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
Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 11
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki was unable to catch either of his two targets during Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Gesicki has been streaky this season. Sometimes, he occupies a significant target share and delivers low-end TE1 value. Other times, he takes a backseat in the passing attack and is avoidable in all leagues. This week was classified as the latter; Gesicki was held without a catch for the first time since Week 6, snapping an impressive three-game stretch over which he had caught 16 passes for 203 yards and a pair of scores. The 29-year-old will likely rank as a fringe top-24 fantasy tight end when the Bengals return to action on the other side of their Week 12 bye.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton had another highly productive day in the 38-6 blowout win over the visiting Atlanta Falcons in Week 11 on Sunday, setting team-highs in receptions (seven), targets (eight) and receiving yards (78). With Denver's offense improving greatly under the leadership of rookie quarterback Bo Nix after a slow start in 2024, Sutton has slowly risen up the receiver ranks in fantasy. The 29-year-old didn't have a single target in Week 7 against the Saints, but since then, he has 28 receptions for 370 yards and one touchdown on 38 targets. Sutton has only caught three TD passes in 11 games after going for a career-high 10 TDs in 2023, but because of the heavy volume as Nix's favorite aerial weapon, he is ascending to weekly WR2 territory. He'll have a great chance to continue his run in Week 12 against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson went 3-for-3 on extra points but just 2-for-4 on field goals during Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Both of his misses occurred in the fourth quarter and would have given Cincinnati an important lead. Instead, he missed the uprights wide left both times, preserving a tie that would eventually be broken by the Chargers in the final minute. McPherson's made field goals came from 26 and 27 yards out while he missed from 48 and 51 yards. The 25-year-old has ranked outside the top 15 fantasy kickers for most of this season and should continue to be avoided in most leagues when the Bengals return from their Week 12 bye.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall couldn't get anything going in a Week 11 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The first-rounder was targeted twice but failed to bring in either pass. It's a bummer for anyone hoping Pearsall could build on his 15.3 half-PPR performance in Week 10, but shouldn't be a surprise. San Francisco's offense was never expected to support three receivers and Jauan Jennings strengthened his claim to the No. 2 -- or even No. 1 -- spot with a second-consecutive 11-target game. Pearsall is a decent stash in case Jennings runs into more injury trouble, but can't be trusted with a fantasy starting slot save for deep-league managers fishing for a touchdown. Pearsall will look to get back onto the stat sheet in Week 12 when he finds himself at Lambeau Field for a showdown with the Packers.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey joined the party in the Week 11 win over the visiting Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, catching all four of his targets on the day for a season-high 52 receiving yards and his first touchdown of the year in the 38-6 laugher. It was a nice bounce-back performance after Humphrey had only two catches for 23 yards in the Week 10 loss to the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs. Humphrey brings impressive after-the-catch abilities, so it was no surprise his touchdown catch came on a 41-yard reception to put the Falcons away late. He has seen additional opportunities in an improving Broncos passing attack since Josh Reynolds (finger) went on Injured Reserve, but Reynolds could be returning soon. At best, Humphrey will be a dart-throw WR5/flex in Week 12 when the team travels to take on the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was ineffective in a blowout road loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, completing 18 of 27 passes for 173 yards and no touchdowns while throwing one interception in the 38-6 loss. That's now two consecutive games without a touchdown pass for the 36-year-old. He's had three good games this season in which he's logged an 11:1 TD:INT, however, in the other eight games, the veteran has logged a 6:8 TD:INT. Week 12 brings a home matchup against a Chargers defense that had been tough against the pass prior to Sunday night, but Joe Burrow shredded them for 356 yards passing and three TDs without throwing an interception. Regardless, Cousins looks like a mid-range QB2 even with six teams on bye next week.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins caught nine of his 13 targets for 148 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. This was easily Higgins' best game of the year, bringing his season totals to 38 catches, 489 yards, and four touchdowns through six contests. Although the 25-year-old doesn't generate as much buzz as teammate Ja'Marr Chase, he's still a very intriguing fantasy option who has repeatedly shown that he can co-exist alongside Chase in Cincinnati's offense. Higgins will rank among the top 24 fantasy receivers when the Bengals return to action in Week 13.
From RotoBaller
After seeing only one carry in the Week 10 loss to the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams took over the backfield in the 38-6 blowout victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in Week 11. Williams finished with a team-high nine carries for 59 yards and a touchdown, adding four catches on five targets for 28 yards. Fantasy managers may have prematurely dropped Williams after his dud last week, but we can't completely blame you after the Broncos continually said rookie Audric Estime was in line for more work. We cannot write Williams off just yet in 2024, but Estime will continue to be involved in Denver's backfield after seeing nine touches for 25 scrimmage yards. The 24-year-old has 80-plus scrimmage yards in five of his last eight games and will be back on the RB3/flex radar in a plus Week 12 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase caught seven of his 13 targets for 75 yards and two touchdowns during Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Although Chase wasn't able to replicate his absurd 264-yard, three-touchdown showing from Week 10, the Bengals' No. 1 wide receiver still delivered major contributions, finding the end zone twice and helping to mount a potential Cincinnati comeback that ultimately fell just short. Chase is the overall WR1 in fantasy football so far, tallying 1,056 yards and 12 touchdowns through 11 games. He'll remain in the must-start tier when the Bengals return to action following their Week 12 bye.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas caught all three of his targets for a total of 46 receiving yards during Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The 25-year-old has taken a clear backseat behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins this season, but that didn't stop him from delivering modest production in this week's entertaining Sunday Night Football battle between the Bengals and Chargers. Iosivas is an appealing insurance policy in case Chase or Higgins were to miss time, but for now, he shouldn't be started in fantasy leagues. The Bengals have a Week 12 bye before returning to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown rushed for 86 yards on 22 carries during Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He also caught five of his seven targets for an additional 57 receiving yards. Brown has been tasked with handling a larger workload amidst Zack Moss' season-ending neck injury, and the second-year running back hasn't missed a beat. He now has three consecutive games with at least 19 fantasy points (PPR) and should be deployed as a low-end fantasy RB1 when he's back in action on the other side of the Bengals' Week 12 bye.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had the best game of his young career and delivered for fantasy managers in the 38-6 blowout win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in Week 11, going 28-for-33 for a season-best 307 passing yards and a season-best four touchdown passes. Nix was sacked only once for a loss of 12 yards and ran the ball twice for five yards. The first-rounder out of Oregon showed further development and took advantage of a soft secondary to put up one of the best fantasy performances by a QB in Week 11. He continued to spread the ball around nicely, with his TD passes coming to three different receivers and a tight end. The 24-year-old has tied the franchise record for TD passes for a rookie (14) and is quickly ascending as a fantasy asset, even in single-QB leagues. Nix will have more QB1 upside in Week 12 versus the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow completed 28 of his 50 pass attempts for 356 yards, three touchdowns, and zero turnovers during Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Bengals may be 4-7 and third place in the AFC North, but Burrow has been nothing short of impressive this year, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,028 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He has surpassed 33 fantasy points in each of his last three games and should be treated as a high-end QB1 option when the Bengals return to action on the other side of their Week 12 bye.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings continued his ascent as a fantasy asset in a Week 11 20-17 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The former seventh-round pick out of Tennessee caught 10 of 11 targets for 91 yards, including a three-yard touchdown reception to give the 49ers a short-lived lead in the fourth quarter. All four receiving numbers were team highs. Jennings isn't just filling up the stat sheet with empty yards either. He's flashing skill and grit in big spots, which all but solidifies his go-to role in the offense for the rest of the year. With two consecutive 11-target games in the books, it's going to be very hard for fantasy managers to leave Jennings out of lineups in Week 12 when the 49ers travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Packers.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce had another one of his trademark long catches on Sunday, recording a 39-yarder, along with a 16-yard and 19-yard reception, totaling 74 yards on his three catches. A week after seeing a season-high in targets, with the return of Michael Pittman Jr., the 24-year-old had the third-most targets on the day for the Colts with four. With the performance, the former second-round pick maintained his team-lead in receiving yards with 590, 23 yards more than Josh Downs (567). Pierce figures to see similar target share and air yards next week against the Lions which will leave him in the WR4/5 range.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. laid down a fantasy dud in a 20-17 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The South Carolina native's seven targets were the second-most on the team -- wideout Jauan Jennings had 11 for the second week in a row -- but Samuel Sr. could only total four catches for 22 yards. He got just one carry which went for a one-yard loss. Samuel Sr.'s fantasy value has rested on his big-play potential more than heavy receiving volume in recent years, but his 5.6 targets per game this season is his lowest since his rookie year in 2019. His yards per reception is still a healthy 14.8 but with only two touchdowns in nine games played, Samuel Sr. hasn't lived up to his high-end WR2 ADP. He is currently the overall WR36 in half-PPR scoring. Fantasy managers will look for Samuel Sr. to get it going next Sunday when the 49ers travel to Green Bay for a Week 12 showdown with the Packers.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 73 yards on 20 carries during Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He also caught all four of his targets for an additional 16 receiving yards. Although the Patriots' lead back saw a heavy workload on Sunday afternoon, he demonstrated relatively low efficiency and failed to find the end zone. Fantasy managers will hope that he can bounce back and snap his two-week scoreless streak next Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte caught four of his six targets for 33 yards during Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Boutte was heavily involved in the Patriots' offensive game plan once again, playing 96 percent of snaps while running routes on 59 percent of the team's plays from scrimmage. The 22-year-old has played more than 80 percent of snaps in each of his last six games. Meanwhile, he has totaled six targets in each of his last four contests. Fantasy managers would like to see a slightly higher catch rate from the LSU product, but he's strung together enough solid production that he can be rostered in leagues with 14 teams or more.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was bottled up by the Jets defense on Sunday, allowing the 25-year-old to gain just 57 yards on 24 carries, good for only 2.4 yards per carry. He added one catch for three yards as well, but was unable to find paydirt on the ground or through the air. Nevertheless, the Colts were able to pull out the 28-27 victory in the Meadowlands anyway. The Jets hadn't been as strong against the run in recent weeks but reasserted itself on Sunday, with the exception of allowing quarterback Anthony Richardson to score twice on the ground. Taylor will have another tall task on tap in Week 12 against the Lions, a top-five defense against the run, but the former second-round draft pick likely still slots in as an RB1 again.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas converted seven targets into five catches for 59 yards during Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Outside of a few dud games this season, Douglas has been quite productive, totaling 44 catches, 415 yards, and one touchdown. The second-year receiver has played especially well with Drake Maye under center, repeatedly operating as one of his primary targets while handing a snap share above 50 percent. Douglas remains a low-end WR3/FLEX option with additional value in PPR formats.
From RotoBaller
