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A.W.F.F.L. Est. 2004
FFL: Week 7 | NFL: Week 7

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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Player Notes
Jared Goff Oct 20 8:50pm ET
Jared Goff

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff delivered another strong performance in Week 7, helping lead the team to a 31-29 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Goff was highly efficient, completing 22 of 25 passes for an 88% completion rate, accumulating 280 yards and two touchdowns. His accuracy and decision-making were on full display, keeping the Lions' offense moving throughout the game. Goff's impressive outing earned him a Top-5 fantasy QB finish for the week going into Sunday night, reinforcing his status as a reliable starter. The Lions will focus on a home matchup against the Tennessee Titans as Goff is a low-end QB1 heading into Week 8.

From RotoBaller

Tony Pollard Oct 20 8:50pm ET
Tony Pollard

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard rushed 16 times for 61 yards, catching two passes for four yards on six targets in the 24-point loss at Buffalo. It was a disappointing afternoon for Pollard managers, as the former Cowboy could only muster 8.5 fantasy points with the backfield all to himself. Game script changed on a dime in this one, with the first half heavily favoring Pollard as the Titans took a 10-7 lead into the half. Tennessee was then outscored 21-0 over the next quarter and all but abandoned the run at that point. The most promising aspect of this one was that Pollard was second on the team in targets with six, a trend that should continue with how poor the downfield passing attack has been for Tennessee. The Detroit Lions and their stout run defense is on tap for Week 8.

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Grant Calcaterra Oct 20 8:50pm ET
Grant Calcaterra

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Grant Calcaterra caught his lone target for a gain of five yards during the team's 28-3 win over the New York Giants. After having solid involvement last week and catching four targets for 67 yards in replacement of Dallas Goedert (hamstring) the third-year tight end saw just one target against New York. However, no receiver outside of A.J. Brown had a good day in a game where quarterback Jalen Hurts only had to throw the ball 14 times. Calcaterra was still on the field a ton and will face a much easier Cincinnati defense next week and an offense that can keep the game competitive. He will be on the streaming radar once again in Week 8.

From RotoBaller

Jahmyr Gibbs Oct 20 8:47pm ET
Jahmyr Gibbs

Dynasty | Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 116 rushing yards, four catches, 44 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a win against Minnesota. Dynasty Analysis: Gibbs took advantage of an early David Montgomery injury to post his best game of the season. While Montgomery did return to action, Gibbs carried the mail most of the day and showed just how talented he is. Unfortunately, this is going to be the way it goes with both in Detroit long-term. While it's great two have two premier running backs in reality, it's created a major buzzkill for dynasty managers. Still, Gibbs is a weekly play who can post games like this every week.

Chase Brown Oct 20 8:47pm ET
Chase Brown

Dynasty | Bengals running back Chase Brown had 44 rushing yards, two catches and nine receiving yards in a win against the Browns. Dynasty Analysis: More importantly, Brown had 17 touches and Zack Moss had just nine. This could represent a changing of the guard by the Bengals and while Moss has been pretty steady, Brown clearly looks like the more explosive option. Neither running back is going to be worth more than flex consideration unless the other one gets hurt, but Brown is certainly making some progress and his dynasty arrow is pointing up.

Cedric Tillman Oct 20 8:46pm ET
Cedric Tillman

Dynasty | Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman had eight catches for 81 yards in a loss to the Bengals. Dynasty Analysis: With Amari Cooper now in Buffalo, Tillman had a whopping 12 targets on the day, trailing only the 14 from David Njoku. This is notable as Jerry Jeudy had just one catch on five targets today. We'll need to see more from Tillman moving forward but he should most certainly be on dynasty rosters and could have a big second half.

Keon Coleman Oct 20 8:46pm ET
Keon Coleman

Dynasty | Bills rookie receiver Keon Coleman had four catches for 125 yards in a win against Tennessee. Dynasty Analysis: Coleman came into the game with just 201 receiving yards on the year, so this was by far his best performance. With Amari Cooper commanding attention in a revamped passing game, this was a great sign for the future. Coleman is still a risky play, but he's looking more and more like a player progressing and proving his worth as a late first round rookie pick.

D.K. Metcalf Oct 20 8:46pm ET
D.K. Metcalf

Dynasty | Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf had four catches for 99 yards and a touchdown before exiting with a knee injury in Seattle's road win against Atlanta. Dynasty Analysis: Metcalf had a solid afternoon, but dynasty managers are deeply concerned after he left the sidelines on a cart with what the team later said was a knee injury. For what it's worth, Head Coach Mike Macdonald said at his post-game news conference that it doesn't look too bad and that Metcalf just banged it with another player. We'll see, but any loss of time for Metcalf would open up things for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett. Stay tuned.

Bijan Robinson Oct 20 8:45pm ET
Bijan Robinson

Dynasty | Falcons running back Bijan Robinson had 103 rushing yards, three catches, 40 receiving yards and a touchdown in a loss against Seattle. Dynasty Analysis: The Seahawks defense has been awful over the past month, but this was still a step in the right direction for Robinson. Even better (and more importantly), Robinson had 24 touches and fellow running back Tyler Allgeier had just six. If that kind of timeshare continues, Robinson could post RB1 numbers each and every week. If there was a quick buy low window, it likely just shut.

Marcus Mariota Oct 20 8:45pm ET
Marcus Mariota

Dynasty | Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota completed 18-of-23 passes for 205 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in a win against Carolina. Dynasty Analysis: Mariota added 34 rushing yards on the day to cap off a solid performance. While no threat to Jayden Daniels in the long-term, Mariota proved yet again to be a capable backup in the league. Dynasty managers could certainly consider picking him up should Daniels miss time as Washington suddenly seems like a very capable team.

Tyreek Hill Oct 20 8:43pm ET
Tyreek Hill

Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill had just a single 8-yard catch on two targets in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts, while running once for five yards.

Fantasy Spin: Hill's fantasy value has been destroyed with the QB turnstile since Tua Tagovailoa's concussion back in Week 2. Tyler Huntley, Tim Boyle, Skylar Thompson, etc. have not jelled well with Cheetah. The good news is that Tua is trying to make it back in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals, so a giant leap in fantasy value for Hill might be coming soon. Stay patient.

From TheHuddle

Ja'Lynn Polk Oct 20 8:40pm ET
Ja'Lynn Polk

Dynasty | Patriots rookie wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk failed to record a catch on three targets in a loss to Jacksonville. Dynasty Analysis: Polk now has just 78 yards and a touchdown on ten catches through seven games. The second rounder can't be blamed for everything as he had to deal with Jacoby Brissett for most of the season. Still, this is a slow start and a concern for those dynasty managers who burned a likely second round rookie pick on him. Patience will need to be exhibited here but Polk is light years away from lineups at the moment.

A.J. Brown Oct 20 8:40pm ET
A.J. Brown

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown caught all five of his targets for 89 yards and a touchdown during the team's 28-3 win over the New York Giants. The Eagles and Saquon Barkley utterly dominated the New York defense on the ground and only needed to throw 14 times. Brown accounted for half of the completions quarterback Jalen Hurts threw and tallied 78% of the team's total receiving yards. No other receiver on the team had more than 11 receiving yards in this game, and it was not because the Giants' defense was doing well stopping the pass, the Eagles just did not need to throw often. The star receiver gets the chance to torch a Cincinnati secondary that ranks towards the bottom of the league.

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Mason Rudolph Oct 20 8:40pm ET
Mason Rudolph

Tennessee Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph went 25-of-40 for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the Week 7 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Rudolph also fumbled three times in the 34-10 defeat, losing one. With Will Levis nursing a shoulder injury sustained last week, Rudolph got the start and was mostly ineffective in a game where the Titans were actually leading at the half. The longtime Steelers backup led two scoring drives to put the Titans up 10-0 early in the second quarter, but from that point forward it was mostly stalled drives and off-target throws under pressure. With Levis likely out a few more weeks, Rudolph should continue to start for this Titans team that has looked like one of the worst in football through seven weeks. Up next is a trip to Detroit to take on the 5-1 lions.

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DeVonta Smith Oct 20 8:40pm ET
DeVonta Smith

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith caught one of his two targets and lost two yards during the team's 28-3 win over the New York Giants. While this stat line is going to look terrible to those who did not watch this game, there is no real reason to panic here. The Eagles leaned heavily on running back Saquon Barkley in this game and he tallied 187 total yards. Quarterback Jalen Hurts only needed to attempt 14 passes and all of the starters were out of the game in the early fourth quarter. It would have been nice to see the former Heisman winner get more of the target pie with such a low volume of pass attempts, but this was a week we can move on from because of the heavy Barkley reliance. Smith will still be considered a WR2 when the Eagles take on the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Brian Thomas Jr. Oct 20 8:39pm ET
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dynasty | Jaguars rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr had five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown in a win against the Patriots. Dynasty Analysis: The Jaguars have been bad, but you can't blame Thomas, who now has 30 catches for 513 yards and four touchdowns through seven games. Thomas routinely makes big plays and while Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville offense have had their troubles, the fact he's been this steady bodes very well for his future. Thomas is a solid hold and has solidified his first round rookie draft pick pedigree.

Raheem Mostert Oct 20 8:33pm ET
Raheem Mostert

Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert rushed 11 times for 50 yards in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts, and he was not targeted in the pass game while he was credited with one lost fumble.

Fantasy Spin: Mostert is starting to round back into form, posting 4.5 yards per carry in his second game back after a month-long absence due to injury. As long as De'Von Achane remains healthy, Mostert's fantasy ceiling is a bit limited. And, the QB situation has been a mess since Week 2. Treat Mostert is more of a WR3 or flex fantasy option in most leagues heading into Week 8.

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Josh Allen Oct 20 8:33pm ET
Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen completed 21 of his 33 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-10 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 7.

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Jonnu Smith Oct 20 8:33pm ET
Jonnu Smith

Miami Dolphins TE Jonnu Smith registered seven receptions for a game-high 96 yards and a touchdown on seven targets in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts.

Fantasy Spin: Smith has racked up 12 receptions for 158 yards and the TD on 15 targets in the past two games. He has posted low-end TE1 kind of numbers for fantasy managers in the past two games. He'll look to keep it rolling in Week 8 against the visiting Arizona Cardinals, and there is a chance he gets Tua Tagovailoa back from a concussion, too.

From TheHuddle

Kenneth Gainwell Oct 20 8:30pm ET
Kenneth Gainwell

Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell took 13 carries for 56 yards and took his lone reception for 11 yards during the team's 28-3 win over the New York Giants. This was the most involved the 25-year-old had been this season, with most coming in the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter when most Eagles starters were pulled. Since the addition of Saquon Barkley, Gainwell has had just one game of more than two carries coming into this game. He also shared carries with rookie Will Shipley down the stretch of this game, and would likely be in a timeshare if anything ever happened to Barkley. He can be safely left on waivers in redraft leagues.

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