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
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) is once again not practicing on Wednesday leading up to the Week 10 matchup with the Denver Broncos. The former Pro Bowler with the Pittsburgh Steelers has not played since his 130-yard performance in Week 5. However, the team has not placed him on Injured Reserve, indicating they hoped he would be back by now. That said, even when he does return, he'll likely be relegated to the No. 3 option in the passing game behind tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. He might even be behind rookie Xavier Worthy. Smith-Schuster is borderline droppable 12-team leagues, but fantasy managers that are in trouble at the wideout spot can hold onto him in hopes he'll make an impact down the stretch.
From RotoBaller
The New York Giants designated kicker Graham Gano (hamstring) to return to practice on Wednesday and opened his 21-day window to return from Injured Reserve. It's good news for Gano, but it doesn't necessarily mean he'll be activated and kick in Week 10 when the team takes on the Carolina Panthers this Sunday in Germany. The 37-year-old veteran landed on IR on Sept. 17 with a right-hamstring strain and has only kicked in two games this year. Jude McAtamney served as the team's kicker in the Week 9 loss to the division-rival Washington Commanders after fill-in Greg Joseph (abdomen) was placed on IR last Saturday. How Gano looks in practices this week will determine of the G-Men feel comfortable bringing him back against Carolina. If Gano needs another week to recover, McAtameny figures to make a second straight start.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Barry said "it's always possible" that quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) will return to play football for the team again after he recovers from his torn Achilles. Watson had surgery to fix his torn right Achilles last Friday, and barring a setback in his lengthy rehab, the 29-year-old signal-caller should be ready for the start of the 2025 season next fall. Before his injury, though, Watson looked like the worst QB in the league, completing 63.4 percent of his 216 pass attempts for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while taking a league-high 33 sacks in just seven games. Since joining the team in 2022, Watson has been injured and ineffective, completing 61.2% of his passes with 19 TDs and 12 picks. He's due $46 million in each of the next two seasons, which is a lot of money to pay an ineffective and oft-injured QB.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman (wrist) will not practice on Wednesday. "We'll see where things go," McDermott said. Coleman suffered a wrist injury on a hard hit in the Week 9 win over the division-rival Miami Dolphins and his status for Week 10 versus the Indianapolis Colts on the road this weekend is now up in the air. McDermott already said that the 21-year-old second-round pick's wrist injury could keep him out "more than just this week," so his practice status the rest of the week is worth closely monitoring. If Coleman is unable to get the green light to face the Colts, it would mean that Khalil Shakir should see heavy volume in the passing game with Amari Cooper (wrist) missing last week's win over Miami with a wrist injury of his own. Coleman has found the end zone three times in his first nine NFL games to go with 22 catches and 417 receiving yards.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) is working off to the side with a trainer at practice on Wednesday, which is a good first step for him as he works to return following the team's Week 11 bye. Evans isn't going to be ready to return this weekend to face the San Francisco 49ers, but as long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks with his hammy, he appears to have a good shot at returning on Nov. 24 to face the New York Giants in Week 12. He's most likely going to be listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's practice. With Chris Godwin (ankle) also out for the rest of the season, tight end Cade Otton has been by far and away quarterback Baker Mayfield's favorite target through the air. Otton has had at least 10 targets the last three games and has combined for 25 catches, 258 yards and three touchdowns. He's now a must-start TE1 going forward.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (hip) is still considered day-to-day, and head coach Raheem Morris "feels really good about it" when it comes to London's progress after he suffered a hip-pointer injury while catching a touchdown pass early in the Week 9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Whether London plays in Week 10 against the division-rival New Orleans Saints will be a matter of pain tolerance, but we should have a better idea of the 23-year-old's status for this coming Sunday once the Falcons start practicing on Wednesday. If he looks good in practice and is cleared, London will be a must-start in fantasy lineups against a Saints secondary that just traded away cornerback Marshon Lattimore. If London is inactive, the weekly fantasy value of receivers Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud III and tight end Kyle Pitts will go up.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that wide receiver Amari Cooper (wrist) will practice on Wednesday after being inactive for the team's Week 9 win over the division-rival Miami Dolphins. It remains to be seen how much Cooper will actually do at practice on Wednesday, but even a limited showing will put him on the right track to play this Sunday as the Bills face the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Meanwhile, rookie Keon Coleman (wrist) isn't practicing on Wednesday due to a wrist injury of his own that he picked up against Miami. Cooper and Khalil Shakir could see plenty of targets in Week 10 if Coleman is unable to play. In his two games played with Buffalo since being acquired in a trade from the Cleveland Browns, Cooper has five receptions on seven targets for 69 yards and a touchdown, but he had just one catch for three yards in Week 8 before getting hurt.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said quarterback Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) is dealing with a sore left shoulder and will be limited in Wednesday's practice. The team brought C.J. Beathard back as insurance because it strengthens the QB room head into a Week 10 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Mac Jones is still the backup. It's something we'll be monitoring with Lawrence, but the injury is to his non-throwing shoulder and shouldn't keep him from playing against the Vikings. Lawrence is coming off a 16-for-31 outing in the Week 9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in which he threw for just 169 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. In Week 10 if he's active, he'll merely be a low-upside QB2 option for fantasy managers in superflex leagues against a Vikings that has been middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to the position in 2024.
From RotoBaller
The Jacksonville Jaguars opened the 21-day practice window for wide receiver/kick returner Devin Duvernay (lower body) on Wednesday as he looks to return from Injured Reserve. Duvernay returned five kickoffs for 100 yards and seven punts for 81 yards in five games for the team this year before getting hurt and placed on IR on Oct. 9. The 27-year-old former third-round selection by the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 out of Texas only has one reception on his lone target for minus-one yard this year and should remain on the waiver wire in all leagues, even after the Jaguars officially activate him from IR. Duvernay will be eligible to return this weekend to face the Minnesota Vikings, but it remains to be seen if the Jaguars feel that he's ready to do so.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown (knee) was upgraded to a limited participant during Tuesday's practice session. Brown suffered a knee injury in Week 8 and as a result he didn't suit up for last week's win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He didn't practice on Monday, but his return to the field on Tuesday is a good sign ahead of Thursday's matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Brown is a key piece to both the Bengals run game and protecting the blindside of quarterback Joe Burrow. Cody Ford figures to draw another start at left tackle if Brown is unable to play.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Charlie Jones (groin) missed his second straight day of practice on Tuesday. The second-year wideout sat out of last week's game due to the same groin issue. There's a good chance that Jones misses Thursday's game against the Baltimore Ravens. His absence won't make much of a difference to this offense. Jones hasn't been targeted in the receiving game since the season opener. He has mainly been returning kicks, but Trenton Irwin took over that role for Jones last week. That figures to happen again if Jones is unable to play on Thursday.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Tylan Wallace (foot) was listed as a full participant during Tuesday's practice session. The 25-year-old played a season-high 35 percent of the snaps during last week's game, but picked up a foot injury in the process. He was limited to open the week, but Wallace is back to being a full participant on Tuesday. It sounds like Wallace should be ready to play in Thursday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Wallace has mainly been playing on special teams and has only two receptions for 31 yards on the season. He's not worth rostering in fantasy formats, but his presence is a good sign for the Ravens special teams unit.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali (ankle) was upgraded to a full participant during Tuesday's practice session. Ali has missed the last three games due to an ankle injury he suffered in Week 6. He was limited to start the week, but being upgraded to full practice means he should be ready for Thursday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The rookie back figures to serve as the third string option behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill. That being said, Ali is nothing more than a dynasty stash at the moment.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers TE Eric Tomlinson was released on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
From TheHuddle
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said that he won't rule out newly acquired running back Khalil Herbert making his debut with the team on Thursday night against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens after being acquired from the Chicago Bears in a trade on Tuesday. Taylor said Herbert has been productive as a runner and is an able and willing pass-protector as well. Herbert should immediately become Chase Brown's backup in Cincy with Zack Moss (neck) done for the year. The 26-year-old won't be a recommended starting fantasy option in Week 10 if he's active in his first game with his new team, but he's certainly worth a waiver-wire pickup for any fantasy managers that need more RB depth or who need the new handcuff for Brown. Herbert saw only eight carries for 16 yards in six games with the Bears but did manage to find the end zone once.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers RB Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) and LB Nick Herbig (hamstring) have a chance to practice this week, head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
From TheHuddle
Free-agent WR Chris Moore signed to the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
From TheHuddle
Baltimore Ravens running backs Keaton Mitchell (knee) and Rasheen Ali (ankle) both practiced in full on Tuesday as they prepare to face the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football In Week 10. Mitchell also practiced in full all of last week but was held out of the Week 9 win over the Denver Broncos. The 22-year-old is recovering from an ACL tear that he suffered last year but has a chance to be activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list and make his 2024 debut on Thursday. He showed explosive ability out of Baltimore's backfield in his rookie campaign before his injury in 2023, but Mitchell will most likely be eased in behind Derrick Henry and alongside Justice Hill against Cincy if he's active. Mitchell deserves to be stashed in fantasy leagues for his upside as Baltimore's RB2 the rest of the season.
From RotoBaller
The New York Jets traded wide receiver Mike Williams to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, meaning Xavier Gipson, who has four catches for 23 yards on the year on seven targets, will move into the WR3 role in New York behind Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson with Allen Lazard (chest) on Injured Reserve. While Gipson's role should expand in the short term, the 23-year-old probably still isn't worth a waiver-wire pickup in standard-sized, 12-team fantasy leagues. In his first NFL season in 2023, Gipson caught 21 of his 38 targets for 229 yards and no touchdowns in 17 games (three starts). Expect the Jets to utilize more two-tight end sets with Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert with Williams gone and Lazard still sidelined.
From RotoBaller
The San Francisco 49ers released kicker Anders Carlson from their practice squad on Tuesday. It's a sign that Jake Moody (ankle), who has missed the last three games due to a sprained ankle, will be ready to return for the Week 10 contest this Sunday versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Fantasy managers in need of an improvement at the kicking position should be looking to add Moody if he's available on your league's waiver wire. The 26-year-old Carlson was cut by the Green Bay Packers in training camp this year after a shaky rookie season in 2023. In the two games that he filled in for Moody in San Fran, he was a perfect 5-for-5 on field-goal attempts while missing one of his four extra-point tries. Carlson will now hope to latch on with another team before the end of the 2024 season.
From RotoBaller
