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FFL: Week 11 | NFL: Week 11

TE Strength of Schedule

Tue Jun 11 11:11am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

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

Player Notes
Zamir White Nov 17 4:20pm ET
Zamir White

Las Vegas Raiders running backs Zamir White (quad) and Alexander Mattison (ankle) both exited during Sunday's loss to the Miami Dolphins. The two running backs were listed as questionable in the waning minutes of the contest. White finished Week 11 with just five carries for nine yards and did not get involved as a receiver. Mattison also rushed five times, picking up 19 yards on the ground. He also caught all three of his targets for 50 yards through the air. Moving forward, Mattison is the only Raiders running back worth rostering in 12-team fantasy leagues. Even then, he's tough to trust in starting lineups given the weakened state of the Raiders' offense. Fantasy managers should, of course, continue to monitor both running backs' injury statuses ahead of Week 12 against the Denver Broncos.

From RotoBaller

Tyjae Spears Nov 17 4:20pm ET
Tyjae Spears

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (head) was taken to the locker room for concussion evaluation during the fourth quarter of Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. At the moment, the Titans have not disclosed whether Spears was officially diagnosed with a concussion. Operating as the backup to Tony Pollard on Sunday, Spears registered three carries for zero yards on the ground. He also caught two of his three targets for an additional gain of eight yards through the air. Fantasy managers should monitor Spears' status going forward, but Pollard continues to be the only Tennessee running back worth starting in fantasy football.

From RotoBaller

Roquan Smith Nov 17 4:00pm ET
Roquan Smith

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) has been ruled out for the remainder of Week 11 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is a crushing loss for the Ravens given that Smith led the team in total tackles and tackles for loss at the time of his departure on Sunday. The veteran defender finishes the divisional battle with 13 total tackles, including two tackles for loss. Malik Harrison projects to earn more snaps for the duration of Smith's absence.

From RotoBaller

Jordan Addison Nov 17 3:50pm ET
Jordan Addison

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (cramps) exited during the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans and is officially questionable to return. At the time of his departure, he had caught three of his eight targets for 61 yards and one touchdown. Even if Addison doesn't return in Week 11, fantasy managers should feel confident about his ability to recover and be available for the Vikings next weekend in Chicago. He continues to rank as an intriguing WR3/FLEX option in most fantasy leagues. In the meantime, Jalen Nailor will step up as the Vikings' No. 2 wide receiver behind Justin Jefferson.

From RotoBaller

Jerome Baker Nov 17 3:40pm ET
Jerome Baker

Tennessee Titans linebacker Jack Gibbens (ankle) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's Week 11 contest against the Minnesota Vikings. Gibbens was carted off the field in the third quarter. He had not registered a tackle prior to his departure. Jerome Baker should see increased defensive snaps for the duration of Gibbens' absence.

From RotoBaller

Gabriel Davis Nov 17 3:40pm ET
Gabriel Davis

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis (knee) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions. Davis finished Week 11 with three targets, one catch, and three receiving yards. The Jaguars are shorthanded on offense with Trevor Lawrence (shoulder), Tank Bigsby (ankle), and Christian Kirk (sidelined), and now Davis joins that list. Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington will step up as Jacksonville's top receivers until the 25-year-old can return.

From RotoBaller

Jaire Alexander Nov 17 3:13pm ET
Jaire Alexander

Updating a previous report, Green Bay Packers CB Jaire Alexander (knee) will not return to the Week 11 game because of his knee injury.

From TheHuddle

Amari Cooper Nov 17 3:13pm ET
Amari Cooper

Buffalo Bills WR Amari Cooper (wrist) is officially active for the Week 11 game.

Fantasy Spin: Cooper likely will see a handful of targets this week against the Kansas City Chiefs and can be at least a flex option in most fantasy leagues.

From TheHuddle

Corey Ballentine Nov 17 3:10pm ET
Corey Ballentine

Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) left Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears with a knee injury, and the team has listed him as questionable to return. With the injury coming in the second half, the team could play it safe and keep him on the sidelines. Corey Ballentine is the next man up on the depth chart and will try to secure a division win.

From RotoBaller

Amari Cooper Nov 17 3:00pm ET
Amari Cooper

Buffalo Bills wide receiverAmari Cooper(wrist) is officially active for Sunday's Week 11 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Cooper had been listed as questionable and was seen wearing a cast prior to kickoff, but the expectation was that he'd be able to play. We previously heard from ESPN's Adam Schefter that Cooper would be active but might have a reduced workload in his return from a two-game absence. As a result, fantasy managers should feel comfortable deploying Cooper as nothing more than a WR3/FLEX. He has been productive when healthy, but a potential snap count or partial decoy role could limit some of his upside on Sunday.

From RotoBaller

George Kittle Nov 17 2:53pm ET
George Kittle

The San Francisco 49ers have declared DT Kevin Givens, DT Khalil Davis, OG Ben Bartch, WR Ronnie Bell, CB Charvarius Ward and TE George Kittle inactive for Week 11.

From TheHuddle

George Kittle Nov 17 2:53pm ET
George Kittle

San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle (hamstring) has been declared inactive for the Week 11 game.

Fantasy Spin: Fantasy players should keep an eye on the situation to see how long Kittle will be sidelined. Players could not consider starting any of the other 49ers tight ends this week, but Ricky Pearsall may see a boost in value and could be a possible flex option in some leagues.

From TheHuddle

Denzel Ward Nov 17 2:53pm ET
Denzel Ward

Updating a previous report, Cleveland Browns CB Denzel Ward (chest) has been able to return to the Week 11 game after missing some time because of a chest injury.

From TheHuddle

George Kittle Nov 17 2:50pm ET
George Kittle

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (hamstring) is officially deemed inactive for the Week 11 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. He was already not expected to play, so it doesn't come as too much of a surprise. That leaves Eric Saubert as the next man up. Deebo Samuel Sr., Jauan Jennings, and Christian McCaffrey could also see some added targets.

From RotoBaller

Brock Purdy Nov 17 2:50pm ET
Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and edge rusher Nick Bosa (hip) have both been ruled active ahead of their Week 11 matchup against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks. Williams has constantly been a key piece to the offensive line and the pass protection for quarterback Brock Purdy, while Bosa is just as important on the other side of the ball for the defense. Having two major pieces ruled active is a big relief for a 49ers team that will be without tight end George Kittle (hamstring) on offense.

From RotoBaller

Alex Anzalone Nov 17 2:43pm ET
Alex Anzalone

Detroit Lions LB Alex Anzalone (forearm) suffered a forearm injury during the Week 11 game and is considered questionable to return.

From TheHuddle

Jaire Alexander Nov 17 2:43pm ET
Jaire Alexander

Green Bay Packers CB Jaire Alexander (knee) suffered a knee injury during the Week 11 game and is considered questionable to return.

From TheHuddle

Mike Hughes Nov 17 2:43pm ET
Mike Hughes

The Atlanta Falcons have declared CB Antonio Hamilton, LB JD Bertrand, CB Dee Alford, LB Troy Andersen, OT Brandon Parker, CB Mike Hughes and TE Charlie Woerner inactive for Week 11.

From TheHuddle

Foster Moreau Nov 17 2:40pm ET
Foster Moreau

New Orleans Saints tight end Foster Moreau (shoulder) has returned to the game on Sunday after briefly exiting with a shoulder injury. So far, Taysom Hill and Juwan Johnson have taken the bigger snap share when it comes to the tight end spot. Moreau will look to get into the mix during the second half while the Saints lead 14-6.

From RotoBaller

Haason Reddick Nov 17 2:33pm ET
Haason Reddick

New York Jets DE Haason Reddick (ankle) suffered an ankle injury during the Week 11 game and is considered questionable to return.

From TheHuddle