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 [email protected]. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.
- FANTASY EXCLUSIVE: Bender's Favorite NFL DFS Pickem Picks: Week 4
- FANTASY EXCLUSIVE: RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 4
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 4
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 4
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: Bender DFS Pickem Plays: Week 4
- Chiefs WR Rashee Rice (knee) leaves game vs. Chargers
- Broncos RB Tyler Badie injures back, out for rest of Jets game
- Packers WR Christian Watson (ankle) ruled out for rest of Vikings game
- Colts QB Anthony Richardson injures hip, out vs. Steelers
- No surgery for Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence (Lisfranc)
- Texans RB Joe Mixon (ankle) to miss game vs. Jaguars
- Packers QB Jordan Love active, CB Jaire Alexander out vs. Vikings
- Eagles RT Lane Johnson (concussion) out vs. Bucs
- Jaguars put standout LB Foyesade Oluokun (foot) on IR
- Chargers QB Justin Herbert (ankle) expected to start vs. Chiefs
- Packers QB Jordan Love to start against Vikings
- Browns place OT Trent Brown (knee) on IR, ending his season
- Dolphins QB Tyler Huntley to start Monday vs. Titans
- Chargers QB Justin Herbert (ankle) questionable vs. Chiefs
- Titans put CB Chidobe Awuzie (groin) on IR
- Eagles WR DeVonta Smith out, A.J. Brown questionable vs. Bucs
- Packers 'encouraged' QB Jordan Love on field, Sunday start uncertain
- Raiders WR Davante Adams, DE Maxx Crosby ruled out for Week 4
- Bills LB Terrel Bernard, CB Taron Johnson out vs. Ravens
- Cowboys LB Micah Parsons has high ankle sprain; DE could miss weeks
- Fantasy Six Pack: Fantasy Football Rankings
- Fantasy Six Pack: Fantasy Football Start-Sit Week 4 | The Week To Bench Patrick Mahomes?
- Fantasy Six Pack: IDP Football Rankings
- Fantasy Life: Tough Week 4 Start/Sit Decisions
- Fantasy Life: Best Bets for Bills vs. Ravens: Sunday Night Football Week 4
- Fantasy Life: Avoiding Bad-Team Bias in Betting
- Fantasy Life: Don't Rush Into Roster Decisions
- Fantasy Life: Fantasy Football Expert Roundtable: Who Can You Trust In Week 4?
The Paur Report
Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 4
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette had six receptions for 66 yards in Sunday's loss to the Bengals. He also scored a touchdown, the first of his career, finding the end zone off an eight-yard toss from Andy Dalton. The rookie was quiet in the Panthers' first three games. However, with Adam Thielen (hamstring) on the injured reserve list, Legette should benefit, giving him value as a flex option in Week 5 against the Chicago Bears.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing (shoulder) is questionable to return to Sunday's meeting versus the New England Patriots. The rookie hasn't done anything to benefit fantasy managers. However, his potential absence isn't ideal for a Niners' offense that has dealt with plenty of injuries over the last few weeks. With that said, there should be an update on his condition soon.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (groin) finished Sunday's loss to the Bengals by amassing a team-high seven catches for 83 yards. He also scored, finding the end zone off a 21-yard pass from Andy Dalton in the third quarter. The wideout struggled during the first two weeks of the 2024-25 campaign. However, he has thrived since Dalton took over for Bryce Young. With at least seven catches and a touchdown in each of Johnson's last two games, he should be starting in all fantasy lineups when the Panthers meet the Bears in Week 5, assuming Dalton remains under center.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard finished the Week 4 loss to the Bengals by totaling 104 yards and a touchdown off 18 carries. He added four grabs for 17 yards. The 25-year-old didn't do much in the Panthers' first two games. However, with Andy Dalton now under center, Hubbard has thrived. With his added level of involvement, he's at least a flex option in Week 5 versus the Chicago Bears.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton finished Sunday's loss to the Bengals by throwing for 220 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick off 25-for-40 passing. He added three carries for nine yards. The veteran signal-called has played well since taking over for Bryce Young. The offense has also operated more efficiently. While things could change regarding the Panthers' quarterback plans, Dalton has earned a spot in multi-quarterback formats for the Week 5 clash with the Chicago Bears, assuming he remains under center.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (ribs) returned to Sunday's meeting with the Patriots. The veteran didn't play in Week 3 against the Rams because of a hamstring injury, so the team is certainly happy to see him back on the field. Of course, with Kittle back in the mix, Eric Saubert's level of involvement will decrease significantly.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs earned eight targets in the Packers' narrow 31-29 loss to the division-rival Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. Despite Doubs' targeted involvement from returning starting quarterback Jordan Love, Doubs could only bring in four of those eight targets for 39 receiving yards. The Packers threw the ball a whopping 54 times and Doubs was on the field for 65-of-76 snaps per PFF's Nathan Jahnke, but Doubs could not find the end zone or provide some relief for fantasy managers that started him. The injury to Christian Watson (ankle) could condense some targets for the Packers if Watson misses time, but with the Packers heading west to face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5, Doubs is a middle-of-the-road flex option.
From RotoBaller
According to Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, wide receiver Rashee Rice's knee injury "is not good." He revealed this during a halftime interview of Sunday's matchup with the Chargers, although he declined to provide specifics. Of course, fantasy managers are expecting the worst, hoping that Rice won't miss a significant amount of games. He'll likely undergo further testing soon, including an MRI. But with Rice likely out of the mix moving ahead, Skyy Moore, Xavier Worthy, and Travis Kelce should see added attention from Patrick Mahomes.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Bears running back D'Andre Swift had 93 rushing yards, seven catches, 72 receiving yards and a touchdown in a win against the Rams. Dynasty Analysis: Swift jumped off milk cartons across the country in this one and finally posted a decent game for the Bears. He had just 68 yards in the previous three games, so this was a much needed "get right" game for Swift as many dynasty managers had already bailed on him. Swift will need to string together a few solid performances before restoring confidence with many, but this was certainly a step in the right direction. He remains a dynasty hold as one game likely won't increase his value too much.
Dynasty | Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was knocked out of an upset win against the Steelers on Sunday. Dynasty Analysis: He completed 3-of-4 passes for 71 yards and rushed for another 24 yards before leaving with a hip injury. Richardson was hurt, then returned the following play only to see the Colts put him in harm's way again, allowing him to get smashed on a run towards the goal line. Richardson couldn't continue and went to the locker room. He spent the second half on the sidelines, indicating this may not be a long-term issue. However, his durability is again in question as he couldn't finish yet another contest. His dynasty arrow is starting to fade as he hasn't been able to stay on the field consistently.
Dynasty | Jaguars rookie receiver Brian Thomas had six catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in a loss against Houston. Dynasty Analysis: Thomas has proven to be a solid receiver in the NFL already and clearly has a bright future ahead of him. While he has yet to post a truly dominant performance, it seems his weekly floor is going to be one of the safer ones in dynasty leagues this season. While the Jags are clearly struggling, Thomas has solidified his dynasty value already and remains a solid rookie hold in leagues.
Dynasty | Texans wide receiver Nico Collins had 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown in the Texans win against Jacksonville. Dynasty Analysis: Collins has established himself as a true WR1 in dynasty leagues this season with nearly 500 yards in just four games so far this season. Even better, he has a whopping 43 targets on the season, with three different games featuring at least ten. The questions about Collins breakout season last year being a fluke have been answered and he looks like a player to build around in dynasty leagues at this point. At just 25 years old, Collins looks like one of the "untouchable" players in dynasty leagues when it comes to trades right now.
Dynasty | Bucs rookie running back Bucky Irving had 49 rushing yards and a touchdown in a win against the Eagles. Dynasty Analysis: He added a catch for six more yards. The big story here is obvious - Irving has created a true time-share with Rachaad White and simply looks like the better player after the first month of the season. White matched him with 49 yards on ten carries of his own, but Irving is getting some important work and is averaging more than five yards per carry on the season. This is a story to watch as Irving is starting to really make things interesting in Tampa Bay. The Bucs may have found something here and dynasty managers who took Irving in the middle rounds of rookie drafts may have themselves a steal.
Dynasty | Jags running back Tank Bigsby had 90 yards on seven carries in a loss against Houston. Dynasty Analysis: This is now getting interesting in Jacksonville. At this point, Bigsby has looked better than Travis Etienne and he actually had the first touches in the backfield today. Etienne led the team in carries today (11) but was only able to post 50 yards, while adding one catch for another ten. Dynasty managers who ignored the smoke this Summer about the Jags wanting to ease the load on Etienne have been burned as this looks like a timeshare moving forward. As a result, Etienne's dynasty arrow is sinking by the week.
Dynasty | Panthers receiver Xavier Legette had six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown in the Panthers loss against Cincinnati. Dynasty Analysis: This was a much needed solid performance for Legette who matched his season total with ten targets on the day. He narrowly missed another score and finally looked like an NFL receiver in this one. The move to Andy Dalton has clearly ignited the Panthers offense and the buy low window on Legette may have closed today. We need to see some more solid days from Legette before recommending him, but this was clearly a solid step in the right direction.
Dynasty | Bengals running back Chase Brown had 80 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a win against the Panthers. Dynasty Analysis: Brown has clearly created a timeshare situation with fellow running back Zack Moss (51 yards on 15 carries) with the Bengals. Moss ended the game with 19 touches and Brown had 17 on the day. This is going to be great for the Bengals moving forward and a total nightmare for dynasty managers. Moss had a receiving touchdown himself but Brown looks like the more explosive player. In the end, both running backs are relegating the other to RB2/3 status at the moment as their deployment is working great in reality and creating a nightmare in dynasty leagues. They both remain solid holds in leagues as things continue to progress.
Dynasty | Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson had seven catches for 83 yards and a touchdown in a loss against the Bengals. Dynasty Analysis: In two starts with Bryce Young at the helm, Johnson had five catches on 12 targets for 34 scoreless yards. In two starts with Andy Dalton, Johnson now has 15 catches on 27 targets for 205 yards and two touchdowns. It's safe to say we have a pretty significant development in Carolina as Johnson is clearly becoming the receiver many expected him to be when he moved to Carolina in the off-season. At this point, Johnson looks like a solid WR2 option as long as Dalton is at the helm.
Dynasty | Broncos quarterback Bo Nix completed 12-of-25 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown in a 10-9 road win against the Jets. Dynasty Analysis: Denver somehow won the game, despite generating just 186 yards of total offense. Nix wasn't able to create much of anything through the air but also didn't make any critical mistakes to cost the Broncos the game. This amounted to be one of the ugliest contests you'll ever see. He won't be a recommended option moving forward but his touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton was the first of his career today.
Dynasty | Jets running back Breece Hall ran for four yards on ten carries, adding 14 yards on two catches in a loss against Denver. Dynasty Analysis: Gross. Hall ceded eight carries to Braelon Allen, who is quickly looking like a serious thorn in his side. While Hall is clearly the better player, the Jets have yet to find a rhythm on offense and he hasn't been able to find his groove thus far. There should be better days ahead but the talk about Hall being the overall RB1 this season seem to be a little premature. Hall remains a solid hold or potential buy low in dynasty leagues after week four.
Dynasty | Steelers quarterback Justin Fields completed 22-of-34 passes for 312 yards and a touchdown, adding 55 rushing yards and two more scores in an upset loss to the Colts. Dynasty Analysis: Fields was forced to throw more than usual in this one and did just fine. While he hasn't been spectacular this season, he has thrown for three touchdowns, added three more scores on the ground and taken care of the football for the most part, with just one interception on the season. Pittsburgh is a good football with some clear problems, but Fields just doesn't seem to be one of them. His dynasty arrow continues to be stable as it would be a shock to see Pittsburgh turn to Russell Wilson any time soon.
