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FFL: Week 11 | NFL: Week 11

TE Strength of Schedule

Tue Jun 11 11:11am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

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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Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 11

Player Notes
JuJu Smith-Schuster Nov 15 3:40pm ET
JuJu Smith-Schuster

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) practiced in full on Thursday and Friday and has been cleared to play in Week 11 on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Smith-Schuster will return for the first time since getting injured on Oct. 20 but won't be as interesting for fantasy managers now that DeAndre Hopkins is the team's top wideout. In his last game, the 27-year-old went off for 130 receiving yards, prompting many fantasy managers to pick him up off the waiver wire given how depleted KC's receiving corps was at the time. He'll still have a role as a deep threat for quarterback Patrick Mahomes now that he's back, but at best, he'll be the No. 3 target behind Hopkins and stud tight end Travis Kelce. Smith-Schuster should be considered a boom/bust WR4/flex, at best, in his return against the Bills.

From RotoBaller

MarShawn Lloyd Nov 15 3:20pm ET
MarShawn Lloyd

Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (ankle, hamstring) is dealing with appendicitis and will not be active for the team's Week 11 divisional contest against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. "It is a shame, certainly. This all happened this morning. He felt some pain his abdomen this morning. Not sure if he's had surgery," head coach Matt LaFleur said. Lloyd was designated to return from Injured Reserve at the start of the week and had a shot to make his return to the field this weekend, but that won't happen now. The 23-year-old has been very injury-prone since joining the Packers and has played in just one game in his first season in the NFL. He suffered a high-ankle sprain earlier this year and will now miss an eighth straight game. Lloyd has explosive rushing ability as a backup to Josh Jacobs and is worth a stash in deeper leagues, but it's now unclear if he'll be able to return in Week 12 against the 49ers.

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Trey Hendrickson Nov 15 3:20pm ET
Trey Hendrickson

Cincinnati Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson (neck, personal) will not travel with the rest of the team to Los Angeles for personal reasons but is expected to fly on his own and play on Sunday night against the Chargers in Week 11. Hendrickson is officially listed as questionable on the final injury report, but fantasy managers in IDP leagues should leave the 29-year-old in their starting lineups this weekend. He has been dealing with a neck injury off and on this year, but it hasn't slowed him down, as he heads into Week 11 action as the NFL's sack leader with 11 through 10 weeks. Hendrickson was limited in Wednesday's practice before not practicing on Thursday and Friday. He has not missed a game all year and should be active for Sunday Night Football.

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Isiah Pacheco Nov 15 3:10pm ET
Isiah Pacheco

As expected, Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (leg) has officially been ruled out for the Week 11 game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Pacheco had his 21-day practice window opened this week in order to return from Injured Reserve, but the 25-year-old isn't expected to return to action until later this month as he continues to recover from a fractured fibula that he suffered way back in Week 2. Fantasy managers must continue to stash him in an IR spot for the time being and hope he returns to his pre-injury form in time for the fantasy playoffs. Meanwhile, Kareem Hunt will continue to be a must-start for fantasy managers as KC's primary back, with Samaje Perine and rookie Carson Steele spelling him. Pacheco was limited in his return to the practice field this week.

From RotoBaller

Drake London Nov 15 3:10pm ET
Drake London

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London has been a consistent fantasy producer through 10 weeks, catching at least six passes in seven of those games and finding the end zone six times, putting him well within the top 10 in fantasy scoring at the position. However, it is going to be tough to replicate those numbers in Week 11 against a strong Denver pass defense that has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to wideouts thus far. The silver lining is that they have been a bit more beatable in recent weeks, allowing five TDs to receivers over the last four weeks compared to just one in the season's first six weeks. With a 25.5% target share and 32.9% of the team's air yards, his role is secure in this offense and figures to be a back-end WR1 in Week 11.

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Harrison Butker Nov 15 3:10pm ET
Harrison Butker

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that kicker Harrison Butker (knee) injured his left knee in practice this week and underwent surgery on Friday morning. Reid did not have an official timeline for Butker's return yet, but the club placed him on Injured Reserve, meaning he'll have to miss at least the next four games. The earliest Butker will be able to return will be on Dec. 15 against the Cleveland Browns in Week 15. The 29-year-old veteran had a repair of his meniscus. If fantasy managers have the room on IR, they could consider stashing Butker, as he could be back for the first week of the fantasy playoffs in most leagues. In the meantime, the Chiefs will roll with rookie undrafted kicker Spencer Shrader, who they signed off the New York Jets' practice squad this week. We'd recommend avoiding Shrader as a fantasy streamer this Sunday against Buffalo.

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Aaron Jones Nov 15 3:00pm ET
Aaron Jones

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (ribs) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. Jones has been limited in practice this week due to a ribs issue. Despite that, Jones has been cleared to play, so he should be feeling better. Jones has seen a fairly heavy workload with 14 carries or more in each of the last four games. He'll get a tough matchup against the Titans defense, but remains a RB2 for this weekend.

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Darnell Mooney Nov 15 3:00pm ET
Darnell Mooney

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (Achilles) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Denver Broncos. There was some concern over Mooney's status after he was a limited participant in practice on Thursday. Although, Mooney doesn't appear to be dealing with anything serious as he has already been removed from the injury report. Mooney has been a solid fantasy option this season. He has five receptions for over 80 yards in each of the last two games. He does draw a tough matchup against the Broncos secondary, but fantasy managers should still be able to trust Mooney to produce as a WR3.

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Sam Darnold Nov 15 2:50pm ET
Sam Darnold

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (hand) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. Darnold has been limited in practice this week, but appears ready to play this weekend. He's coming off a rough performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars where he threw three interceptions in the win. The hope is that Darnold will rebound this weekend now that the hand issue is hopefully behind him. Fantasy managers should be able to count on Darnold to play better in Week 11.

From RotoBaller

Tee Higgins Nov 15 2:30pm ET
Tee Higgins

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (quad) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Higgins appears to be ready to play for the first time since Week 7. He missed three games due to a quad issue, but the fact he was removed from the injury report means that he'll play this weekend. Before going down, Higgins was a significant part of the offense with seven of more targets in four of his five games this season. It's worth noting that the Chargers defense has been tough to pass against this season. That being said, Higgins falls more into the low-end WR2 conversation for Week 11.

From RotoBaller

Kendall Fuller Nov 15 2:30pm ET
Kendall Fuller

Miami Dolphins defensive back Kendall Fuller (concussion) is likely to miss some time after suffering his second concussion during last week's win over the Los Angeles Rams. Head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that Fuller is currently considered week-to-week. They haven't placed him on the injured reserve, which is a good sign. Fuller won't suit up this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders. That means, Cam Smith is likely to serve as the opposite corner to Jalen Ramsey for at least one game. The loss of Fuller hurts the Dolphins secondary, but they should still have streaming appeal against the struggling Raiders offense.

From RotoBaller

Davante Adams Nov 15 1:50pm ET
Davante Adams

New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams (illness, wrist) is expected to play in Week 11 on Sunday versus the Indianapolis Colts, according to interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich. In addition to an illness that caused him to miss practice on Wednesday and Thursday, Adams is dealing with a minor wrist issue. He was able to get back on the practice field on Friday, though, and should be active on Sunday as the Jets look to turn things around. Although fantasy managers may have been expecting more from the All-Pro wideout after being traded to the Jets, Adams should remain a must-start in fantasy lineups as long as he's active. The 31-year-old veteran has 20 catches on 39 targets for 206 yards and a touchdown in his four games with the Jets and gets a nice matchup against a Colts defense that has allowed the 10th-most half-PPR points per game to receivers this year.

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Quincy Williams Nov 15 1:50pm ET
Quincy Williams

New York Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley (neck) and left tackle Tyron Smith (neck) have both been ruled out for the Week 11 game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Jets will re-evaluate Mosley after the Week 12 bye, and the team is still gathering more information on Smith's injury, according to interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich. Meanwhile, safety Chuck Clark (ankle) is being activated from Injured Reserve. Mosley is missing his fourth straight game but hopefully will have a shot to return when the team returns from their bye to take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13. With the 32-year-old out again, it will mean more opportunities for both linebackers Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood. The 33-year-old Smith suffered a neck injury in the Week 10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals and may not be ready coming out of next week's bye.

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Russell Wilson Nov 15 1:40pm ET
Russell Wilson

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he's optimistic that All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton (ankle) will be able to suit up in Week 11 to face the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Hamilton was injured in last Thursday night's one-point win over the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals but was able to practice on Wednesday and Thursday. It's excellent news for IDP fantasy managers and Baltimore's secondary with a tough matchup against an improving Steelers offense under quarterback Russell Wilson. Hamilton sprained his right ankle last Thursday but is trending in the right direction to play this weekend. If he's active, he should be in starting lineups in the defensive back spot in IDP formats. The 23-year-old is currently the No. 4 fantasy DB with 50 total tackles, two sacks, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 10 games played.

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Michael Pittman Jr. Nov 15 1:30pm ET
Michael Pittman Jr.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) will play in Week 11 on Sunday against the New York Jets after missing the Week 10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Pittman has been dealing with a back injury for a while now, but it finally caused him to miss a game last week. The writing was on the wall for him to return this weekend, though, after he returned to a full practice on Wednesday. It's good news for the Colts' offense, but the 27-year-old pass-catcher will still be a shaky fantasy play with quarterback Anthony Richardson and his accuracy issues returning to the starting job. Additionally, the Jets defense has allowed the fewest half-PPR points per game to opposing receivers in 2024. Pittman has been outside the top-50 receivers in terms of average PPR points scored per game this season.

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Tyler Boyd Nov 15 1:20pm ET
Tyler Boyd

Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Nick Holz said that wide receiver Tyler Boyd (shoulder) has been limited with a shoulder injury, but now he's now as healthy as he's been in recent weeks heading into the Week 11 contest versus the Minnesota Vikings and is expected to be more of a factor on offense moving forward. Boyd's lack of production/involvement recently was more of a health issue than anything else. The 30-year-old veteran played a season-low 29% of the offensive snaps in Week 9 overtime win over the New England Patriots but bumped up to 61% in the Week 10 loss to the to the Los Angeles Chargers. Boyd wasn't targeted in either of those games while seeing one carry for three yards. He has failed to go over 43 receiving yards in any of his nine games in his first year in Tennessee in 2024 and should remain on the waiver wire in most fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

Justin Herbert Nov 15 12:40pm ET
Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has a good matchup in a Week 11 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Herbert got off to a slow start this season due in part to play calling, but also in part due to an injury he was still recovering from. Now fully healthy, Herbert has been the overall fantasy QB9 since Week 7, ranking third in yards per attempt and in passer rating. While he only had to throw 18 times last week against the Titans, he was still extremely efficient and added 32 yards and a touchdown on the ground to boost himself to a QB8 finish for Week 10. This week, on Sunday Night Football, Herbert and the Chargers will likely have to throw the ball more often. The Bengals defense hasn't been able to stop much this season, especially lately, which could lead to a high-scoring shootout on Sunday Night Football. Herbert should be a QB1 with upside this week.

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Kendrick Bourne Nov 15 12:30pm ET
Kendrick Bourne

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said that wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is expected to play in Week 11 against the visiting Los Angeles Rams. The Patriots have prioritized playing time for their younger players of late, but Bourne should be on the field this Sunday. The 29-year-old was active in the Week 10 win over the Chicago Bears but didn't play a single snap on offense after catching four passes for 41 yards the previous week in the loss to the Tennessee Titans. Bourne should be more involved on offense this weekend, but it doesn't mean that he's going to suddenly be on the fantasy radar. DeMario Douglas and Kayson Boutte will still likely be quarterback Drake Maye's favorite targets, with Bourne competing for targets alongside K.J. Osborn and rookie Ja'Lynn Polk as well. Bourne got a late start to the year due to injury and has just eight catches for 70 yards in five games.

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Spencer Shrader Nov 15 12:30pm ET
Spencer Shrader

The Kansas City Chiefs officially signed rookie kicker Spencer Shrader to their active 53-man roster on Friday from the New York Jets' practice squad and officially placed kicker Harrison Butker (knee) on Injured Reserve. Shrader will get the first crack at replacing Butker as KC's primary kicker moving forward. With Butker on IR, he will be required to miss at least the next four games. Shrader, an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame, has kicked in two games in his first year in the NFL -- one with the Jets and one with the Indianapolis Colts -- making both of his field-goal attempts and all three of his extra points. The 25-year-old made 68.3 percent of his field goals in college and will not be a recommended streaming option at the position in his first game with the Chiefs in a Week 11 showdown on the road against the Buffalo Bills.

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Tee Higgins Nov 15 12:20pm ET
Tee Higgins

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Friday that wide receiver Tee Higgins (quadriceps) is expected to play in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football. Higgins hasn't played since Oct. 20, though, which makes him a much riskier option for starting fantasy lineups if he is indeed active on Sunday night. The 25-year-old has a history of playing limited snaps in his first game back from injury as well, so fantasy managers will be rolling the dice with him if they put him in their starting lineups this weekend against a strong Chargers defense on the road. Higgins' return will also make Andrei Iosivas and tight ends Mike Gesicki and Tanner Hudson less attractive as streaming options in Cincy's offense. When healthy, Higgins has excelled for fantasy managers this year, averaging 10.4 half-PPR points per game, which ranks 11th among all wideouts.

From RotoBaller