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Ultimate Fantasy Football Championship Est. 2011
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
Brian Thomas Jr. Oct 21 12:30am ET
Brian Thomas Jr.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. caught all five of his targets for 89 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's Week 7 win over the New England Patriots in London. He also added two rushing yards on two attempts. The rookie was the Jaguars' most productive pass-catcher as they recorded their second win in the last three weeks. Not only did he find the end zone, but he also delivered a 58-yard reception to put the Jaguars on the edge of the red zone late in the first half. Thomas should continue to be treated as a solid WR2 option in fantasy football, including next week when the Jaguars return stateside to face the Green Bay Packers.

From RotoBaller

Evan Engram Oct 21 12:30am ET
Evan Engram

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram caught all five of his targets for 35 yards during Sunday's Week 7 win over the New England Patriots in London. The veteran pass-catcher has been quite productive in two weeks since returning from injury, catching 15 passes for 137 yards during that span. One would have to imagine that his strong stretch of games will continue when the Jaguars return stateside to face the Green Bay Packers next week. After all, Engram is looking like the Jaguars' second-best pass-catcher behind Brian Thomas Jr. Fantasy managers should treat the 30-year-old as a mid-to-low TE1 option in fantasy football.

From RotoBaller

D'Ernest Johnson Oct 21 12:30am ET
D'Ernest Johnson

Jacksonville Jaguars running back D'Ernest Johnson rushed for 38 yards on nine carries during Sunday's Week 7 win over the New England Patriots in London. He also got involved as a pass-catcher, hauling in three of his four targets for an additional 32 receiving yards. While Johnson operated as the clear backup to Tank Bigsby on Sunday, it was promising to see him stay productive while earning double-digit touches. With that said, his usage could decrease in a more negative game script scenario, such as next week versus the Green Bay Packers. Johnson is worth monitoring on the fantasy radar, but managers can't justify starting him in 12-team leagues yet.

From RotoBaller

Jalen Nailor Oct 21 12:30am ET
Jalen Nailor

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor caught four of his five targets for 76 receiving yards during Sunday's Week 7 loss to the Detroit Lions. Nailor operated as the Vikings' No. 3 receiver, but he still played 73.3 percent of the offensive snaps and was clearly heavily involved in the passing attack. In fact, Nailor had more targets, receptions, and yards than Jordan Addison, and he came just five receiving yards shy of Justin Jefferson's Week 7 mark. It's not often that you can plug a team's No. 3 receiver into your fantasy lineups, but Nailor has become an appealing option ahead of Week 8 versus a suspect Los Angeles Rams defense.

From RotoBaller

Ricky Pearsall Oct 21 12:20am ET
Ricky Pearsall

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall made his NFL debut in a 28-18 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. The Arizona native came into the game as the assumed third option for quarterback Brock Purdy with Jauan Jennings (hip) ruled out, but inherited even more snaps after Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Deebo Samuel (illness) left during the game. Pearsall missed the first six weeks of the season due to a gunshot wound and received a standing ovation from the home crowd after his first catch. He finished with three receptions on five targets for 21 yards. If Aiyuk has torn his ACL as feared, Pearsall will be worth a look on waivers, although the situation is muddied by the probable return of Jennings in Week 8, not to mention fellow rookie Jacob Cowing having a few games more experience and a more impactful performance today. Pearsall is the better bet long-term though, as San Francisco waited until the fourth round to take Cowing after taking Pearsall in the first. The 49ers get the Dallas Cowboys at home on Sunday Night Football in Week 8.

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Trevor Lawrence Oct 21 12:20am ET
Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 15 of 20 passes for 193 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 7 win over the New England Patriots. He also rushed for 13 yards and didn't take a single sack. The former No. 1 pick led the Jaguars to their second win over the last three weeks. As much flak as Jacksonville has taken this year, Lawrence has quietly played good, turnover-free football, completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 1,527 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions. He'll rank as a mid-to-low QB2 when the Jaguars return stateside to face the Green Bay Packers in Week 8.

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Tank Bigsby Oct 21 12:20am ET
Tank Bigsby

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries during Sunday's Week 7 win over the New England Patriots in London. He was unable to haul in his lone target. The 22-year-old stepped up as the Jaguars' No. 1 running back with Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) sidelined, and it's safe to say that he impressed. Interestingly, Bigsby's best games have come in the Jaguars' two victories this year. When Jacksonville wins, Bigsby is averaging 124 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. That could just be a coincidence over a small sample size, but it's also possible that Bigsby's performance on the ground is one of Jacksonville's integral keys to victory. As long as he continues to handle a large workload, he'll rank as a solid RB2 in fantasy football. That holds true despite next week's tough matchup against the Green Bay Packers back in the United States.

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Jaylen Warren Oct 21 12:20am ET
Jaylen Warren

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren handled 12 carries for 44 yards and came down with two of three targets for 15 receiving yards in a Week 7 win over the New York Jets. Although he was once again outshined by Najee Harris, Warren was given his biggest workload of the season on Sunday night. He operated as the primary pass-catching option out of the backfield for quarterback Russell Wilson and was on the receiving end of an important third-down conversion in the third quarter that eventually led to a touchdown. Warren should continue to operate in a similar role moving forward and could eventually play his way into weekly flex consideration. He's worth stashing in most fantasy leagues and will look to contribute against the New York Giants in Week 8.

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Brandon Aiyuk Oct 21 12:13am ET
Brandon Aiyuk

Dynasty | The 49ers believe wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL in the loss to the Chiefs. Dynasty Analysis: Brutal. Aiyuk had a ridiculously long holdout, only to finally get his big money contract. After a few up and down weeks, this happens. We'll wait to get an official diagnosis, but it's rare for a team to come out and say they believe a player has torn an ACL only to find out they're wrong. If this is indeed the case, dynasty managers will have to look elsewhere for a WR2 the rest of the way. Stay tuned.

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Najee Harris Oct 21 12:10am ET
Najee Harris

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris handled 21 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown in a 37-15 win against the New York Jets. He failed to haul in his only target of the contest, but Harris was nonetheless productive and efficient on the ground. Although he ran hard throughout the game, he did not find the end zone until only 26 seconds remained in the fourth quarter, rumbling in for a 10-yard score to seal the victory. After a slow start to the campaign, Harris has looked great over the past two weeks. Additional goal-line opportunities could be in store for him going forward as Pittsburgh's offense seems more capable of pushing the ball downfield with quarterback Russell Wilson under center. Harris should project as a solid fantasy RB2 next week against the New York Giants.

From RotoBaller

Geno Stone Oct 21 12:10am ET
Geno Stone

X-rays came back negative on Cincinnati Bengals safety Geno Stone (shin), according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The defensive starter exited late during Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns. While any injury is concerning, it's great news that his X-rays were negative. Still, it's possible that Stone will miss some time. If so, look for Tycen Anderson to earn more snaps on defense.

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Russell Wilson Oct 20 11:50pm ET
Russell Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson completed 16 of 29 pass attempts for 264 yards and two touchdowns, adding three carries for three yards and a score on the ground in a 37-15 victory over the New York Jets. Wilson and the Steelers' offense got off to a slow start but started to get in rhythm in the second quarter. He displayed chemistry with wide receiver George Pickens as the duo connected on multiple deep balls and an 11-yard touchdown on the team's last possession of the first half. The 35-year-old later scored on a QB sneak and found Van Jefferson in the end zone from four yards out. Although Justin Fields led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 start, it seems Wilson will be the starter moving forward after a convincing win in which the Steelers scored 31 unanswered points. Fantasy managers can view him as a QB2 option heading into a Week 8 meeting with the New York Giants.

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Jordan Mason Oct 20 11:10pm ET
Jordan Mason

San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason was mostly held in check by the Kansas City Chiefs in a 28-18 home loss on Sunday. He ran for 58 yards on 14 carries and caught both of his targets for 11 yards. A large chunk of his yardage came on a 26-yard third-quarter run. Mason also had a couple of nice runs called back by holding penalties and was something of a game-script victim with the 49ers falling behind 14-3 early. Coming into the game, Mason was the second-leading rusher in the NFL and should have better days ahead of him until Christian McCaffrey (Achilles/calf) returns. Unless CMC surprises everybody and comes back next week, Mason will look to get back on track against a porous Dallas Cowboys run defense at home on Sunday Night Football.

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Brock Purdy Oct 20 11:00pm ET
Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had a rough day at the office in a 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Purdy finished with 17 completions on 31 attempts for 212 yards, no passing touchdowns, and three interceptions. Overall, it was a sloppy performance but Purdy's day was saved in fantasy with a couple of touchdowns on quarterback sneaks. He finished with eight rushes for 27 yards and the two scores. Although a substandard Purdy made his share of mistakes, it didn't help that he was without receivers Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (illness) for most of the game. Looking ahead, Purdy will probably slip in weekly rankings if Aiyuk has suffered an ACL tear as feared, at least until rookie receivers Ricky Pearsall and/or Jacob Cowing prove reliable. A return by Christian McCaffrey (Achilles/calf) at some point would help buoy Purdy's value. Purdy gets the Dallas Cowboys at home next Sunday night.

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Jordan Addison Oct 20 10:30pm ET
Jordan Addison

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison reeled in 3-of-4 targets for 66 yards in the team's 31-29 loss to the Detroit Lions. It was another modest outing for Addison, who has now caught three balls in each of his four contests this season. He somewhat saved his fantasy day in this one with a long reception of 51 yards that helped set up a Vikings field goal but was otherwise held in check by a formidable Lions defense. Third-year wideout Jalen Nailor racked up one more catch and target than the 22-year-old and out-gained him by 10 yards in the matchup -- the first time he's done so all season. While the USC product is a good WR in his own right, ceiling games will be challenging to come by while sharing the field with target-hog Justin Jefferson -- potentially even less so when tight end T.J. Hockenson enters the fold. Minnesota will travel to Los Angeles on a short week to take on the Rams on Thursday Night Football.

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Dustin Hopkins Oct 20 10:20pm ET
Dustin Hopkins

Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins had a rough afternoon in a 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. Hopkins missed his lone field goal and went 0-for-1 on extra points in the close loss to the Bengals. The veteran kicker has been mostly reliable for the Browns since joining the team before the 2023 season but he has now missed two field goals over his past two games. Overall, Hopkins has converted 10 of his 13 field-goal tries and all but two of his nine extra-point attempts. He will look to bounce back against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8.

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Xavier Worthy Oct 20 10:20pm ET
Xavier Worthy

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy had three catches for 19 yards in the 28-18 win against the San Francisco 49ers. Worthy completed three catches on a team-leading eight targets in the contest. Worthy also had one carry for five yards in this contest. Despite the ball heading his way more than any other pass catcher, Worthy could not turn opportunity into a big game. Kansas City is trying to increase Worthy's usage, but it is up to the rookie receiver to step up to the plate. Thankfully, Worthy will have more favorable matchups moving forward since the Niners are one of the most well-rounded defensive units in the league. Worth and the Chiefs will take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8. Despite the Raiders giving up the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers, Worthy's involvement out of the backfield and designed plays should keep his usage high in the team's next matchup. Worthy is a high-upside flex play as long as you can stomach his low floor.

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Shelby Harris Oct 20 10:20pm ET
Shelby Harris

The Cleveland Browns defense performed well in a 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. Cleveland allowed just 21 points while notching three sacks and holding the Bengals to just 223 yards of total offense in the contest. The Browns were led by Za'Darius Smith, who had one sack, and Shelby Harris, who also chipped in a sack. The Browns will face another tough test in Week 8 as they will face off against the Baltimore Ravens.

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Mason Rudolph Oct 20 10:10pm ET
Mason Rudolph

Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo hauled in four passes for 50 yards on four targets in a 34-10 loss at Buffalo in Week 7. This marked the young tight end's best game of the season, having failed to top 16 receiving yards up to this point. His 26-yard reception in the first quarter set up Tennessee's only touchdown drive of the game, and he displayed solid chemistry with new starting quarterback Mason Rudolph on the afternoon. With how unreliable this Titans passing attack continues to be, Okonkwo is still not a great option moving forward, but there may be ample opportunity next week in Detroit with the Titans likely playing catch-up.

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Elijah Moore Oct 20 10:10pm ET
Elijah Moore

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore caught six of his seven targets for 41 yards in a 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. Moore finished third on the team in targets and catches in the close loss to the Bengals. The veteran receiver's Week 7 performance goes down as one of his best games in what has been a rough season for him in 2024. Moore could continue to see a larger role in the Cleveland offense moving forward with Amari Cooper now a member of the Buffalo Bills. He will take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8.

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