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TE Strength of Schedule

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

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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.

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Player Notes
Derek Carr Oct 8 12:10pm CT
Derek Carr

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) will go for an MRI exam on Tuesday after being forced to leave the Monday night loss to the Kansas City Chiefs will just more than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Carr answered "not good" when asked how he was feeling after the game. He was deemed questionable to return to the game but never came back while backup Jake Haener closed it out. Before leaving, Carr went 18-for-28 for 165 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He was sacked once but was hit eight times and pressured on over half of his dropbacks. It doesn't sound good for the 33-year-old's chances of playing in Week 6 against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but we'll know more after we get his MRI results. A move from Carr to Haener would mean that fantasy managers would need to downgrade all of New Orleans' offensive weapons for as long as he's out.

From RotoBaller

Russell Wilson Oct 8 12:10pm CT
Russell Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) is set to be a full participant at practice this week, which means "a door is ajar" for him to be active in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to head coach Mike Tomlin. It's good news for Wilson, but there are lots of variables still to be determined during practice this week. Wilson will work with the second-team offense this week "as to not disrupt Justin Fields' preparation," Tomlin said. "He's at the point of health now that he can work without restriction on Wednesday," Tomlin said. Fields is fully expected to make a sixth straight start in Vegas this Sunday, but the 35-year-old Wilson could be his direct backup instead of being inactive as the emergency third QB on game day. Wilson is improving, but a lot still needs to happen for the Steelers to change course and bench Fields as their starter under center.

From RotoBaller

Rashee Rice Oct 8 9:40am CT
Rashee Rice

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (knee) is expected to miss the rest of the 2024 season, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Rapoport noted that Rice will need his LCL repaired, not his ACL. This is a positive sign for his outlook, as he will not need a significant operation on his ACL, which would have kept him sidelined for a longer period of time. Rice continued his breakout rookie campaign through the first three weeks of this season, averaging eight receptions with 96 yards in each game with two total scores. As a result, the Chiefs will need to find a replacement option for their top wideout. On Monday evening, veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster saw eight targets and was able to catch seven of them for 130 yards. Tight end Travis Kelce saw a team-high ten targets. Fantasy managers should consider adding Smith-Schuster this week as he could be deployed in Rice's role for the remainder of the season. Kelce should be viewed as a high-end TE1 simply off the volume he should see going forward.

From RotoBaller

Robert Saleh Oct 8 9:30am CT
Robert Saleh

The New York Jets have fired head coach Robert Saleh, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. This move comes after the Jets have lost two consecutive games and sit with a 2-3 record and in second place in the AFC East. Throughout his time as the Jets head coach, Saleh has held an underwhelming 20-36 record and has never surpassed seven wins in a single season. While Saleh has always led a strong New York defense, he has struggled on the offensive side of the ball. This season, the Jets have averaged 286 yards of total offense per game, which is the sixth-lowest mark in the sport. In addition, the Jets have averaged 18.6 total points per game, the ninth-lowest in football. Defensive coordinator Jell Ulbrich will replace Saleh. From a fantasy standpoint, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett will likely continue to manage the offensive play calling, but a new voice as head coach could provide a much-needed spark for a struggling offense.

From RotoBaller

Derek Carr Oct 8 8:33am CT
Derek Carr

New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr (oblique) will have an MRI on his oblique Tuesday, Oct. 8. When asked how he felt after the Monday Night Football game, he replied: 'Not good.'

Fantasy Spin: Carr is the QB17 and a matchup play at this point. Jake Haener is the backup in NOLA and doesn't present much fantasy allure.

From TheHuddle

Travis Kelce Oct 8 3:40am CT
Travis Kelce

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caught nine passes for 70 yards in the 26-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Kelce led the team in targets and receptions for the second week following the loss of wide receiver Rashee Rice. Despite being a focal point of the Chiefs offense, Kelce has yet to score a touchdown this season. The Chiefs tight end should continue to be peppered with targets, as he will likely be the preferred pass catcher moving forward. Kelce and the Chiefs will enter their bye week with an undefeated record, so fantasy managers must make plans for their tight end position in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

JuJu Smith-Schuster Oct 8 3:40am CT
JuJu Smith-Schuster

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster caught seven passes for 130 yards in the 26-13 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Smith-Schuster led all Chiefs pass catchers in receiving yardage in the victory. The Chiefs wide receiver was behind only Travis Kelce in targets and receptions, demonstrating Mahomes' trust in him. The Chiefs are undefeated heading into their Week 6 bye week. Despite not having a game this week, Smith-Schuster is worth a speculative add, given his substantial utilization in this week's win. Although Smith-Schuster performed well, it is not a given that he will keep this level of opportunity moving forward. Reports have stated that Kansas City is entertaining the possibility of trading for a wide receiver ahead of the deadline. It is also possible that Mahomes spreads the ball more evenly as Mecole Hardman returns from injury and Xavier Worthy establishes himself as an NFL receiver. That said, Smith-Schuster is the most experienced receiver playing with Mahomes, so he could remain a preferred target.

From RotoBaller

Xavier Worthy Oct 8 3:40am CT
Xavier Worthy

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy caught three passes for 25 yards in the 26-13 win against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Worthy also had one carry for three yards and a touchdown in this contest. The rookie receiver had six targets in this week's win, the most of his career so far. Worthy could not turn in a big game through the air despite his increased involvement in the Kansas City passing attack. Worthy salvaged his night from a fantasy perspective with a fourth-quarter rushing touchdown to pad the Chiefs lead. Worthy proceeded to give the ball to his mother after scoring. Worthy, and the Chiefs will head into their Week 6 bye undefeated. The rookie receiver should still be considered a low-end weekly flex option because Kansas City continues manufacturing his touches.

From RotoBaller

Kareem Hunt Oct 8 3:40am CT
Kareem Hunt

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt had 27 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown in the 26-13 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Hunt also brought in one catch for 15 yards in the contest. Hunt dominated the touches out of the backfield, as no other running back had more than five carries. While his 3.8 yards per carry were not overly impressive, Hunt surpassed 100 rushing yards in his second game with the team. Hunt's utilization in the Chiefs offense bodes well for his fantasy value moving forward. The Chiefs will have their bye week in Week 6, but Hunt should be a start-worthy running back for the foreseeable future.

From RotoBaller

Patrick Mahomes Oct 8 3:30am CT
Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 28 of 39 pass attempts (72%) for 331 yards in their 26-13 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Despite reaching 300 passing yards for the first time this season, Mahomes did not have a single passing touchdown in this contest. The Chiefs quarterback also threw an interception for the fifth straight game, bringing his season total to six. Kansas City is one of only two teams to remain undefeated through five weeks, but Mahomes is not a QB1 based on his performances. The Chiefs will head into their bye week on a high note, but fantasy managers may need to consider starting a quarterback for the foreseeable future. Mahomes and the Chiefs are winning games with a style of play that is not conducive to fantasy success.

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Rashid Shaheed Oct 8 3:20am CT
Rashid Shaheed

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed led the team with 86 receiving yards in their 26-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night. He caught four balls on his team-high nine targets. The highlight of Shaheed's night was a 43-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, his third trip to the end zone so far this year. Quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) seemed to have it in mind to use his deep threat to his fullest potential as Shaheed had six targets of 20 or more yards and three of his catches went for at least 15 yards. Shaheed now leads New Orleans with 338 receiving yards on the season though that's not to say he has supplanted Chris Olave as the primary receiving option. Shaheed gets a great matchup in Week 6 against a Buccaneers defense that gave up 12 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown to Darnell Mooney. His success will rest on Carr's availability, who left Monday's game in the fourth quarter with an injury.

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Foster Moreau Oct 8 3:20am CT
Foster Moreau

New Orleans Saints tight end Foster Moreau was targeted twice in Monday's 26-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He came away with two catches for 13 yards and a touchdown in the end. The score came early in the fourth quarter after he sold a block, disengaged, and then easily slipped past linebacker Leo Chenal. Quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) found Moreau and floated a seven-yard pass to the tight end as he crossed the goal line. Moreau leads the Saints' tight end room in snap share but is most frequently used as a blocker, with most of the team's targets to his position going to Juwan Johnson. Moreau's production on Monday gives him a line of 7-58-2 through five weeks. Given his role on the team he is too unreliable to be of any use in fantasy and can be left on the wire when New Orleans faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

Alvin Kamara Oct 8 3:10am CT
Alvin Kamara

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara managed just 26 yards on 11 carries in Monday night's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He also had 40 receiving yards on his team-leading six receptions. It was an abysmal result for Kamara, who had three top-five finishes through the first four weeks of the season. The Chiefs seemed to sniff out every run play called by the Saints in the game and completely overpowered their offensive line all night, allowing Kamara to gain more than four yards on just one of his attempts. Kamara's production was also hampered by the fact that New Orleans controlled the ball for only 20 minutes of game time and ran a season-low 51 offensive plays. He will be back on the RB1 radar in Week 6 when the Saints host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Chris Olave Oct 8 3:10am CT
Chris Olave

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave had two catches on four targets for 10 yards in their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night to close out Week 5. The game marked a new low for Olave, who had 11 yards on two catches back in Week 1. All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie covered Olave on roughly half of his routes, but the lack of production may have been by design. Quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) rarely looked to his primary receiver in Week 5, opting instead for several deep shots to Rashid Shaheed and peppering Alvin Kamara and tight end Juwan Johnson with targets in short yardage attempts. Olave has a good matchup for a rebound in Week 6 when the Saints host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, though expectations will have to be held in check pending the status of Carr, who left the game in the fourth quarter due to an injury.

From RotoBaller

Jimmie Ward Oct 8 12:53am CT
Jimmie Ward

Houston Texans SS Jimmie Ward (groin) aggravated his groin injury in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills, and there is concern he might miss at least a week, if not longer, a source said Monday, Oct. 7. If Ward is forced out of the line, S Calen Bullock would likely start in his absence.

From TheHuddle

Joe Mixon Oct 8 12:53am CT
Joe Mixon

Houston Texans RB Joe Mixon (ankle) remained sidelined in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills, and head coach DeMeco Ryans isn't sure if the veteran will be back in Week 6. 'For Joe and his injury, we will still evaluate that week to week,' Ryans said Monday, Oct. 7. 'We don't know, as of right now, I can't give you that answer, but we will see how Joe improves over the week.'

Fantasy Spin: With Mixon sidelined, Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale have been seeing the touches out of the backfield trying to hold down the fort. Mixon was originally injured on an illegal hip drop tackle in the Chicago game.

From TheHuddle

Samaje Perine Oct 8 12:13am CT
Samaje Perine

Kansas City Chiefs RB Samaje Perine did not have a rushing attempt in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints, but he had a 24-yard reception on his only touch with two targets.

From TheHuddle

Fred Warner Oct 8 12:10am CT
Fred Warner

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (ankle) was listed as a limited participant on Monday's practice estimation. The star defender has been dealing with a lingering ankle issue over the last couple of weeks. While it hasn't caused him to miss a game yet, it has kept him on the injury report and impacted his practice participation. Fortunately, the fact that he's listed as limited with three days until Thursday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks is a good sign. Warner is trending in the right direction and should be able to suit up in Week 6, barring a setback. He'll look to build on an impressive campaign that has included 39 tackles, three forced fumbles, two interceptions, one touchdown, and one sack.

From RotoBaller

Travis Kelce Oct 8 12:03am CT
Travis Kelce

Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce managed nine receptions for 70 yards on 10 targets in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints. The catch total and targets were both game highs.

Fantasy Spin: That's more like it. Kelce opened the season with eight catches, 69 yards and 12 targets in the first three games. In the past two games, he has 16 receptions for 159 yards on 19 targets. He is back to TE1 fantasy status, but you'll need to go another way in Week 6 with Kansas City on its bye.

From TheHuddle

Charvarius Ward Oct 8 12:00am CT
Charvarius Ward

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward (knee) and safety Talanoa Hufanga (wrist) were both listed as non-participants on Monday's practice estimate. The 49ers didn't actually practice, but if they had, Ward and Hufanga would have been absent. This raises some concerns for their Week 6 availability given that there are less than three days until the Niners face the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. If San Francisco ends up being without Ward, who has 22 tackles this season, Isaac Yiadom would step up in his absence. Meanwhile, Hufanga, who has eight tackles through two games, would be replaced by George Odum.

From RotoBaller