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.
Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 10
Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard rushed nine times for 44 yards, adding four receptions on 4 targets for 19 yards in a defeat to Los Angeles on Sunday. It was a down performance for Pollard who was semi-game scripted out of this one with the Titans playing from behind most of the game. Tyjae Spears actually bested Pollard in the rushing department for the first time all season, on two fewer carries. The former Cowboy also appeared to tweak his ankle late in the first half but was able to come back in the game shortly after. Pollard will be susceptible to down games like this due to the nature of the Titans' incompetent offense, but he remains a featured player who will see around 15-20 opportunities per game, even with Spears back in the mix. Up next is an extremely tough matchup against the Vikings top rush defense, which will likely demote Pollard to only a flex option down from his usual RB2 spot.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (back) is officially active for the Week 10 contest against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football after being listed as questionable on Friday's final injury report. Despite dealing with a back injury, Dell was expected to play through the injury. It's big news for the Texans offense since Nico Collins (hamstring) will miss another game despite being activated from Injured Reserve on Saturday. Remember that Stefon Diggs (knee) is out for the rest of the year due to a torn right ACL. It means that Dell will operate as the Texans' top wideout in a primetime showdown against a Lions defense that has allowed the third-most half-PPR points all year to wideouts. In last week's win over the New York Jets on Halloween, Dell had six catches for a season-high 126 yards. Xavier Hutchinson and Robert Woods should have bigger roles as well behind Dell.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens hauled in five of seven targets for 91 yards and a score in a 28-27 win over the Washington Commanders. Pickens made an impact early on Sunday, coming down with an incredible touchdown grab on a 16-yard deep ball from Russell Wilson in the first quarter. He continued to operate as Wilson's favorite vertical option and came down with multiple catches in crucial moments. While the addition of Mike Williams to Pittsburgh's receiver corps paid off in a big way on Sunday, the veteran does not appear to be a threat to the elite target share that Pickens has garnered this season. The third-year pro will be a borderline must-start fantasy asset next week in a divisional showdown against the Baltimore Ravens.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris handled 21 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown in the team's Week 10 win against the Washington Commanders. Harris was a non-factor in the passing game and turned in his least efficient showing since Week 4. A one-yard score in the third quarter salvaged Harris' fantasy output, but he could cede additional opportunities to Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson in the coming weeks if he continues to struggle on the ground. A tough test is on tap for Week 11 against a stout Baltimore Ravens run defense.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy aired it out in a 23-20 victory over the Buccaneers in Tampa on Sunday. He finished with 25 completions of 36 attempts for 353 yards and two touchdowns passing to go with four scrambles for 17 yards on the ground. The yardage total was the third-highest of his career. Purdy looked poised, ceding zero turnovers, though he did have a fourth-quarter punchout recovered by teammate Jauan Jennings. The former Cyclone's first touchdown pass was a 46-yard catch-and-run on a crossing route to rookie Ricky Pearsall and his second came on a fourth-quarter 11-yard corner toe-tapper to tight end George Kittle. The return of Christian McCaffrey appeared to boost the 49ers' offense as predicted, and Purdy took advantage, targeting CMC seven times. Purdy and the 49ers will host the Seattle Seahawks at home in Week 11.
From RotoBaller
Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis completed 18-of-23 passes for 175 yards and two scores in a 27-17 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers. Levis returned to action after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury and had his first zero-turnover game of the season. The Kentucky product got off to a hot start, hitting Calvin Ridley for a 41-yard touchdown on the Titans' first drive. Unfortunately he was unable to maintain that momentum, taking seven sacks in the game and failing to put together consistent drives. Levis ended the game with the third-best QBR in his young career, but that was inflated by his 2nd touchdown pass to Ridley with under a minute to go when the game was squarely out of reach. It was still a fairly promising performance for the young gunslinger in his first action back, but things do not get any easier next week when the Titans face the stout Minnesota Vikings defense lead by Brian Flores. He will check in as a low-end QB2 for Week 11.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) is inactive for Sunday night's matchup against the Detroit Lions. Collins was activated from the injured reserve on Friday. He logged a limited practice on Friday and was a game-time decision for Sunday Night Football. However, the 25-year-old isn't quite ready to return to action after missing the last four games with a hamstring injury. He was having a phenomenal season before landing on the IR, catching 32 passes for 567 yards and three touchdowns over five games. Collins' next chance to return will be Week 11 against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. Tank Dell (back) will be quarterback C.J. Stroud's No. 1 target with Collins sidelined, and look for John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson, and Robert Woods to see an uptick in snaps.
From RotoBaller
After a two-catch performance in Week 9 as a result of exiting early due to injury, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (hip) was much busier in Week 10, hauling in eight of 12 targets for 97 yards in a 20-17 loss to the Saints and allaying any concerns about his hip. It was just the fourth time in ten games that the 23-year-old was held out of the end zone, but it was the fourth time this season that he's garnered double-digit targets and the seventh game with six or more receptions, making him one of the more reliable wideouts for fantasy. The former first-round draft pick is top 10 in the league in targets (82) and receptions (58) through ten weeks, but it will be tough sledding next week in Denver as the Falcons will face a stout Broncos pass defense. Nevertheless, London will likely still be a WR1 option for the week.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson completed 14 of 28 pass attempts for 195 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception while adding three rushing yards on four carries in a 28-27 victory over the Washington Commanders. Wilson started cooking early in this one, finding George Pickens in the end zone from 16 yards out and connecting with Pat Freiermuth for a three-yard score in the first half. The Steelers leaned on the running game to start the second half, but Wilson delivered when the team needed him most, dropping a dime in the hands of newcomer Mike Williams for a game-winning 32-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Wilson has played well enough through three starts to warrant fantasy consideration moving forward. He'll be an intriguing streaming candidate next week against a Baltimore Ravens defense surrendering the most passing production in the NFL.
From RotoBaller
Detroit Lions defensive end Za'Darius Smith (personal) is officially inactive for the Sunday night game against the Houston Texans. Smith was just acquired in a trade by Detroit from the Cleveland Browns and will have to wait to make his Lions debut until Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 32-year-old three-time Pro Bowler had five sacks, 23 tackles (15 solo), six tackles for loss and seven QB hits in his nine games for the Browns before the trade earlier this week. The Lions are hoping he can settle in and be a consistent pass-rushing force the rest of the year with star defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson (leg) likely out for the rest of the season due to a broken leg. Because of the loss of Hutchinson, the Lions defense in fantasy doesn't have as high of a ceiling, but they could still be plenty productive on Sunday night against a banged-up Texans receiving corps.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Falcons running back Bijan Robinson had 116 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a loss to the Saints. Dynasty Analysis: He added three catches for 28 more yards. Robinson has had a bit of an up and down season, but it's hard to argue with the results he puts up when he gets a good amount of touches. While he hasn't quite justified his overall RB1 status in dynasty leagues quite yet, this season has certainly looked better than his last and he remains a player to be invested in heavily.
New York Jets offensive tackle Tyron Smith (neck) was injured in the Week 10 game on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals and is doubtful to return. Meanwhile, cornerback Brandin Echols (concussion) suffered a concussion and has been ruled out. The Jets are getting absolutely manhandled on both sides of the ball in the desert against the first-place Cardinals on Sunday, and now they will probably be without both Smith and Echols for the rest of the game. With Smith unlikely to return to the second half, Olu Fashanu is expected to take over starting duties the rest of the way at right tackle. The 33-year-old Smith is an eight-time Pro Bowler and will be a big loss for the Jets' offensive line if he's forced to miss time beyond Week 10.
From RotoBaller
The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan reports that New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne was informed on Saturday that he may not play on Sunday in Week 10 against the Chicago Bears as the coaching staff prioritizes playing time for their younger players, according to a source. Bourne had played 78 percent of the team's offensive snaps the last two games, but he was the only receiver not to see the field through the first five offensive drives, and he finished the 19-3 victory with no targets. In last week's overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans, Bourne had his best game of the season, catching four of six targets for 41 yards. The 29-year-old got a late start to the season due to injury and just hasn't regained any fantasy relevance in an offense that has struggled under both quarterbacks Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr. (ankle) returned to the Week 10 divisional clash against the Dallas Cowboys after leaving with a tweaked left ankle early in the first quarter. Slay injured his ankle on the first defensive series of the game and was initially deemed questionable to return to Sunday's game. It's good news for the Eagles defense while going up against an offense that could be without starting quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) for the rest of the season. With Slay back on the field for the second half, he'll return to trying to keep Cowboys leading receiver CeeDee Lamb in check. Going into this one, the Eagles defense/special teams unit was a popular DFS pick in quarterback Cooper Rush's first start of the 2024 campaign.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Giants quarterback Daniel Jones completed 22-of-37 passes for 190 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in a loss against Carolina. Dynasty Analysis: Jones not only missed open receivers, he flat-out failed to even throw to them at times. After the game, the Giants went on record saying they were evaluating the position. With Jones looking this bad against one of the league's worst defenses and the Giants sitting at 2-8, it would be no surprise to see Drew Lock under center here soon. With just eight touchdowns and seven interceptions on the year, the Jones era in New York is surely coming to an end and the Giants may very well be players in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Dynasty | Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers had six catches for 50 yards in a loss against Carolina. Dynasty Analysis: Nabers had a quiet day and that included leaving briefly to be evaluated for a concussion. The Giants are considering a quarterback change and it certainly wouldn't hurt. The fact Nabers has been able to post the numbers he has this season with the offensive struggles the Giants have endured is a modern day miracle. He remains a solid WR1 regardless of who may be under center for the G-Men.
Dynasty | Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold completed 24-of-38 passes for 241 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions in a win against Jacksonville. Dynasty Analysis: Darnold was white hot at the beginning of the season but has just three touchdowns and five interceptions the past two weeks. To make things worse, Darnold's interceptions were all deep inside Jags territory and those red zone turnovers were nearly killers for the Vikings. He'll remain a QB2 moving forward as he essentially auditions for other teams this season with JJ McCarthy waiting in the wings.
Dynasty | Jaguars running back Travis Etienne had 44 rushing yards, one catch, and -1 receiving yard in a loss against Minnesota. Dynasty Analysis: Tank Bigsby was hurt in the game and that opened up the door for Etienne for more touches. Unfortunately, a Mac Jones-led offense just didn't do much in this one and Etienne couldn't get on track. This has been a tough season for Etienne, who clearly has talent but the Jaguars aren't committing much to him and he's playing on a team that just isn't very good. A lost season isn't a death knell for Etienne, but he's hardly a lineup lock at this point in the season. His dynasty value is continuing it's slow descent as a result.
Dynasty | Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson completed 14-of-28 passes for 195 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in a win against Washington. Dynasty Analysis: Wilson isn't putting up vintage yardage totals this year, but it's hard to argue with six touchdowns, one interception, and all three games won at the helm of the Steelers thus far. Wilson was fairly efficient today and while he did make one mistake, it's hard to look at this game and say Justin Fields could make some of the same throws Wilson did. While more a QB2 than a QB1 this year, Wilson looks like he could be in the midst of a comeback season. His dynasty value has stabilized and is starting to tick up this year.
Dynasty | Steelers wide receiver Mike Williams had one catch for 32 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh's win against Washington. Dynasty Analysis: Williams caught just one pass in his Steelers debut, but it was the biggest catch he's made in some time as it sealed a huge win against Washington. Williams will likely be integrated more in the offense moving forward, but this was certainly a good sign. He remains a bit of a roster clogger at the moment, but we'll see if he can build on this performance.