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.
The Arizona Cardinals have traded linebacker Cam Thomas to the Kansas City Chiefs for a seventh-round pick. Thomas, who struggled in his second NFL season with no sacks after a rookie year of three, had a standout performance in the Cardinals' second preseason game, recording two sacks, a tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits. With the Chiefs' defensive line missing Charles Omenihu (ACL) for a significant part of the season, Thomas will provide much-needed depth. The Chiefs' defensive line, led by George Karlaftis and Chris Jones, along with role players like Mike Danna, should benefit from Thomas's contributions. This move bolsters the Chiefs' defense, which is expected to be a key fantasy asset again this season.
From RotoBaller
Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat feels he is in a much better place with his new team than he was during his time with the Washington Commanders. Sweat described his experience in Washington as "toxic" and noted the heavy toll of constant losing, as the Commanders went 28-45-1 during his four-plus seasons there. Since joining the Bears, Sweat has thrived, posting a career-high 12.5 sacks, 57 tackles, three forced fumbles, 25 quarterback hits, and 14 tackles for loss in 17 games in 2023. Chicago rewarded him with a four-year contract extension worth $105 million this offseason, including $72.9 million guaranteed. His presence has been a critical factor in the Bears' improvement, as they went 5-4 after his arrival and held opponents to 20 points or fewer in their final six games. Sweat and the Bears will open the season on September 8 against the Tennessee Titans but return to Washington to face the Commanders on October 27.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) will likely start the season on Injured Reserve. If his recovery takes longer than expected, Green Bay could use one of their two pre-cutdown IR spots for him, allowing them to keep Josh Jacobs, AJ Dillon, and Emanuel Wilson on the initial 53-man roster. Wilson has demonstrated reliability as a third running back and can fill in when needed. By placing Lloyd on IR, he could be eligible to return after Week 4, giving him the chance to recover from his challenging hamstring injury fully. Lloyd has potential as Green Bay's future running back and could be the No. 2 option in 2024 once he's healthy. If anything happens to Jacobs this season, he's worth watching as a high-upside lottery ticket.
From RotoBaller
Detroit Lions DT D.J. Reader (quadriceps) returned to practice on Sunday, Aug. 25, and the team is targeting Week 2 for his debut, although head coach Dan Campbell didn't rule out Reader playing in Week 1.
From TheHuddle
Dynasty | The 49ers have released running back Matt Breida. Dynasty Analysis: The 49ers have Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, and Jordan Mason, so Matt Breida and Ke'Shawn Vaughn (also released) were deemed expendable. Breida had some moments with Miami and New York but seems like a replacement-level running back at this point. He doesn't belong on dynasty rosters at this point.
Dynasty | The Lions have released wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. Dynasty Analysis: DPJ was traded to Detroit last season in the hopes he could make an impact but he failed to do so. The Lions have a loaded receiving corps, so he was expendable. The former Brown will look to latch on somewhere else but this move doesn't bode well for his dynasty value.
Dynasty | The Denver Broncos are looking to trade running back Samaje Perine. Dynasty Analysis: Perine looks to be the odd man out as Denver is surely keeping Javonte Williams, Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin and maybe even Blake Watson. Perine is likely to garner some interest, though he may need to be released and sign as a free agent should Denver not find a trade partner. Perine isn't roster worthy at this point but could be depending on where he ends up.
Dynasty | The Denver Broncos are trying to trade Tim Patrick. Dynasty Analysis: Denver will reportedly release the veteran wide receiver if they can't find a suitable trade. Patrick is attempting to come back from a torn ACL in 2022 and torn Achilles in 2023 but didn't make enough of an impression for the Broncos to hold on to him. It seems there are a number of teams interested so this story seems to be pretty fluid. Regardless, it's hard to see Patrick carving out meaningful dynasty value, at least in the short term.
Dynasty | The Tennessee Titans have traded quarterback Malik Willis to the Green Bay Packers. Dynasty Analysis: Willis was outplayed by Mason Rudolph in the battle to back up Will Levis in Tennessee but should be good enough to supplant Sean Clifford or Michael Pratt in an effort to back up Jordan Love. Willis is still an intriguing talent but it would take a catastrophe for him to see the field any time soon. He's a tough hold even in a deep 2QB / Superflex draft.
Dynasty | The Dallas Cowboys are bringing in free agent running back Dalvin Cook for a visit. Dynasty Analysis: Cook was famously signed as a free agent by the Jets last year, only to hardly ever see the field, He had a brief stint with the Ravens after being released by New York but failed to make an impact there, either. It's possible the former Viking is simply cooked but Dallas will attempt to see if he has anything left in the tank. His addition would muddy an already convoluted depth chart that features Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and a host of others. Stay tuned.
Dynasty | The Steelers have released running back Daijun Edwards. Dynasty Analysis: The former Georgia Bulldog looked to have a fighting chance to make the roster but just couldn't make enough progress for the Steelers to keep him on their initial 53. He'll have a good chance to make a practice squad somewhere but he's now clearly off the dynasty radar.
Dynasty | The Bucs have placed running back Chase Edmonds on injured reserve. Dynasty Analysis: He could still be activated at some point but this is bad news for his dynasty outlook in 2024. Tampa Bay looks to be rolling with Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker to start the year and it's hard to see Edmonds making much of an impact, even if he does come back. He's clearly droppable in dynasty leagues.
Dynasty | The Ravens have released wide receiver Russell Gage. Dynasty Analysis: Gage was attempted to re-ignite his career in a thin Baltimore receiving corps but it obviously didn't work out. The former Falcon and Buccaneer should land on his feet as a veteran presence somewhere in the league but his dynasty relevance just isn't enough to merit a roster spot.
Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku (undisclosed) is expected to return to practice on Tuesday, Aug. 27, head coach Kevin Stefanski said.
From TheHuddle
Cleveland Browns CB Denzel Ward (concussion) remains in the concussion protocol, head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday, Aug. 26.
From TheHuddle
New England Patriots veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett (shoulder) left the team's preseason finale early on Sunday night against the Washington Commanders after his opening drive, but he could have returned if needed, according to head coach Jerod Mayo. It's an injury that shouldn't keep Brissett from being available for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8. The bigger concern for the 31-year-old signal-caller is that rookie first-rounder Drake Maye has outplayed him for much of training camp and the preseason, and it feels as though things are trending towards the Patriots naming Maye as their Week 1 starter. Even if Brissett is given the Week 1 start so that Maye is allowed more time to learn on the sidelines, the veteran is no more than a QB3 option in superflex leagues and will probably be on the bench sooner than later in 2024.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said the team has to make a decision on whether to put rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) on the Physically Unable to Perform list to start the regular season. Brooks hasn't practiced since being selected in the second round of the NFL draft in April. At this point, given all the time the 21-year-old has missed this offseason and through the summer, it would be a surprise if he didn't start his first year in the league on the PUP list, which would require him to miss at least the first four games. His injury has caused his draft stock to fall in single-year formats, but the rookie is still worth taking a late-round flier on and stashing in most leagues. If Brooks does end up landing on the PUP officially, it will only increase Chuba Hubbard's early-season fantasy standing as Carolina's lead back.
From RotoBaller
The Cleveland Browns activated left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee) from the Physically Unable to Perform list on Monday after he cleared his physical. In addition to Wills, right tackle Jack Conklin (knee), cornerback Greg Newsome II (hamstring), defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (knee) and safety D'Anthony Bell (shin) also came off the PUP list, giving the Browns some much-needed reinforcements with the regular season quickly approaching. Wills, 25, missed all of the preseason after having surgery last December on his knee. Despite all the time missed this summer in the preseason and at training camp, the Browns are expecting Wills to start on quarterback Deshaun Watson's blind side in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the Dallas Cowboys. The activation of both Wills and Conklin is great news for Cleveland's offense.
From RotoBaller
Four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook is flying to Dallas on Monday night for a visit with the Cowboys, according to sources. Unlike a year ago when Cook was rehabbing from shoulder surgery, he has been hitting the weights all offseason and said he feels the best he has in years. Cook looked washed up in his time with the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens last year, but the Cowboys are going to take a look as they attempt to bolster their backfield depth with the regular season less than two weeks away. The 29-year-old averaged just 3.2 yards per carry on 67 attempts, gaining 214 scoreless yards. He also added 15 catches for 78 yards. Cook could be more productive with better health in 2024, but even if he signs with Dallas, he'll be too far down the depth chart to be much of a fantasy option to begin the year. As things stand now, Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman and Deuce Vaughn are their top four RBs.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said that linebacker Ernest Jones IV did not request a trade and that the situation is ongoing. Jones was absent from training camp practice on Monday after the team granted him permission to seek a trade on Sunday. The Rams are ready to move on from the 24-year-old, who is heading into the final year of his rookie deal in 2024. Jones enters the 2024 season as a top-five IDP linebacker in fantasy leagues, so a move elsewhere could slightly affect his value going forward. The former third-rounder in 2021 out of South Carolina had a career year in 2023, recording 145 tackles (74 solo), 4.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, six QB hits and six passes defended in 15 regular-season starts. If Jones can continue to rush the passer like he did in 2023, he should be a weekly starter in IDP leagues at linebacker, regardless of whether he stays with the Rams.
From RotoBaller