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.
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The Paur Report
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis (knee) was spotted at Thursday's practice in training camp. Davis missed some time late last season with the Buffalo Bills due to a sprained PCL, but it looks like he'll be a full participant at camp to begin familiarizing himself with Jacksonville's offense ahead of the Aug. 10 preseason opener against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs. The 25-year-old deep threat was as erratic as ever in 2023, going catchless in four games during the regular season and exceeding 20 fantasy points on five other occasions, and he'll battle for targets on the perimeter with rookie first-rounder Brian Thomas Jr. in 2024. Star quarterback Trevor Lawrence has formed a clear connection with slot man Christian Kirk over the past two years, so Davis is likely going to give both the Jags and fantasy managers plenty of headaches as a weekly boom-or-bust WR4/flex option this fall.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (illness) returned to practice at Friday's training camp. After missing a few days with an illness, Worthy is back on the field for valuable reps. The Chiefs spent the 28th overall pick in this spring's NFL draft on Worthy to bolster their mishmash receiving corps from 2023, and the rookie wideout should have a pretty clear runway to a starting role on the perimeter alongside new acquisition Marquise Brown. Worthy's ADP finds itself in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts as a WR3 value, but his stock is also contingent upon whether or not Rashee Rice is suspended at some point this summer. After logging a blazing 4.21 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine, the 21-year-old Texas product's game-breaking speed could mesh well with the huge arm of superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes if the two are able to establish a rapport this fall.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters on Friday that he did not have an update on quarterback Jordan Love's contract status. Love is not currently participating in practice as he awaits a contract extension. General manager Brian Gutekunst said earlier this week that he believes the two sides are close to reaching an agreement, and there's still plenty of time for a deal to be worked out before the regular season begins in September. Green Bay's preseason opener is on Aug. 10 against the hosting Cleveland Browns. The 25-year-old former first-round pick proved to be an instant success during his first full season as a starter for the Packers, throwing for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns with 11 interceptions while picking up four additional scores on the ground in 16 games in 2023. Love remains safe to draft as a low-end QB1 in the second half of fantasy drafts this summer.
From RotoBaller
The Baltimore Ravens announced that quarterback Lamar Jackson (illness) will remain sidelined due to his illness and will not take part in Friday's training camp practice. Jackson will continue to undergo further evaluation and receive care from the medical staff. The 27-year-old two-time MVP returned to the practice field on Wednesday but apparently is still under the weather from an illness that he first came down with last weekend. He should be fully recovered well before the start of the 2024 regular season, so fantasy managers should have nothing to worry about. When healthy, Jackson is one of the most dangerous dual-threat signal-callers in the league and is a top-five fantasy QB. What he lacks with his arm, he more than makes up for with his rushing ability. Jackson had a career-high 3,678 passing yards with 24 touchdown passes and seven picks in 16 regular-season starts in 2023.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets wide receiver/kick returner Xavier Gipson (leg) will miss a week or two of training camp with a "lower-extremity" injury. Head coach Robert Saleh said that Gipson injured his leg in practice on Thursday. The 23-year-old second-year player finished his rookie season last year with only 21 receptions for 229 yards and no touchdowns in 17 games played, but he also worked as the Jets' primary kickoff and punt returner on special teams. He's going to have to stay healthy this summer to hold off the likes of Tarik Cohen and Isaiah Davis for the return jobs, though. Even if Gipson wins WR3 duties for the Jets this year, he's unlikely to be much of a fantasy option, even with quarterback Aaron Rodgers returning from his Achilles injury.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (hand) is dealing with a hand injury that has limited him the last couple of days in training camp practices. Head coach Jerod Mayo called Douglas day-to-day on Friday. Douglas' injury is minor, but he's missing valuable repetitions as he looks to continue to impress in a Patriots receiving corps that is looking for players to step up in 2024. The 23-year-old second-year wideout was impressive in offseason workouts in the spring after going for 49 catches, 561 yards and no touchdowns in his rookie campaign in 2023 after he was taken in the sixth round out of Liberty. Douglas is one to watch entering his second year in the league, but with competition from rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker in an offense led by quarterback Jacoby Brissett, he's probably going to go undrafted in standard 12-team leagues.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that there weren't any setbacks with quarterback Russell Wilson's calf injury, and he just wanted "to keep a minor thing from becoming major." Wilson was held out of training camp practice for a second straight day due to a minor calf injury, but there's no timetable for the 35-year-old veteran to return to the field. It's an injury that shouldn't affect Wilson's readiness for the start of his first year in Pittsburgh, but at the same time, he's missing valuable reps to gain chemistry with his receivers while learning a new offense. In the meantime, former Chicago Bears first-round QB Justin Fields is running the first-team offense. Wilson looked like shell of his former self in Denver the last two years and doesn't have enough receiving weapons around him in the Steel City to make him anything more than a low-upside QB2 in fantasy.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London appeared to be suffering from cramps during Friday's training camp practice when he left early. The Falcons later announced that London was "over-heated" during the team's second training camp practice. It's good news for the 23-year-old that he was only dealing with cramps. It's possible that he'll be a full-go for the team's next practice this weekend as he works to gain chemistry with new quarterback Kirk Cousins. The former eighth overall pick in 2022 out of USC enters the 2024 campaign as a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 now that Cousins is in town. He has 69 receptions on 110 targets for 905 yards and just two touchdowns in 16 starts in his second year in 2023. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is expected to favor the passing game in Atlanta over former head coach Arthur Smith.
From RotoBaller
The New England Patriots and safety Jabrill Peppers finalized a three-year contract extension on Friday with a base value of $24 million, according to a source. The deal is worth up to $30 million. It's a nice reward for the Patriots' best defensive player last year. Peppers, a former 25th overall selection by the Cleveland Browns in 2017 out of Michigan, had 78 tackles (52 solo), one sack, five tackles for loss, a career-high two interceptions, eight pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 15 starts for the Patriots in his second year with the team. The 28-year-old is best known for being a standout in run defense, which makes him at least worth a bench spot in deeper IDP fantasy formats. Peppers has racked up 471 total tackles (311 solo) with 5.5 sacks in 93 career games (79 starts) with the Browns, New York Giants and Patriots.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) threw in 11-on-11 drills at training camp practice on Friday for the first time since last season. The Browns are currently unsure if Watson will get repetitions in the preseason this year after having season-ending shoulder surgery in 2023, but he's taking part in practices early in camp and should be fully ready for Week 1 of the 2024 regular season, barring a setback. The 28-year-old took part in 7-on-7 drills in spring practices and is not being limited early in training camp. It's a great sign for Watson, who will be looking to stay healthy and play a full season for the first time with the Browns this year. Watson has proven to be a dynamic QB when healthy, and he has plenty of playmakers around him in Cleveland, but he's going to need to stay healthy and push the ball downfield to prove he's more than a QB2 in fantasy.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was a full participant in Friday's training camp practice after he was limited on Wednesday and didn't take part on Thursday. Tagovailoa isn't injured this summer, but he was expected to hold in at camp while he and the Dolphins continue to work on a much-deserved long-term contract extension. A hold-in from the 26-year-old former first-round signal-caller is out the window now, and it would be a surprise if the two sides don't work something out before the start of the regular season this fall after Tagovailoa put up a career year in 2023. In 17 regular-season starts, Tagovailoa led the NFL with 4,624 yards and added a career-high 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He has one of the best one-two punches at receiver in the league, but his floor as a QB1 is lower than some of the other big names at the position because of his lack of rushing statistics.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan answered questions from the media at training camp on Thursday and said, "There's nothing going on right now," in terms of a trade for a wide receiver. Outside of George Pickens and Calvin Austin III, the rest of the receiving corps is new to the team. Roman Wilson, the rookie from Michigan, seems to be battling for the third spot, while Van Jefferson appears to be the front-runner for the second receiver. There's still plenty of time between now and the start of the season, but the Steelers appear to be comfortable with the state of their receivers right now.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger put together some big plays in practice on Thursday during the team's red-zone drills. He hauled in a touchdown pass from backup quarterback Tommy Devito while the other two tight ends also scored. Bellinger has reportedly been the favorite to be the starting tight end after Darren Waller retired, but it doesn't seem to be a foregone conclusion. Tyree Jackson caught a touchdown from DeVito as well while Lawrence Cager took some first-team snaps and snagged a touchdown as well from Daniel Jones. Fantasy managers will want to monitor Bellinger's training camp performance and how the depth chart shakes out.
From RotoBaller
Detroit Lions kicker Michael Badgley (hamstring) reportedly suffered a torn hamstring getting ready for practice on Thursday. According to Ian Rapoport, the injury will force Badgley to miss the entire season and the Lions will now try out new kickers to take his place. The 28-year-old joined the Lions in 2022 and appeared in 12 games while playing four games for them in 2023. Riley Patterson played in 12 games for the Lions last season, so he may be one of the kickers trying out for the spot this season. For now, fantasy managers will have to wait and see who wins the position in Detroit.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (undisclosed) was seen working on the side at training camp on Thursday. Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports that Njoku was working alongside Jerry Jeudy (leg) and Nick Chubb (knee) among other players dealing with injuries. Njoku was at least getting some work in even though it wasn't with the whole team in the main portion of practice. His injury remains undisclosed at this point, but we could get some further insight on Friday. He proved to be a fantastic fantasy asset while playing with Joe Flacco last season, but it's unclear whether or not he can build the same chemistry with Deshaun Watson.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (personal) reportedly missed practice on Thursday due to a personal matter. Patrick Warren of clevelandbrowns.com reports that Ford is expected back at practice on Friday as he only needed to tend to the matter on Thursday. The 24-year-old projects to be the starter with Nick Chubb (knee) still on the PUP list and recovering from his gruesome injury last season. The good news for fantasy managers is this is just a temporary absence and Ford should be back on the field taking first-team snaps.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (leg) was seen at practice on Thursday working on the side with Nick Chubb (knee) and David Njoku (undisclosed). All three players were getting their own workouts in instead of taking any snaps with the team. Jeudy was dealing with a "minor injury" at the start of mandatory minicamp, so it's unclear if this is related to the same issue. Reports have suggested that Jeudy is making progress with the new offense since coming over from the Denver Broncos, but getting more time at training camp is going to help at the start of the season. Fantasy managers will want to monitor his participation level as camp progresses.
From RotoBaller
Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan reported that quarterback Will Levis has been "really impressive" through their first two days of camp. "I think his hard work this offseason and over the summer has really paid off. He's incredibly confident right now. And he's earned that confidence. ... He's dialed in. He has studied." Levis has a big arm and isn't afraid to use it. He's also mobile enough to extend plays, and it's nice to hear a coach speak highly of a player so early on in camp. Whether it is coach-speak or not still stands to be determined. However, the second-year quarterback garners an underrated arsenal of weapons with a returning DeAndre Hopkins and Chigoziem Okonkwo, as well as newly acquired Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard. He has the potential to be a pleasant surprise this year if he takes even just a slight step forward. The University of Kentucky product presents sleeper appeal in superflex and best-ball formats as a QB2 with upside.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields was surprised early Thursday morning to learn that he would take all the reps with the first-team offense on the first day of Steelers' training camp. Mike Tomlin decided to hold Russell Wilson out for the time being with a sore calf muscle. "I decided to sit (Wilson) down today and create a little short-term discomfort for him, not allowing the small problem to become a bigger problem," Tomlin said. He characterized Wilson as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Fields looked sharp during portions of Thursday's practice and, at other times, looked like someone still trying to figure it out. The Steelers shocked the world when they brought in both Wilson and Fields this offseason, and a bit of a quarterback competition would probably do them both some good. Wilson -- if healthy -- appears to be locked in as Pittsburgh's starter, but this will be a situation to monitor all the way up until Week 1.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski addressed the media Thursday on their first day of training camp, breaking the news that he was unsure whether or not starting quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) would appear in any of the team's three preseason games. Watson, who had shoulder surgery during the offseason to tend to the scapular and rotator cuff injuries he suffered during the 2023 season, seems to be on his way to health but isn't there just yet. Stefanski confirmed he would discuss the details with Watson and his staff before determining when he would get game action at an appropriate time. "We'll be smart," Stefanski said. "We're very fortunate to have a great medical team around Deshaun... He looks great, feels great, so we'll just be smart about it." Watson is going off draft boards as QB22 and is a solid second quarterback option in superflex leagues heading into fantasy drafts.
From RotoBaller
