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 tight end Dallas Goedert (hamstring) put in a full practice on Wednesday. Goedert injured his hamstring in Week 6 and hasn't played since, and Wednesday was his first practice session as well. It's an indication that he'll be ready to go to play in this Sunday's divisional clash against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10. We'll have to see if Goedert can get through the rest of the practice week without suffering a setback, but if he does, he'll be on the low-end TE1/high-end TE2 map for fantasy managers, and he'll have even more upside if receiver A.J. Brown (knee) is unable to play. Grant Calcaterra has had a bigger role the last three weeks with Goedert on the sideline, but he'll lose all of his TE2 streaming intrigue if Goedert is back against Dallas. In the two games before his injury, Goedert had 17 catches on 19 targets for 232 yards and no touchdowns.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi said on Wednesday that wide receiver Chris Olave (concussion) will go "thoroughly" through the league's concussion protocol. "We're more worried about Chris Olave the person at the moment," Rizzi said. The former first-rounder is visiting with head specialists this week, and no decision has been made yet on whether he'll be placed on Injured Reserve, which would require him to miss at least four games. The 24-year-old suffered his second concussion of the year and the fourth of his career in the Week 9 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and was quickly ruled out after being carted off. It didn't look good. With the Saints considering putting him on IR, fantasy managers should expect Olave to miss multiple weeks, including Week 10 versus the division-rival Atlanta Falcons. With Olave hurt, rookie Mason Tipton should continue playing heavy snaps.
From RotoBaller
The Baltimore Ravens defense/special teams did a much better job in Week 9 compared to their performance against the Browns in Week 8. They only allowed 10 points, collected four sacks, and grabbed one interception. Their Week 10 opponent, however, has a much better offense than the Denver Broncos. Joe Burrow and company put up 38 points against this defense in Week 5 even though they did get another inception and three sacks. The Ravens are still one of the worst units against the pass, so fantasy managers are better off leaving them on the bench this week during the AFC North matchup.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reports that running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles/calf) did not experience any pain issues or setbacks in his return to practice this week. The 49ers opened McCaffrey's 21-day practice window this week. It appears that the star running back is on track to make his season debut after suffering his injury during training camp. With McCaffrey likely back in Week 10, fantasy managers will be ecstatic to have the consensus No. 1 overall pick back in their lineups. The 49ers backup running backs stepped up admirably in McCaffrey's absence. However, neither Jordan Mason nor Isaac Guerendo has delivered much in the way of fantasy value since week four with the exception of Guerendo's 19.2-point Week 8. With McCaffrey likely to return in Week 10 in Tampa Bay, both players should be relegated to benches. However, McCaffrey is unlikely to play a full allotment of snaps in his first week back and is at risk of reinjury. As such, hold on to Mason and Guerendo for the time being.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. The injury does not seem to be severe and Pitts' participation in any capacity is encouraging. Still, fantasy managers should monitor Pitts' participation throughout the week. Pitts is finally experiencing a breakout season with a quarterback in Kirk Cousins who can get him the ball. He currently sits as the TE7 in PPR formats and has displayed his big play ability all season. Pitts has caught 30 passes for 430 yards and three touchdowns. He is on pace for his most receiving yards since his rookie season and he has already matched his previous career high in touchdown receptions. Pitts should be able to keep his momentum rolling in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints. He could be in line for even more targets with wide receiver Drake London (hip) battling his own injury.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) has been initially diagnosed with a torn hamstring partially off the bone. NFL Network has reported that the timeline for an injury of that severity is longer than the four week stint on injured reserve. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced on Tuesday that Prescott was a candidate for injured reserve. If this diagnosis rings true, then the Cowboys will almost certainly place Prescott on injured reserve. Prescott is currently seeking additional opinions to determine the next steps. For now, quarterback Cooper Rush is in line to start this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Prescott's injury will impact the fantasy outlook of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (shoulder). It will also affect running back Rico Dowdle who had started to emerge as a viable weekly fantasy option. Fantasy managers should observe closely to see how the offense fares with Rush under center in Week 10.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. Etienne's limited participation is likely to ensure that he stays fresh ahead of the weekend. Etienne was able to return from the injury in Week 9. He only played 31% of the snaps en route to three carries for 24 yards and two receptions for six yards. Etienne has battled an injury bug all season. He could not shake a shoulder injury early in the season and has been battling this recent hamstring injury in recent weeks. He has been a disappointment in fantasy in 2024 but he has a chance to bounce back as he gets healthier. The emergence of running back Tank Bigsby (ankle) has cut into Etienne's workload but it is hard to believe that he will stick around a 31% snap share each week. If Etienne is able to log a full practice or two this week then fantasy managers should start to feel better about his prospects moving forward. Even so, his Week 10 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings is not ideal. As such, fantasy managers may want to wait and see how Etienne fares on the field before deploying him in starting lineups once again.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. Thomas picked up his injury in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers. After being initially given a timetable to return of two to four weeks, Thomas was able to take the field in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Thomas had a modest game with just two receptions for 22 yards against an Eagles defense that has come around in recent weeks. He has a chance for a much larger statistical output in Week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are allowing the most points to opposing wide receivers in fantasy. With another week to get healthy, Thomas should have a solid week. His limited participation on Wednesday is little cause for concern. As long as there are no setbacks throughout the week, Thomas should be confidently started in Week 10.
From RotoBaller
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
