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.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (shoulder) is on the injury report again in Week 6 after putting in a limited practice on Wednesday. Etienne was also limited in practice all of last week before being active in the Week 5 win over the division-rival Indianapolis Colts, seeing nine touches for 60 yards. He aggravated his shoulder injury and barely played in the second half, watching backfield mate Tank Bigsby once again take over and provide 128 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. The 25-year-old Etienne should be fine to play in Week 6 in London against the Chicago Bears, but it's a bad matchup, and he could continue to cede touches to the more productive and explosive Bigsby. As things currently stand, Etienne's fantasy arrow is pointing down. If he's active in London, he'll be a shaky RB2 for fantasy managers at risk of losing more playing time to Bigsby.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis (knee) was once again limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. Davis led all Jaguars receivers in offensive snaps in the Week 5 win over the division-rival Indianapolis Colts, but it led to only three receptions on four targets for 38 yards. In his first year in Jacksonville, Davis has been more of an afterthought for the 1-4 Jags, catching 12 of 25 targets for 159 yards and no touchdowns. The 25-year-old's chances of breaking out this Sunday in London against a stout Chicago Bears defense don't seem great, especially if tight end Evan Engram (hamstring) returns for the first time since the season opener. Davis should be just fine to suit up in Week 6 this weekend, but fantasy managers should have better options to use in their flex spot. Davis isn't even among the top-50 receivers in half-PPR fantasy scoring through five weeks.
From RotoBaller
After being suspended for the Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs returned to practice on Wednesday and wasn't limited in any fashion. Doubs decided to skip a few practices last week because he was unhappy with his role in the offense, so the Packers suspended him for a game due to conduct detrimental to the team. The 24-year-old reportedly is back on the same page with the team and should be active for Week 6 against the visiting Arizona Cardinals. It's possible Green Bay could look to involve him more this Sunday in a good matchup, although receiver Christian Watson (ankle) could also make his return. The Packers have a lot of mouths to feed in the receiving corps among Doubs, Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks. Fantasy managers will be rolling the dice if they use Doubs as a WR4/flex in Week 6 against the Cardinals.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (hamstring) was limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. The Jaguars are optimistic that Engram can return to action in Week 6 against the Chicago Bears in London this Sunday after not playing since the season-opening loss to the Miami Dolphins. Engram injured his hamstring during pre-game warmups before Week 2 and hasn't played since. The 30-year-old two-time Pro Bowler had a career-best 963 receiving yards in 2023 in his second year in Jacksonville, but so far in 2024 he's been a fantasy bust due to his hamstring injury. Engram caught just one pass for five yards in Week 1. If he ends up returning to the field this Sunday in London, he'll be a low-end TE1 in fantasy, at best. Brenton Strange has filled in nicely for the Jags in Engram's absence and has found the end zone twice.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) is expected to miss multiple weeks. The Colts have also suggested that Pittman may be placed on injured reserve. Pittman was a non-participant in practice on Wednesday and is listed as doubtful heading into this weekend. This is unfortunate news for fantasy managers as Pittman had just started to come alive. He had at least 113 receiving yards or a touchdown in his last two games. That may be attributed to the presence of quarterback Joe Flacco in the lineup rather than a struggling Anthony Richardson. However, it could be some time before fantasy managers find out if Pittman is able to build on that momentum. Pittman has recorded 22 receptions for 238 yards and a touchdown in 2024. For now, fantasy managers will have to stick him in their IR spot and hope for the best.
Dynasty | The Texans have placed wide receiver Nico Collins on injured reserve. Dynasty Analysis: Collins has gone from an afterthought, to a serviceable receiver, to a possible lineup staple, to a WR1, to perhaps the best receiver in fantasy leagues over the past three years. This is a major buzzkill as he has been flat-out dominant. Savvy owners who aren't competing right now could make a "buy low" play for his services to a team desperate to win, but you're not likely to get him. Unfortunately, he's going to be out for at least four weeks and that should open up targets for Tank Dell, Stefon Diggs, Dalton Schultz and others.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers C Graham Barton (hamstring), S Christian Izien (elbow, groin) and WR Trey Palmer (concussion) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Oct. 9. WR Kameron Johnson (ankle) S Jordan Whitehead (groin) and S Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot) were limited during practice. DE Earnest Brown (ribs), DE William Gholston (knee), OT Luke Goedeke (concussion) and DT Calijah Kancey (calf) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
New Orleans Saints OG Cesar Ruiz (knee), DE Payton Turner (knee), QB Derek Carr (oblique), OG Lucas Patrick (chest), S Will Harris (hamstring) and LB Pete Werner (hamstring) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Oct. 9. LB Willie Gay (hand) was limited during practice, while RB Kendre Miller (hamstring) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
New Orleans saints TE Taysom Hill (rib) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Oct. 9.
Fantasy Spin: Hill is still recovering from fractured ribs, so he probably will not be available this week unless he takes part in one of the two practices left during the week. Fantasy players should look for other options and avoid Hill until he takes part in a few practices.
From TheHuddle
New Orleans saints RB Alvin Kamara (hand, hip) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Oct. 9.
Fantasy Spin: Fantasy players should monitor the situation to see if Kamara can take part in practice later in the week. He will see a significant workload if he plays and is a must-start option in fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle
Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (heel) was listed as a limited practice participant on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Brian Robinson Jr. (knee) missed the first practice of the week. Ekeler missed Week 4 due to a concussion but returned to action in the Week 5 win over the Cleveland Browns to touch the ball eight times for 97 scrimmage yards. Robinson had only seven carries for 18 yards but managed to find the end zone twice. The Commanders are going to continue to monitor B-Rob's knee heading into their Week 6 showdown in Baltimore against the Ravens, so even if he's active again this Sunday, Ekeler could pace Washington's backfield in snaps and touches. Jeremy McNichols also had seven carries for 44 yards and a score in Week 5 and could continue to have a role, which isn't great for Ekeler's fantasy upside. Consider Ekeler a WR3/flex option in PPR formats for Week 6.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (groin) was listed as limited for the first practice of the week on Wednesday. It's an upgrade for Brown, who missed practice all of last week before sitting out of the Week 5 win over the Cleveland Browns. While there's no guarantee he'll return this Sunday to face the Baltimore Ravens, the 28-year-old is at least making progress and could have a shot to be active. Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus got some more run behind WR1 Terry McLaurin last weekend with Noah Brown sidelined. Through three games in his first year in D.C., Noah Brown has caught only nine passes on 10 targets for 111 yards and no touchdowns. Washington's offense has looked great under impressive rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels so far in 2024, but Noah Brown is merely a deep-league stash.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers DT Devonte Wyatt (ankle) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Oct. 9. CB Jaire Alexander (groin), DT Kenny Clark (toe), LB Edgerrin Cooper (hip), DT Jonathan Ford (calf), OG Elgton Jenkins (knee), OT Jordan Morgan (shoulder), TE Luke Musgrave (ankle) and CB Carrington Valentine (ankle) were limited during practice. S Zayne Anderson (elbow), DE Arron Mosby (shoulder) and OT Zach Tom (shoulder) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
Updating a previous report, Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins (non-injury) was limited during practice Wednesday, Oct. 9.
Fantasy Spin: Hopkins has been held under 35 yards in three of his four games this season and only has 10 receptions in those games. He should see a handful of targets this week but is not a strong fantasy option.
From TheHuddle
Tennessee Titans S Jamal Adams (hip), WR Treylon Burks (non-injury) and DT Keondre Coburn (knee) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Oct. 9. DT Jeffery Simmons (elbow) and CB L'Jarius Sneed (non-injury) were limited during practice. LB Cedric Gray (shoulder) and LB Ernest Jones (elbow) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (ankle) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. This is good news for fantasy managers as Watson missed the Packers' Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Rams. Watson has been underwhelming in fantasy in 2024. A combination of injuries and the absence of Jordan Love for a couple of games has significantly impacted Watson's production. He only has five receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown in 2024. That is good for 19 fantasy points in five games in PPR scoring. With the emergence of wide receiver Jayden Reed, Watson has likely lost his grip on the No. 1 wide receiver role in Green Bay. Even if he can return in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals, fantasy managers should wait and see how Watson fares before deploying him in their lineups.
From RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals OT Kelvin Beachum (hamstring) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Oct. 9. OG Evan Brown (hamstring), PK Matt Prater (knee), DE Darius Robinson (calf) and CB Garrett Williams (groin) were limited during practice. OG Isaiah Adams (thumb), OT Christian Jones (ankle) and WR Zay Jones (non-injury) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (knee) was a DNP at practice on Wednesday. Robinson has been excellent in 2024 en route to 325 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He has added eight receptions for 68 yards. Robinson has thrived with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels propelling the Commanders offense to the top of the league. His yards per carry average of 4.5 is a carry high and his five rushing touchdowns already match his career high in that category. As such, Robinson has consistently delivered RB2 numbers in fantasy. Hopefully, his absence from practice is simply for rest. However, fantasy managers will need to keep an eye on his practice status over the next couple of days. While the Commanders' matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6 is not ideal for running backs, Robinson would still have a chance at goal-line opportunities.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals TE Mike Gesicki (hamstring) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Oct. 9.
Fantasy Spin: Gesicki may be in danger of missing the Week 6 game if he does not take part in either of the final two practices of the week. He has played well at times this season, but fantasy players may want to look for other options to use this week.
From TheHuddle
Cincinnati Bengals DT Sheldon Rankins (hamstring) and DE Joseph Ossai (shoulder) were limited during practice Wednesday, Oct. 9. CB Mike Hilton (knee), CB D.J. Ivey (knee), DT Kris Jenkins (thumb) and OT Amarius Mims (calf) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle