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.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin did everything he could during Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders. The Bucs moved Godwin back to the slot and it paid off for them in Week 1. The veteran wideout hauled in all eight of his targets for 83 yards and a touchdown in the win. Godwin got out of the gate slowly last season and he made sure that didn't happen again. Both Godwin and Mike Evans should have no problem getting the ball in this pass-heavy offense on a weekly basis. Godwin should be a solid WR2 in PPR formats going forward.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints tight end Foster Moreau (concussion) is officially in the league's concussion protocol, per head coach Dennis Allen. Moreau picked up the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 47-10 thrashing of the Carolina Panthers. He hauled in all four of his targets for 43 yards and a touchdown on a day where everything fell the Saints' way. The veteran tight end racked up the second-most yards, targets, and receptions on his team and finished the day with just one less target than Taysom Hill and Juwan Johnson combined. Quarterback Derek Carr looked very comfortable in a new Saints' offense, and Moreau will now need to progress through the league's protocol before he is cleared to suit up for New Orleans' Week 2 road matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. If he is not ready to roll, expect Johnson to take on the bulk of the more traditional tight-end duties for the Saints.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving put together a fairly nice NFL debut during Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders. The rookie back won the No. 2 job behind Rachaad White during training camp. Irving made the most of his chances during Sunday's game. He rushed nine times for 62 yards in the blowout win. To be fair, Irving saw most of his yardage come on a 31-yard run in the fourth quarter. However, the rookie back did look solid as he was finding holes and making smart decisions as a runner. White remains the workhorse back in Tampa Bay, but Irving could start stealing away some of those touches. Irving is still a shaky option for Week 2, but he should be stashed in most fantasy formats.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (knee) was targeted five times in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. He made three catches and gained 15 yards before having to be helped off the field after a catch in the third quarter. After the game, head coach Mike McCarthy said Ferguson was "in good spirits and moving around well." More information will certainly come out soon, but for now it does not seem like Ferguson will need to miss any significant time. Just in case, Luke Schoonmaker is next up on the Cowboys tight end depth chart.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White was heavily involved in the offense during Sunday's Week 1 matchup against the Washington Commanders. The 25-year-old continued to be the workhorse back in this one. He rushed 15 times for 31 yards as White couldn't get anything going on the ground. Luckily, White was able to salvage his fantasy value with six receptions for 75 yards through the air. His struggles on the ground are a concern, but not too alarming considering how well he does as a receiver. White should continue being a significant part of this offense going forward. Fantasy managers in PPR formats should be able to plug White in as a RB2 for Week 2 against the Detroit Lions.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey made all seven of his kicks in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. He made four field goals and three extra points, putting up 15 of the Cowboys 33 points. Aubrey's field goals came from 57, 40, 50, and 46 yards out. He was the top-scoring fantasy kicker last season and could very well be on his way to doing that again this year.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans had seemingly no issues during Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders. The veteran wideout has been one of the most consistent players throughout his career. That trend continued during Sunday's game as Evans hauled in five receptions for 61 yards and two touchdowns in the win. To be fair, the Commanders secondary is shaky, but Evans took advantage of that with two fairly easy touchdowns. Fantasy managers should be able to plug Evans in as WR1 on a weekly basis going forward.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown in the team's 34-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. His score came on a screen pass from 11 yards out late in the third quarter to give the Bills the lead for good. The touchdown saved what was a low-volume, mediocre stat line. Shakir earned three targets, two fewer than rookie Keon Coleman and the same number as running back James Cook. Nine different receivers recorded a catch on Sunday as Josh Allen spread his 23 completions throughout the offense. The target distribution will prevent Shakir from being much more than a WR4 when the Bills travel to Miami for Thursday Night Football in Week 2.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks scored a touchdown in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. Cooks was targeted seven times, making four catches for 40 yards. His touchdown came in the first quarter on a 21-yard pass from quarterback Dak Prescott. Cooks mostly played a support role in the passing game last season, but he did occasionally play a larger role like he did in this one. He's a tough fantasy asset to roster because of his up-and-down performances, but he could certainly develop into an asset behind alpha WR1 CeeDee Lamb.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield made easy work of the Washington Commanders defense on Sunday. He was able to escape pressure and looked at ease in the pocket throughout most of the game. He completed 24-of-30 passing attempts for 289 yards and four touchdowns in the 37-20 victory. Mayfield spread around the love with two touchdowns to Mike Evans, one to Chris Godwin, and his final touchdown to Jalen McMillan. This Bucs offense appears to have multiple capable scoring options which is a great thing for this team. To be fair, the Commanders defense is awful, but Mayfield capitalized and did what he was supposed to. Fantasy managers should consider Mayfield a possible low-end QB1 for the Week 2 matchup against the Detroit Lions.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel logged two catches on two targets for 15 yards in the team's 34-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Samuel appears to be the odd man out of the Buffalo wide receiver rotation. Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, and Mack Hollins were the three receivers on the field the most. Samuel, meanwhile, played a handful of snaps and ran just 9 routes, according to Pro Football Focus. If Samuel continues to be the backup slot receiver to Shakir, he won't be worth a roster spot in standard-sized fantasy football leagues. Fantasy managers should keep him on the bench for another week to confirm his spot in the Buffalo pecking order. The Bills travel to Miami for a divisional tilt on Thursday Night Football in Week 2.
From RotoBaller
ynasty | Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers had five catches for 66 yards in his NFL debut. Dynasty Analysis: Based on the way Daniel Jones played, this has to be considered a minor miracle. It's clear Nabers has some next-level talent but this offense already looks putrid. New York plays at Washington next week in a game that feels pretty important in terms of what we can expect in terms of fantasy value for Nabers moving forward. He remains a solid hold in dynasty leagues but he could have some ups and downs this year playing in what looks to be one of the worst offenses in the NFL already.
Dynasty | Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby had 12 carries for 73 yards in Jacksonville's week one loss to the Dolphins. Dynasty Analysis: More importantly, Bigsby's 12 carries matched those of Travis Etienne. As we heard all off-season, it certainly does seem the Jaguars have no desire to have Etienne simply carry the mail week after week. This is a big development in dynasty leagues as it could vault Bigsby into relevance and knock Etienne down to RB2 territory. We'll see what happens next week but Bigsby's 6.1 yards per carry outshined Etienne's 3.7 on the day, making this a huge dynasty story. Stay tuned.
Dynasty | Colts rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell had just one catch for two yards in the Colts opening day loss to the Texans. Dynasty Analysis: Mitchell clearly didn't do much in terms of points on the day but the big story is the fact Anthony Richardson missed him on what would have been two long touchdowns. While the line is a disappointment, anyone who watched the game can see Mitchell has real talent. It certainly looks like better days are coming, so Mitchell remains a solid hold or even buy low at the moment.
Dynasty | Panthers rookie receiver Xavier Legette had four catches for 35 yards in his NFL debut. Dynasty Analysis: Legette did all he could on a day where Bryce Young struggled mightily. For what it's worth, his 7.5 fantasy points look like a win based on how inept the offense looked for the Panthers. Better days should be ahead but Legette should be firmly on benches until we see Bryce Young play at a level much, much higher.
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz caught three passes for 28 yards in their Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ertz tied a team-high with four targets Sunday afternoon. In his regular-season debut, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels struggled to find consistency in the passing game, which affected Ertz's fantasy output. Ertz was typically found in short range in the middle of the field as a safety valve. As Daniels gets accustomed to the professional level, Ertz should continue to see an uptick in targets. However, rookie tight end Ben Sinnott did not see a target on Sunday, solidifying Ertz's starting role in the offense. Fantasy managers looking for another value play in DFS next weekend should consider selecting Ertz, as he will face a New York Giants defense that allowed 42 yards to the Minnesota tight ends in Week 1.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman secured four out of his five targets for 51 yards in his NFL debut against Arizona. Those marks led all Buffalo receivers. The rookie second-round pick also led the Bills' wideouts in snaps and routes. It's an encouraging first effort from Coleman, who should continue to improve as his rookie season progresses. Still, Josh Allen will spread the ball around without an alpha wide receiver on the roster. Nine different receivers recorded a catch on Sunday. Coleman shouldn't crack fantasy football starting lineups when the Bills face the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football, but his stock is trending in the right direction.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton was a non-factor in Sunday's 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, finishing with 26 receiving yards on three receptions and no touchdowns. Slayton also muffed a punt as a last-minute replacement as the punt returner when Gunner Olszewski was injured in pre-game warmups. Slayton's role as a receiver looks to be diminishing with the limited targets, as Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson will see the lion's share of the work this season. Fantasy managers are better off leaving Slayton on the bench unless injuries move him up the depth chart.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott led the Cowboys backfield in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. "Zeke" ran the ball 10 times, gaining 40 yards and scoring a touchdown. He added nine yards on two receptions, catching both of his targets. It was a mostly even split in the backfield between Elliott and Rico Dowdle, who ran eight times. This pattern will likely continue, but will get even more crowded once Dalvin Cook is up to speed and joins the backfield as well. It could be tough to choose what Cowboys running back will be fantasy relevant each week, but Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints could be more illuminating.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb led the team in targets, catches, and yards in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. Lamb missed the entire preseason while holding out for a contract extension, and at points it was unclear if he'd even play in Week 1. He did, of course, and saw 10 targets, making five catches for 61 yards. Lamb was the top overall fantasy pass catcher last season and has a good chance to do it again this season. He'll only heat up more and once he gets more up to speed he should distance himself from the rest of the Cowboys pass catchers. He'll be a weekly WR1 regardless of matchups.
From RotoBaller