neck), OG John Simpson (groin), OT Tyron Smith (non-injury), DE Solomon Thomas (knee) and OG Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6. S Ashtyn Davis (concussion) and LB Chazz Surratt (hamstring) were limited during practice. S Tony Adams (hamstring) was limited during practice.
From TheHuddle
New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers (hamstring, knee) fully participated in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Fantasy Spin: Rodgers is coming off one his better games of the season and has thrown five touchdowns and zero interceptions over the last two games. He can be a starting option in two-quarterback leagues but probably can be avoided in standard leagues.
From TheHuddle
New York Giants WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles), DT Dexter Lawrence (non-injury) and OG Greg Van Roten (shoulder) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6. PK Graham Gano (hamstring), P Jamie Gillan (hamstring), TE Theo Johnson (back, knee) and LB Ty Summers (ankle) were limited during practice.
From TheHuddle
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers has gained some momentum over the past couple of weeks and now has three weeks with finishes in WR1 territory. He also has two more finishes as a WR2, but now has more competition for targets with Diontae Johnson getting integrated into the offense a bit further. While Johnson only played in 30% of the snaps in Week 9, that will likely increase in Week 10 against the Bengals. Flowers surpassed the 100-yard mark against the Bengals in Week 5 and this game has the makings of another shootout just like their 41-38 contest. So, he should still have WR2 potential.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson played in 30% of the team's offensive snaps during their Week 9 win over the Denver Broncos. Head coach John Harbaugh even said that they planned to ease him into the offense for his first game. Now, with a game under his belt, the Ravens take on the Cincinnati Bengals in a short week. Without the full week of practice, it's unlikely that Johnson has that much bigger of a grasp on the offense, but he's also no stranger to AFC North matchups from his time in Pittsburgh. Zay Flowers remains the number-one option, but Johnson could get some opportunities if it turns into another shootout.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday, according to Brian Batko of PGSportsNow. Fields was inactive last weekend with a hamstring injury and could be in danger of sitting out in Week 10. Fields was moved to the backup spot on the depth chart in Week 7 in favor of Russell Wilson. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Fields' status throughout the week, as he could once again serve as the emergency option while Kyle Allen moves up to the backup position. During the first six weeks of the season, Fields averaged a solid 21.4 PPR points with 10 total scores. Fields remains a high-upside handcuff option in deeper superflex formats for the time being.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens DE Brent Urban (concussion) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6, and has been ruled out for Week 10. CB Jalyn Armour-Davis (knee) was limited during practice and is listed as doubtful. RB Rasheen Ali (ankle) and RB Keaton Mitchell (knee) fully participated in practice but are listed as questionable. LB Adisa Isaac (illness), DT Travis X. Jones (ankle), OG Patrick Mekari (shoulder), WR Tylan Wallace (foot) and DE Broderick Washington (knee) fully participated in practice and are not on the injury report.
From TheHuddle
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (fibula) is "getting close" to a return to practice, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN. Teicher further noted that his return is unlikely to happen this week. The former seventh-round selection is still recovering from a fractured fibula he suffered during Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, as he could be quickly approaching a return. In his limited play this season, the Rutgers product averaged an impressive 16.0 PPR points per game across the first two weeks. For now, fantasy managers should continue to expect Kareem Hunt to operate as the lead back but to eventually cede those duties to Pacheco when he returns to action.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring), OT Cornelius Lucas (ankle) and PK Austin Seibert (hip) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6. DE Dorance Armstrong (shoulder), C Tyler Biadasz (thumb), DE Clelin Ferrell (knee), LB Dante Fowler (groin) and OT Andrew Wylie (shoulder) were limited during practice. CB Noah Igbinoghene (thumb) and DT Phidarian Mathis (head) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (knee) fully participated in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6, and is not on the injury report for Week 10.
Fantasy Spin: Jackson seems to be dealing with a minor injury but should not have any limitations this week against the Cincinnati Bengals. He is a must-start option in all fantasy leagues when healthy.
From TheHuddle
Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring) is expected to practice on Wednesday, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. In addition, Standig reported that the coaching staff is "really going to push it this week." Fantasy managers should monitor his status throughout the week, but this is a positive sign for his availability for this weekend's tilt against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last weekend, Robinson was a game-time decision but was eventually ruled out. In his absence, Austin Ekeler and Chris Rodriguez Jr. saw the majority of carries out of the backfield. If Robinson were to miss his second straight game, Ekeler should be viewed as a solid RB2, with Rodriguez becoming a viable flex option in deeper formats.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry remains atop the position in fantasy this season and it doesn't look like he'll be letting go of that lead any time soon. The King faces off against the Cincinnati Bengals in a short week, but the last time these two teams faced off, Henry was able to find the end zone while compiling 92 yards on 15 carries. The game turned into a shootout, so he wasn't involved the whole way through. While that could happen again, Henry receives opportunities early and often, and he has a solid history on Thursday night as he's registered 685 yards and nine touchdowns on 134 carries in eight career Thursday night games.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (ankle) is expected to practice in full on Wednesday according to Adam Teicher of ESPN. Mahomes suffered an ankle injury during last Monday's victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but did not have to miss any action. Fantasy managers should monitor the 29-year-old's status throughout the week in case he faces a setback but he should be expected to start on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Last Monday, Mahomes scored a season-high 27.5 PPR points as he threw three scores with 291 yards. This was his first time this season that he tallied three scores in a single game. Despite his mediocre showings throughout this season, fantasy managers should continue to view him as a top-12 option going forward.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders TE Zach Ertz (non-injury) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Fantasy Spin: Ertz is coming off his worst game of the season but should be more involved in the passing game this week. He can be considered a low-end No. 1 tight end in some deeper fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (hamstring) has been ruled out for Thursday's tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Likely was unable to participate in any practice sessions this week and will set his sights on returning in Week 11 to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last weekend, the 24-year-old was held off the box score and saw just one target his way. Since Week 6, the tight end has averaged a mere 4.3 PPR points per game, which is a stark contrast to the 10.4 PPR points he averaged during the first five weeks of the season. Fantasy managers should expect Mark Andrews to see the vast majority of snaps at the position and be viewed as a solid TE1 and a strong flex option in DFS contests.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts LB Zaire Franklin (ankle) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6. OT Matt Goncalves (finger, shoulder), DE Dayo Odeyingbo (elbow), OT Bernhard Raimann (concussion) and OT Braden Smith (knee) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
