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
Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 9
Dynasty | The Dallas Cowboys have suspended Ezekiel Elliott one game. Dynasty Analysis: Elliott reportedly missed multiple team meetings this week, so the Cowboys had enough. Realistically, he's done next to nothing this season and is more of a luxury than a necessity at this point, and that luxury is more as a figurehead than anything else. Elliott has long since lost his burst and has turned into a bit of a roster clogger at this point.
Dynasty | Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton was a healthy scratch for the Bengals this week. Dynasty Analysis: The rookie wide receiver apparently missed Saturday's walkthough, so the Bengals decided he could miss Sunday's game as well. Burton has been a pretty big disappointment this season as the third round pick has just two catches for 88 yards on the season. He's still a decent hold in dynasty leagues, but any chance he had at contributing this season has long since evaporated and this won't help much.
Dynasty | Saints wide receiver Chris Olave was knocked out of Sunday's game with an apparent concussion. Dynasty Analysis: In what quickly turned into a scary scene, Olave was sandwiched by two defenders and crumpled quickly into the ground. Ironically, Olave went public with his consideration of wearing a guardian cap for today's game, but ultimately chose not to. He was taken to a local hospital but reportedly has movement in all of his extremities. It would be a surprise to see Olave back any time soon after this latest head injury.
New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas caught seven of nine targets for 35 yards during Sunday's Week 9 loss to the Tennessee Titans. After catching just four passes over his last two games, Douglas bounced back with a high-volume showing against the Titans. The 23-year-old isn't a major threat for yardage, but his high target share gives him appeal as a solid WR3/FLEX option in PPR leagues. He's worthy of lineup consideration heading into Week 10 against the Chicago Bears.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton showcased his deep-threat ability again in Sunday's 27-22 loss to the Washington Commanders, catching all three of his targets for 49 yards with a solid 16.3 yards per reception. His longest catch went for 23 yards, giving the Giants a much-needed spark downfield, and he added 11 yards on a lone rushing attempt in the red zone. Slayton finished third on the team in receiving yards. Amid ongoing trade rumors, Slayton posted 7.5 fantasy points, potentially boosting his value to both the Giants and fantasy managers looking for a reliable flex option with big-play upside.
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New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry caught seven of eight targets for 56 yards during Sunday's Week 9 loss to the Tennessee Titans. The veteran pass-catcher has been impressive over the last four weeks, totaling 23 catches, 234 yards, one touchdown, and 52.4 fantasy points (PPR) during that span. He has built a strong rapport with Drake Maye and will rank as a solid low-end fantasy TE1 heading into his Week 10 battle versus the Chicago Bears.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson struggled to make an impact in Sunday's 27-22 loss to the Washington Commanders, recording just three receptions for 10 yards on four targets. Robinson's afternoon could have looked different if not for a penalty that wiped a touchdown off the board, leaving him without a score and frustrating fantasy managers. His 10-yard longest catch accounted for all his receiving yardage, with a disappointing 3.3 yards per reception otherwise. Finishing with just 2.5 fantasy points, Robinson's role remains limited, and he'll need more volume or a trip to the end zone to offer real fantasy value going forward.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins led his team to a 27-21 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday, completing 19 of 24 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception. The interceptions were somewhat of a problem earlier in the season, throwing seven of them over the Falcons' first seven games, but now has a 7:0 TD:INT over the last two contests. Averaging 234 yards passing per game on the season, the 36-year-old will get another favorable matchup in Week 10 versus the Saints who have lost six in a row and allowed no less than 23 points in each of those contests. As such, Cousins figures to be a borderline QB1/2 next Sunday.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne converted six targets into four catches for 41 yards during Sunday's Week 9 loss to the Tennessee Titans. This was easily his best performance through four games this season. While the veteran helped contribute to a team effort, he might have also been boosting his stock on the trade market. Bourne's name has surfaced in trade rumors lately, and a four-catch, 41-yard showing might catch the attention of some rival teams prior to Tuesday's 4 p.m. trade deadline. For now, Bourne lacks significant fantasy appeal, but a trade could change that.
From RotoBaller
Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard rushed for 128 yards on 28 carries during Sunday's Week 9 win over the New England Patriots. He also caught each of his three targets for an additional 26 yards through the air. Pollard essentially had the backfield to himself on Sunday, and despite missing all three practices this week, he was able to handle a very heavy workload against New England. The 27-year-old hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 6, but his impressive efficiency, volume, and receiving skills keep him in the fantasy RB2 range for next week's clash against the Los Angeles Chargers.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. led the team in carries once again in Sunday's 27-22 loss to the Washington Commanders, solidifying his role as the primary back over Devin Singletary. Tracy Jr. rushed for 66 yards on a steady 4.1 yards per carry, with a long run of 10 yards that showcased his ability to gain tough yards. Although he didn't find the end zone and caught only one pass for 3 yards, Tracy Jr.'s workload suggests he's entrenched as the starter. Finishing with 7.4 fantasy points, he may not have hit high-scoring numbers, but his consistent touches make him a solid option for fantasy managers seeking reliable volume.
From RotoBaller
Tennessee Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph completed 20 of 33 passes for 240 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 9 win over the New England Patriots. He also took one sack and rushed for 19 yards. Rudolph wasn't perfect, but he had his first game this year with multiple passing touchdowns and has also thrown for over 200 yards three weeks in a row. With that said, Rudolph may lose his starting job if Will Levis (right shoulder) is healthy enough to play against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers provided a second-half spark in Sunday's 27-22 loss to the Washington Commanders, finishing with nine receptions for 59 yards on 11 targets. After being shut out with zero receiving yards in the first half, Nabers became a reliable target in the final two quarters, helping the Giants stay competitive down the stretch. Although he averaged a modest 6.6 yards per catch with a 16-yard longest reception, his volume was crucial as the Giants tried to close the gap. Nabers ended the day with 10.4 fantasy points, showing value as a high-floor option despite missing the end zone in this outing.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson was highly inefficient on the ground Sunday, rushing for just 16 yards on 10 carries against the Tennessee Titans. However, he was able to salvage his fantasy performance with one rushing touchdown, one receiving touchdown, five catches, and 38 receiving yards. Stevenson was responsible for both of the Patriots' touchdowns Sunday, one of which was a score as time expired in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Stevenson now has seven touchdowns this year, including four over the last two weeks. If he can continue to catch passes and score points, the 26-year-old will be a respectable RB2 option in fantasy football. He faces the Chicago Bears next week.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz took the backseat in Week 9 as he brought in his lone target for five yards. This was his lowest output of the season, and snapped a three-game streak where he topped double-digit PPR points in each outing. Fantasy managers should not be overly concerned, as the Commanders were in the lead the entire afternoon and did not need Jayden Daniels to push the ball downfield as often. The veteran tight end remains a low-end TE1 heading into Week 10 as he has averaged 7.3 targets in his past four games entering Week 9.
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Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert continued his excellent campaign by going 2-for-2 on attempts and a perfect 3-for-3 on extra points in their Week 9 victory over the New York Giants. Seibert's leg was not tested in this one, as his longest field goal came from 31 yards out. The 27-year-old has now made at least two field goals in every game since Week 4 and missed only two attempts in this span, both from 50+ yards out. Fantasy managers should continue to confidently start Seibert weekly, given how impressive the Washington offense has been.
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Atlanta Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett (Achilles strain) exited during Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys and did not return. He finished Week 9 with two tackles and one sack. Through nine games this year, he has totaled 30 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Kentavius Street and Ta'Quon Graham should earn more snaps on the defensive line for the duration of Jarrett's absence.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones delivered his best fantasy performance of the season in Sunday's 27-22 loss to the Washington Commanders, throwing for 174 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Jones struggled early, going into halftime with zero passing yards, but rebounded in the second half with 20 completions on 26 attempts and an efficient 6.7 yards per attempt. Adding to his fantasy value, Jones rushed for 54 yards and scored a rushing touchdown, showcasing his dual-threat ability despite being sacked twice. Finishing with 24.36 fantasy points, Jones posted his highest output of the season, making him a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing Giants loss.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 29 of 41 passes for 206 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions during Sunday's Week 9 loss to the Tennessee Titans. He also took four sacks and rushed eight times for an additional 95 yards on the ground. Furthermore, Maye coughed up two fumbles, including one that was recovered by the defense. While turnovers continued to be an issue for Maye, there was a lot to be excited about, too. Not only did he come close to 100 rushing yards, but he also led an improbable scoring drive to force overtime that was capped off by a miraculous scrambling passing touchdown. Maye's passing and rushing upside will keep him in the high-end fantasy QB2 tier for Week 10 against the Chicago Bears.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston completed 26 of his 46 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions while adding five carries for 27 yards in a 27-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9. It was a much different outing for Winston than his 2024 debut last week as he struggled with his efficiency and took six sacks in the lopsided loss to LA on Sunday. All three of his picks came after halftime while his lone touchdown pass came in garbage time with 44 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Browns will be on bye in Week 10 before a road matchup against the New Orleans Saints in Week 11.
From RotoBaller
