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
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New Orleans Saints wide receiver Bub Means (ankle) has reportedly picked up a high-ankle sprain and will "miss time," per Rod Walker of The New Orleans Advocate. Ouch. It's yet another ailment afflicting a Saints' offensive player as the injuries continue to pile up for them. The amount of time he'll miss is unclear, but one has to assume it will be at least a couple of weeks before he returns to action. With quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) projected to return to practice this week, New Orleans' offense is trending positively. Still, it appears they'll be without another one of their skill players for at least a short while. Wide receivers Mason Tipton and Equanimeous St. Brown figure to pick up more snaps, while newly acquired Marquez Valdes-Scantling could be pushed into action sooner than initially anticipated.
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From RotoBaller
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Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, there is optimism around Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love's (groin) status for this Sunday, and he is considered day-to-day. Love underwent an MRI on Monday, confirming he escaped Sunday's victory having avoided a long-term injury. It's excellent news for Green Bay, as the 25-year-old remained in Week 8's 30-27 win over the Jaguars even after initially tweaking his groin. Still, his status for Week 9 remains to be determined. Fantasy managers will want to monitor this situation, as the Packers' game plan could change with third-year QB Malik Willis under center -- particularly the potential for a more run-centric attack. Green Bay will host their division-rival Detroit Lions this Sunday -- one of the more staunch defensive units in the league.
From RotoBaller
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Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson worked in the short field on Sunday night in the loss to San Francisco. The 25-year-old averaged just 3.8 yards per reception despite being targeted eight times. He caught six passes for 23 yards, failing to make much of an impact in the box score. The receptions were encouraging for PPR formats and the 21% target share remains encouraging, but Ferguson has still failed to find the end zone in 2024 after leading all tight ends in red zone targets in 2023. He will remain a TE1 option heading into next week's matchup with Atlanta.
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From RotoBaller
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From RotoBaller
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From RotoBaller
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From RotoBaller
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From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson is expected to be traded before the trade deadline according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Schefter reported this on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday afternoon. The veteran wideout was held out of action this past Sunday due to a rib injury. However, he has performed very well at times this season in Carolina. During Weeks 3 through 6, Johnson averaged an impressive 18.3 PPR points after struggling during the opening two weeks of the campaign. Johnson remains an intriguing buy-low candidate for redraft purposes as he will likely join a much more positive fantasy environment during the stretch run of the season. Fantasy managers who currently roster Johnson should continue to hold him on their roster as better days are likely ahead.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (chest/ribs) could miss 2-4 weeks due to a chest and rib injuries he suffered in their loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon according to Jeremy Fowler. Fowler noted that the young wideout will undergo further scanning to determine the full extent of the injuries. Fantasy managers should expect the standout rookie to miss at least two weeks of action with the potential to miss a longer period of time. The LSU product has enjoyed an impressive start to his NFL career as he has averaged 15.2 PPR points per game with 573 total yards and five scores. The Jaguars also lost Christian Kirk (collarbone) for the remainder of the season on Sunday. This will leave Trevor Lawrence with a depleted wide receiver room consisting of Parker Washington, Gabe Davis, and Tim Jones in their Week 9 tilt against the Philadelphia Eagles.
From RotoBaller
Tennessee Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph had his team looking competitive early on in Sunday's matchup with the Lions, leading two touchdown drives with the score knotted at 14 apiece a minute into the second quarter, but ultimately lost 52-14 after failing to score the rest of the game. The 29-year-old finished 22 of 38 passing with 266 yards, one TD pass, and two interceptions, plus he added four rushes for 29 yards and a rush TD of his own. Much to Calvin Ridley's delight, Rudolph gave him 15 looks and was able to connect on 10 of them for 143 yards. The Titans have a winnable matchup at home versus the Patriots in Week 9, but it is uncertain whether Will Levis will be ready or not by then. Neither one would realistically be a viable streaming option, but for Ridley managers at least, it seems Rudolph would at least be a slight upgrade for his fantasy prospects.
From RotoBaller
Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze had a modest performance against the Washington Commanders in Week 8, finishing with three catches for 41 yards and no touchdowns. It's challenging for any receiver to shine when the quarterback manages only ten completions for a total of 131 yards. Odunze's 41 yards unfortunately led all Bears receivers, highlighting the limited offensive production. He was targeted six times, indicating that quarterback Caleb Williams views him as a go-to option, even if some passes were off-target. Odunze will aim to bounce back next week in a favorable matchup against the weaker Arizona Cardinals defense.
From RotoBaller
