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FFL: Week 6 | NFL: Week 6

TE Strength of Schedule

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

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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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Player Notes
Wan'Dale Robinson Oct 14 3:30am ET
Wan'Dale Robinson

New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson was a consistent target in Sunday's 17-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, though he couldn't find the end zone. Robinson caught five of his 11 targets for 50 yards, averaging 10 yards per reception, with a longest catch of 15 yards. Despite his solid involvement, the Giants' overall offensive struggles capped his fantasy output at 7.5 points, leaving managers wanting more. As a reliable short-to-intermediate option, Robinson's target volume makes him an option as a flex in PPR, but his ceiling remains limited without more scoring opportunities.

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Tyrone Tracy Jr. Oct 14 3:20am ET
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. provided a spark in Sunday's 17-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, contributing both as a rusher and a receiver. Tracy hauled in six receptions for 57 yards while adding 50 yards on the ground, including a one-yard scamper for his lone rushing touchdown. His versatility was key, but his 2.9 yards per carry highlights some inefficiency in the running game. Despite not finding the end zone as a receiver, Tracy's dual-threat performance netted 19.7 fantasy points, making him an intriguing flex option for fantasy managers with Devin Singletary injured.

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Daniel Jones Oct 14 3:10am ET
Daniel Jones

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones struggled in Sunday's 17-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, failing to find the end zone through the air or on the ground. Jones completed 22 of 41 passes for just 190 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception, averaging a meager 5.0 yards per attempt. He added 56 rushing yards, which helped pad his fantasy output, but two sacks and an overall lack of offensive efficiency limited his impact to just 12.8 fantasy points. Despite his mobility, Jones' poor passing performance continues to hold back his fantasy value, making him a risky QB option moving forward, especially against stronger defenses.

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Alec Pierce Oct 14 1:30am ET
Alec Pierce

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce saw four targets in the team's 20-17 win over the Tennessee Titans but could not reel any of them in. Despite the nonexistent production, Pierce saw the highest snap share of any WR, playing 62 snaps and running 33 routes. Despite his high snap share, Pierce has kept a low target share in the offense through the first six weeks, with his production coming primarily from deep shot passes from QBs Joe Flacco and Anthony Richardson. While none of those four targets materialized in Sunday's win, Pierce's usage makes him a viable option moving forward. All that in mind, Pierce can be viewed as a WR4/5 in the team's Week 7 game against the Miami Dolphins.

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Adonai Mitchell Oct 14 1:20am ET
Adonai Mitchell

Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell caught two of his four targets for nine yards in the team's 20-17 win over the Tennessee Titans. Mitchell once again saw a limited snap share in the matchup, playing just 15 snaps and running a total of 11 routes. Mitchell appears to be the WR4 option in this offense, which will translate into little fantasy relevancy should he stay in that role. Unless there is an injury to Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, or Mitchell earns additional playing time otherwise, he does not make for a viable fantasy option. The rookie is better left on the bench in Week 7 when the Colts take on the Miami Dolphins.

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Hunter Henry Oct 14 1:10am ET
Hunter Henry

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry caught three of five targets for 41 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's Week 6 loss to the Houston Texans. The veteran pass-catcher served as a solid security blanket for rookie quarterback Drake Maye in his first career start, and the two continue to form a solid rapport in the passing attack. This was just Henry's second game of the season with at least three catches, five targets, or 33 yards. The touchdown reception was also his first since Week 15 of the 2023 season. Heading into Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, Henry ranks as a mid-to-low TE2 for fantasy football.

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Joe Flacco Oct 14 1:10am ET
Joe Flacco

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco was named the starter on Sunday morning and completed 22 of his 38 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-17 win over the Tennessee Titans. Flacco also threw one interception in the matchup. Flacco hit Josh Downs on a 22-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and the Colts didn't score another touchdown until the fourth quarter when he found Michael Pittman Jr. on a ten-yard touchdown grab. The 39-year-old didn't jump off the box score with just 189 yards through the air, but that shouldn't be much of a cause for panic given the Titans' secondary has allowed the fewest passing yards so far this season. It's unclear who the starter will be moving forward, but Flacco would make for a solid streaming option once again in Week 7 should he get the start against the Miami Dolphins.

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Antonio Gibson Oct 14 1:10am ET
Antonio Gibson

New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson registered 19 rushing yards on 13 carries during Sunday's Week 6 loss to the Houston Texans. He also caught three of four targets for an additional 24 yards through the air. Gibson earned his second consecutive start this week with Rhamondre Stevenson (foot) sidelined. Despite setting a new season-high in both rushes and touches, Gibson struggled to produce and was significantly inefficient on the ground. Through the air, he was merely a modest contributor. All in all, we'd like to see more production from Gibson before we can trust him in fantasy football, even with Stevenson out. It's too early to tell what the Patriots' backfield dynamic will look like for Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

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Kayshon Boutte Oct 14 1:00am ET
Kayshon Boutte

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte caught all three of his targets for 59 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans. The highlight of his performance was a 40-yard catch that represented not only Boutte's first career touchdown reception but also rookie quarterback Drake Maye's first career touchdown pass. It was promising to see the second-year receiver demonstrate a quick rapport with Maye as the quarterback made his first NFL start. Boutte ended up playing a career-high 83 percent of offensive snaps and ran 32 routes; both of those marks were the highest among Patriots pass-catchers in Week 6. Going forward, Boutte, who was previously off the fantasy radar in all leagues, may start to generate some speculative buzz in dynasty formats.

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Ja'Lynn Polk Oct 14 1:00am ET
Ja'Lynn Polk

New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk converted four targets into just one catch for four yards during Sunday's Week 6 loss to the Houston Texans. It was an underwhelming showing from Polk, who had started to generate significant buzz after playing 100 percent of offensive snaps last Sunday and commanding 13 targets over his previous two games. Instead, Polk took a step back this week, registering just the one catch while falling behind Kayshon Boutte in terms of both snap share (65 percent) and routes run (29). Interestingly, he operated ahead of Douglas in terms of snaps and routes but was drastically out-produced by him, too. Going forward, fantasy managers should view Polk as an inconsistent wide receiver option in fantasy football. He is worth stashing in dynasty leagues but can probably be dropped in most 12-team redraft formats.

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Tyler Goodson Oct 14 1:00am ET
Tyler Goodson

Indianapolis Colts running back Tyler Goodson carried the ball eight times for 51 yards in the team's 20-17 win over the Tennessee Titans. He also caught four of his five targets for another 14 yards through the air. Goodson once again played a secondary role to running back Trey Sermon, getting out-carried 18-to-eight. That being said, Goodson was the much more efficient and productive back in the matchup and was the only back to see any work in the receiving game. Goodson could make for a decent start in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins if Jonathan Taylor (ankle) is inactive, but likely won't see much action if Taylor is a go.

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Troy Franklin Oct 14 12:50am ET
Troy Franklin

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin finished Denver's 23-16 Week 6 loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday with two catches on three targets for 31 yards and his first career NFL touchdown. He added one carry for a five-yard pickup. Franklin came into the contest with just five catches on 12 targets for 29 yards in his first five games. The 21-year-old only saw three targets and had a very modest three grabs and 31 yards, but his touchdown is a reminder that both he and fellow rookie pass-catcher Devaughn Vele, who led the Broncos with 78 receiving yards, will see more opportunities with Josh Reynolds (finger) on Injured Reserve and missing at least three more games. The best thing that Franklin has going for him as a dynasty/keeper stash is his chemistry with rookie quarterback Bo Nix, dating back to their days playing together for the Oregon Ducks in college.

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Trey Sermon Oct 14 12:50am ET
Trey Sermon

Indianapolis Colts running back Trey Sermon carried the ball 18 times for just 29 yards in the team's 20-17 win over the Tennessee Titans. He was also not targeted at all in the receiving game. Sermon once again saw the bulk of the work in Jonathan Taylor's (ankle) absence but was inefficient with the opportunities, averaging just 1.6 yards per carry. Sermon out-touched running back Tyler Goodson 18-to-eight, but Goodson was able to turn his eight carries into 51 total yards. It's unclear when Taylor will return from his injury, but with Tyler Goodson having another strong outing, fantasy managers can expect him to continue to eat into the workload between these two backs. Sermon is off the radar in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins if Taylor is a go, and is at best an RB3/4 option if Taylor is once again inactive.

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Drake Maye Oct 14 12:50am ET
Drake Maye

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 20 of 33 passes for 243 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions during his first career start in Week 6 against the Houston Texans. He also rushed for 38 yards, took four sacks, and lost a fumble. The No. 3 overall pick played far from perfect football on Sunday, but he showed numerous flashes of potential while leading scoring drives and converting down-and-distance opportunities against a relentless Texans pass rush. He also showed confidence and touch when throwing his deep ball as he connected with Kayshon Boutte for a 40-yard score. Going forward, Maye has the arm talent and rushing ability needed to survive both as an NFL starter and in fantasy football. He'll jump into the low-end QB2 tier ahead of next week's clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

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Demario Douglas Oct 14 12:50am ET
Demario Douglas

New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas caught six of nine targets for 92 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 6 loss to the Houston Texans. The touchdown reception was the first of Douglas' career and came on a fourth-quarter catch-and-run thrown to him by rookie quarterback Drake Maye. While Douglas' large role within the Patriots' offense isn't necessarily anything new, it's very promising to see him lead the unit in targets, catches, and receiving yards even after the Patriots switched quarterbacks from Jacoby Brissett to Maye. Evidently, Douglas is a central piece of the Patriots' offensive game plan week in and week out. With his high-volume role and an apparent quarterback upgrade, Douglas has suddenly become a solid WR3 option in fantasy football. He's worth starting in many 12-team leagues next week versus the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

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Michael Pittman Jr. Oct 14 12:40am ET
Michael Pittman Jr.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. caught three of his five targets for 35 yards and a touchdown in the team's 20-17 win over the Tennessee Titans. Pittman was tied for second in targets with running back Tyler Goodson and finished third in total receiving yards for Indy. While Pittman didn't jump off the box score from a yardage perspective, it was an encouraging performance given the Titans' secondary was allowing the fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. On top of that, Pittman looks to be in the clear from the back injury that initially looked like it was going to sideline him for multiple games. It's still unclear who Indianapolis' starting QB will be moving forward, with Joe Flacco getting the start today and Anthony Richardson serving as the QB3. All in all, Pittman is considered a W2/3 option again in Week 7 when the Colts take on the Miami Dolphins.

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Bijan Robinson Oct 14 12:40am ET
Bijan Robinson

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (hamstring) took advantage of a weak Carolina run defense in Sunday's 38-20 victory, rushing 15 times for 95 yards and two scores. Robinson did most of his damage in the first half, including both scores, and the second-year back also tacked on three catches for 10 yards. Whatever was wrong with his hamstring that caused him to pop up on Thursday's injury report was clearly not an issue in this game, although he ultimately ceded 10 of the team's final 12 rush attempts to fellow backfielder Tyler Allgeier in the fourth quarter who looked strong too, racking up an 18-105-1 line himself. The 22-year-old has rushed for 61 or more yards in four of six games in 2024, now with 380 yards and three TDs on the year while averaging 3.5 receptions per game to boot. The former first-round draft pick gets a favorable matchup versus the Seahawks in Week 7, a rush defense that has yielded big games to the New England backfield (177 yards) in Week 2, the Detroit backs in Week 4 (118), and even the Giants' Tyrone Tracy in Week 5 (129). Next week's matchup boasts one of the highest expected totals as well, so there should be plenty of offense and Robinson stands to benefit again.

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Josh Downs Oct 14 12:40am ET
Josh Downs

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs caught seven of his nine targets for 66 yards and a touchdown in the team's 20-17 win over the Tennessee Titans. Downs led all Colts in targets, receptions, and yards in the matchup. Downs has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of Joe Flacco's starting in Indy, seeing nine-plus targets in each of his last three games. While it's unclear who the starter at QB will be for the Colts moving forward, Downs is a clear favorite in the offense, and fantasy managers can prioritize him as such. He'll look to keep the momentum going in Week 7 when the Colts take on the Miami Dolphins.

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Mike McCarthy Oct 14 12:30am ET
Mike McCarthy

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones refused to entertain the idea of a coaching change following Sunday's 47-9 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions at home. "I haven't even considered it," Jones said. "I'm not considering that. So you're clear, I'm not considering that." The owner's comments suggest that head coach Mike McCarthy's job is safe for the time being. Indeed, it would be bold for the Cowboys to relieve their head coach with a 3-3 record after six weeks, but there's also no denying that the Cowboys have underperformed. They're currently third in the NFC West, and Sunday's defeat at the hands of Detroit was the Cowboys' worst home loss during Jones' 34-year stint as the franchise's owner. The road doesn't get any easier for the Cowboys, who head into a Week 7 bye but then play their next five games against the 49ers, Falcons, Eagles, Texans, and Commanders.

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Jonathan Allen Oct 14 12:20am ET
Jonathan Allen

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (pectoral) exited during the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens and was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the contest. He finished Week 6 with two tackles, bringing his season total up to 15. The 29-year-old is known for being an impact player on defense for Washington, so the Commanders suddenly find themselves shorthanded without both him and Dorance Armstrong (ribs).

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