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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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Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 5

Player Notes
Joey Slye Oct 5 1:20am CT
Joey Slye

New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye looks to build off last week's productive outing with a big game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 5. The veteran was the 11th-ranked kicker in terms of fantasy points last week, and this week, he benefits from an even more favorable matchup. The Dolphins have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing kickers so far, which gives Slye a great opportunity to be added as a solid streamer off waivers. He's not a top-12 kicker every week, but he's certainly making the case for specifically Week 5.

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Cam Little Oct 5 1:20am CT
Cam Little

Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little should be a solid fantasy play in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts. The rookie kicker has been pretty good to start the year and had his best fantasy performance of the season last week against the Houston Texans. As the offense continues to get better, so should Little's fantasy output. The Colts defense hasn't been great to start the year, so Little could get opportunities for numerous field goals, or even extra points if the offense plays really well. The offense could reach new heights if star tight end Evan Engram returns from injury. Little has already proven he has the leg to nail long field goals, and in a matchup where the Jaguars should certainly score points, he could get more opportunities for 50+ yard field goals. There may be more reliable fantasy kickers out there, but fantasy managers can definitely do worse than Little in Week 5.

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Tank Bigsby Oct 5 1:10am CT
Tank Bigsby

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby has been slowly reintroduced into the game plan since missing Week 2, and that should continue in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts. He was limited in practice all week, but fortunately enters Sunday's game with no injury tag. While he still remains the backup to Travis Etienne Jr., the Ole Miss product has shown he deserves play time in his limited touches, putting up a combined 163 rushing yards in Week 1 and Week 4. In a matchup with the Colts who might be missing both starting quarterback Anthony Richardson and star running back Jonathan Taylor, the Jaguars may be in line for their first win of the season. That should mean more rushing opportunities for both Etienne Jr. and Bigsby. It may be hard to trust a backup, but the second-year RB could once again put up a great stat line in limited action. Bigsby has higher upside than the typical backup running back, making him an interesting flex play in deeper leagues this week.

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Demario Douglas Oct 5 1:00am CT
Demario Douglas

New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas is an unreliable fantasy football option heading into Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins. While Douglas did break free for seven catches and 69 yards in Week 3, he's posted a total of five catches for 25 yards over his other three games. Not only has the second-year receiver struggled to produce when on the field, but he has had difficulty getting on the field in the first place. Douglas has logged a snap share of 60 percent or lower in three of his four games as he continues to battle for opportunities with the likes of Ja'Lynn Polk and K.J. Osborn. He'd also lose additional playing time if the Patriots activate Kendrick Bourne (knee) from the PUP list on Saturday. All in all, Douglas faces an uphill battle to produce against a Miami defense allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points and the second-fewest catches to wide receivers this year.

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Hunter Henry Oct 5 1:00am CT
Hunter Henry

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry has been a disappointment in fantasy football this season, contributing two catches and fewer than 20 yards in three of his four games so far. The lone outlier was an eight-catch, 109-yard showing back in Week 2, but it seems unlikely that Henry will replicate that production anytime soon. That will be particularly difficult in Week 5 given his role in a struggling Patriots offense against a Miami Dolphins defense allowing just 130 yards and zero touchdowns to opposing touchdowns this season. Henry and Jacoby Brissett may have a solid rapport, but it won't be enough to get the veteran on the fantasy radar this week.

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Jacoby Brissett Oct 5 12:50am CT
Jacoby Brissett

New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett remains off the fantasy radar as he heads into a Week 5 clash with the Miami Dolphins. Brissett has been uninspiring through the first four weeks of the NFL season, tallying just 536 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two turnovers. The veteran remains off the fantasy radar heading into a difficult matchup against the Dolphins, who have allowed the fourth-fewest passing touchdowns, fourth-fewest interceptions, and second-fewest completions to opposing quarterbacks this season. It's impressive that Miami's defense has fared this well despite being blown out the last three weeks, but that's likely a result of opponents gashing the Dolphins on the ground. Accordingly, we can expect a solid showing from Antonio Gibson and perhaps Rhamondre Stevenson, but Brissett remains a fantasy non-factor.

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Christian Kirk Oct 5 12:50am CT
Christian Kirk

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk will look to continue his upward fantasy trajectory in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts. After a rough first two weeks, Kirk has turned things around, and now serves as a reliable starting fantasy receiver, especially in PPR leagues. The former Arizona Cardinal isn't much of a threat in the red-zone or on deep bombs, but he is good at getting open quickly and serves as a great security blanket for Trevor Lawrence. It makes a lot of sense that the offense has looked better since Kirk started producing again. The Colts serve as a great matchup for the Jaguars passing offense, boosting Kirk's value this week. Evan Engram potentially is returning from injury which should cut into the receiver's target share, but not enough to take him out of fantasy starting lineups anytime soon. Kirk serves as a great WR2/flex play with an extra boost in PPR leagues in Week 5.

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Antonio Gibson Oct 5 12:50am CT
Antonio Gibson

New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson is expected to start at running back in Week 5 after head coach Jerod Mayo announced that Rhamondre Stevenson had lost the starting job. Stevenson has fumbled four times through four games this season while Gibson has demonstrated impressive burst and productivity with 219 scrimmage yards over his last three contests. The increased role comes at an opportune time for Gibson; this weekend, the Patriots face the Miami Dolphins, who have allowed the most fantasy points and the most touchdowns to opposing running backs this year. While we can still expect some growing pains from Gibson as he adjusts to an increased role within a poor offense, he has a real chance to rank as a low-end fantasy RB2 this week. He's particularly appealing as someone who can leave an impact on the ground and through the air.

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Brian Thomas Jr. Oct 5 12:40am CT
Brian Thomas Jr.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has a great opportunity to reach even greater heights in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts. BTJ had six catches for 86 yards and a touchdown last week against the Houston Texans, and the Colts should be an easier matchup for the rookie. The Jaguars offense looked horrible to start the year but has slowly looked better as the year has progressed. Trevor Lawrence looked better last week, and was able to get both Christian Kirk and BTJ involved a lot in the passing game. Despite the team's early struggles, the first-round pick has exceeded expectations of fantasy managers so far and has not started slowly like many rookie receivers do. Evan Engram may return from injury this week providing more competition for targets, but that should more affect BTJ's red-zone usage, which hasn't been much as is. BTJ should continue to show off his speed and route-running against the Colts, making him a great flex play with WR2 upside.

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Jordan Mason Oct 5 12:20am CT
Jordan Mason

San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason will look to keep it rolling when the team hosts the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The former undrafted Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket was fantastic last week, taking 24 carries for 123 yards rushing and a touchdown. He also caught two of three targets for 37 yards receiving. Mason's production this year has been a godsend for fantasy managers who scooped him up early. Through four weeks, Mason is the overall RB5 in half-PPR points per game. His matchup in Week 5 is favorable. Arizona has allowed the fifth-most points to opposing running backs this year at 17.9 points per game. Perhaps Mason cedes some action to rookie Isaac Guerendo in this one with near 100-degree temperatures predicted in Santa Clara, which would easily be a Levi's Stadium record. Nevertheless, Mason is as good a play at RB as there is this week. He's a top-shelf RB1 against a porous Arizona run defense.

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Joe Burrow Oct 4 11:50pm CT
Joe Burrow

The Baltimore Ravens defense/special teams has produced quite the mixed bag of results through the first four games of the season. In Week 4, against the Buffalo Bills, they collected three sacks and a fumble while holding the Bills to 10 points and 236 total yards. They looked like the dominant Ravens defense again which was a night and day difference compared to the unit that showed up against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3. Now, they take on Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals who have historically given them some fits. Burrow actually has 12 touchdowns, four interceptions, and 1,879 yards through the air against the Ravens in his career despite having a 3-4 record. With that being said, the Ravens would be a mid-level start in this contest.

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Brock Purdy Oct 4 11:40pm CT
Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy draws the Arizona Cardinals at home in Week 5. Last week, also at home, Purdy completed 15 of 27 passes for 288 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and 11 yards rushing versus New England. He's currently ranked as the season-long QB14 overall in Yahoo default scoring, slightly below consensus expectations coming into the season. The matchup this week against Arizona is a good one. The Cardinals represent the fifth-best opportunity for opposing fantasy quarterbacks, at 19.1 points against per game. The former Iowa State Cyclone will have all three of his relevant wideouts healthy and available, though tight end George Kittle (ribs) is questionable. The minor back issue that popped up last week appears to have cleared as Purdy didn't appear in this week's injury report. Usually, you can find Purdy surfing the line between QB1 and QB2 but in Week 5 with bye weeks starting and a good matchup, he's nested firmly in the QB1 conversation.

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Justin Tucker Oct 4 11:10pm CT
Justin Tucker

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has taken quite the tumble down the fantasy ladder through the first four weeks. The historically accurate, Texas product has only posted one week in K1 territory so far and has finished K17 or worse in the other three weeks. It's not due to his offense being unable to move the ball as they've scored 20 or more points in each game. He's only making 62.5% of his field goal attempts and has missed both of his 50-yard attempts. The Cincinnati Bengals are only allowing nine fantasy points per game to opposing kickers while Tucker only averages seven. There are better options out there until Tucker gets back on track.

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Justice Hill Oct 4 11:00pm CT
Justice Hill

Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill put together his best game of the season against the Buffalo Bills and finished as the RB10 in half-PPR leagues. He's currently the RB31 which puts him above the likes of Najee Harris, Chase Brown, Rico Dowdle, and Javonte Williams. The impressive part is Hill has only seen 14 carries compared to the aforementioned group getting no less than 29 so far. Hill has the eighth-most targets, seventh-most receptions, and third-most receiving yards out of all running backs right now. He'll remain in the pass-catching role out of the backfield, and he should still see a good bit of work in the team's first AFC North matchup of the season against the Bengals who are giving up the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing backfields.

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Greg Joseph Oct 4 10:50pm CT
Greg Joseph

New York Giants kicker Greg Joseph will enter Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks riding some momentum after making all five of his field goal attempts in last week's loss to the Dallas Cowboys, including a long of 52 yards. Through two games this season, Joseph is 2-for-2 on PATs and has yet to miss a field goal. However, he faces a tough Seattle defense that ranks eighth against kickers, allowing just six field goals through four games. With the Giants' offense struggling to convert drives into touchdowns, Joseph may be called upon for multiple field goal attempts again, making him a solid streaming option for fantasy managers.

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Darius Slayton Oct 4 10:40pm CT
Darius Slayton

New York Giants receiver Darius Slayton could see an uptick in targets in Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks with Malik Nabers sidelined due to a concussion. Slayton has recorded 10 receptions for 122 yards this season, averaging 12.2 yards per catch, but he's still seeking his first touchdown despite four red zone targets. Facing a tough Seahawks defense ranked 9th in the NFL against the pass, allowing only 772 passing yards and four passing touchdowns through four games, Slayton will need to make the most of any extra volume. Currently averaging 5.55 fantasy points per game, he could be a deeper flex option if the Giants lean on him in the passing attack.

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Tyrone Tracy Jr. Oct 4 10:30pm CT
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. could see a significant workload in Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks if Devin Singletary is sidelined. Tracy has yet to score a touchdown this season and has been limited to 41 receiving yards on four catches and just 29 rushing yards on 12 carries (2.42 YPC). However, Seattle's defense ranks 19th in the NFL against running backs, allowing 420 rushing yards and four touchdowns in four games, which could open up opportunities for the rookie. While Tracy's 2.75 fantasy points per game leave much to be desired, the increased volume could lead to a breakout performance if he starts.

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Daniel Jones Oct 4 10:20pm CT
Daniel Jones

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones will face a tough matchup in Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks. Jones has thrown for 881 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions over the first four games, but he's yet to hit a 300-yard passing game and has struggled to make an impact on the ground with just 70 rushing yards and no rushing touchdowns. His adjusted completion percentage of 77.3% is solid, but Seattle's defense ranks 9th in the NFL, allowing only 772 passing yards and four passing touchdowns through four games. With just 15.26 fantasy points per game (19th among QBs), Jones will need to outperform against a defense with his top receiver, Malik Nabers.

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Courtland Sutton Oct 4 9:50pm CT
Courtland Sutton

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton will be looking to score a touchdown for the second straight week in Week 5 against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday after finding paydirt for the first time in four weeks in the Week 4 win over the New York Jets. Sutton leads the team in catches (15), targets (36), receiving yards (192) and touchdowns (one) through four games. However, he's also sporting career-lows in catch rate (41.7%), yards per catch (12.8) and yards per target (5.4). Sutton had a career-high 10 scores in 2023 with Russell Wilson, but he hasn't found that same chemistry with rookie quarterback Bo Nix so far. The Raiders defense presents a pretty neutral matchup, as they've been around middle of the pack in passing yards allowed and fantasy points per game allowed to wideouts. Sutton has become a touchdown-dependent WR4/flex in fantasy but has upside for a little more in Week 5 at home against Vegas.

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Tommy Tremble Oct 4 9:10pm CT
Tommy Tremble

Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble can be safely avoided by fantasy managers in Week 5 when he takes on the Chicago Bears in a road tilt. Tremble is off the injury report ahead of Carolina's away matchup this Sunday but will not be a recommended fantasy option. The 24-year-old played 61 snaps in last week's contest compared to just 20 for rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders. However, the 21-year-old racked up two receptions and 12 yards, while the veteran did not receive a single target. Additionally, wide receiver Diontae Johnson has been a target vacuum, and rookie wideout Xavier Legette may be emerging as a second option for quarterback Andy Dalton. This leaves Tremble vying for the remaining targets with Sanders, WR Jonathan Mingo, and running back Chuba Hubbard. It will be difficult to trust anyone outside of Johnson, Hubbard, and Legette -- particularly against a Chicago defense that's allowed just 698 yards and two scores through the air to opposing offenses thus far.

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