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: RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 5
- FANTASY EXCLUSIVE: Injury Status: Week 5
- FANTASY EXCLUSIVE: Lineup Prep: Week 5
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 5
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 5
- YOUTUBE VIDEO: Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 4
- Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson, James Harrison to fight in exhibition
- Saints QB Derek Carr craves reunion with Davante Adams
- Chiefs place WR Rashee Rice (knee) on injured reserve
- OBJ practices, Dolphins to decide if he plays at Patriots
- Football Hall of Fame pares list of senior nominees
- Giants WR Malik Nabers remains out of practice
- Falcons P Bradley Pinion (neck spasms) to play Thursday
- Browns DE Alex Wright (triceps) out for season
- Week 5 TNF: Bucs-Falcons Preview, Odds, Prediction
- NCAA penalizes Raiders coach Antonio Pierce over ASU violations
- Browns RB Nick Chubb: Practice return 'felt like a dream'
- Chiefs open practice window for RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill has no interest in being traded
- Dolphins OLB Jaelan Phillips out for season
- Vikings open practice window for TE T.J. Hockenson
- Commanders open practice window for QB Marcus Mariota
- Browns RB Nick Chubb practices for first time since Sept. 2023
- Davante Adams Next Team Odds: Reunion with former QBs favored
- Bucs without Antoine Winfield Jr., 4 others vs. Falcons
- Giants WR Malik Nabers (concussion) misses practice
- Fantasy Six Pack: Fantasy Football Goal Line Guide Week 5 | Nico Collins and Texans in Good Spot
- Fantasy Six Pack: IDP Start Sit Week 5 | All Aboard the Luvu Train
- Fantasy Six Pack: Fantasy Football Start-Sit Week 5 | Bench Garrett Wilson In London?
- Fantasy Six Pack: Fantasy Football Week 5 Defense Stream-O-Matic
- Fantasy Life: NFL Player Props for Week 5 - Fade Buffalo's RB1?
- Fantasy Life: Fantasy Football Mailbag: Jayden Daniels vs. Josh Allen and More
- Fantasy Life: Anytime Touchdown Bets for Week 5: All Aboard the Chuba Train
- Fantasy Life: Week 5 Fantasy Life Chronicles: Time To Move On in New England?
The Paur Report
Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 5
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tyler Huntley will line up for his second start of the season this Sunday when the team hits the road to take on the New England Patriots. With quarterback Skylar Thompson (ribs) still tending to an injury that forced him from Miami's Week 3 matchup, the dual-threat 26-year-old will again be at the helm for the Dolphins. His last time out, the former Raven failed to throw a score -- or interception -- leading Miami to 12 total points against the Tennessee Titans. He did add 40 yards rushing on eight carries but was largely ineffective in his first action since Week 18 of last season. This week, Huntley and Miami will get an easier matchup against a Patriots squad that is vulnerable to the pass -- allowing the fourth-most net yards per pass attempt to opposing offenses. It's possible the fifth-year QB keeps himself in the fantasy conversation with his work on the ground. Still, he'll be hard to trust outside of superflex and 2QB formats, based on what we've seen thus far.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams had some question marks surrounding his role entering the season, but after four weeks it's clear to see he remains the bell cow of this backfield. Williams has 23 touches compared to Ronnie Rivers' six in their Week 4 loss to the Chicago Bears, and he's seen no fewer than 16 total touches in each game this year. While the receiving corps is still banged up, the Rams will likely continue to lean on Williams and Matthew Stafford will undoubtedly look to throw his way out of the backfield as well. The Green Bay Packers are right in the middle of the pack when it comes to fantasy points allowed to opposing backfields while they average 20.1 fantasy points allowed per game. Fantasy managers can be confident starting Williams again this week.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has ping-ponged between being the top fantasy football quarterback and an unstartable asset (QB28) over the past four weeks. Blowouts have been to blame. The Bills won two games by an average of 29 points and then lost in Week 4 by 25. A (hopefully) more competitive tilt against the Houston Texans will keep Allen aggressive and throwing for four quarters. Buffalo's signal caller is on the injury report with a left hand injury but he's practicing in full this week. He could be without his top wide receiver Khalil Shakir, who is dealing with an ankle injury. Through all the tribulations, Allen is the QB4 on the season and should be started in all leagues in Week 5.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford hasn't posted the best start to the season in terms of fantasy football, but he continues to rack up yards and completions. Despite clocking in as the QB29, he has the highest completion percentage of his career this season while averaging 244.5 yards per game. This is all while Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) have been out for two and a half of the four weeks so far. In Week 5, Stafford takes on the Green Bay Packers who have given up the 13th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks with an average of 17.1 per game. For fantasy managers dealing with byes, Stafford could be a sneaky streaming option since the Packers' offense is likely to put up some big points turning this into a shootout.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton continued his success during Thursday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. Otton hauled in three of his four targets for 44 yards during the overtime loss. This now marks three straight games that Otton has surpassed 40 receiving yards. This is nice to see after Otton had one total reception through the first two weeks of the season. It's worth noting that Otton is going to remain third on the pecking order, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect huge games from him. However, Otton should be able to do enough on a weekly basis to hold TE2 value.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) is officially participating in practice on Friday as the team has officially opened his practice window. According to Ian Rapoport, the team may give him the full three weeks to prepare and get as close to 100% healthy as possible. He last played in Week 16 of last season when he tore his ACL in a game against the Detroit Lions. If he takes the full three weeks to return, that would mean he's on track to play in Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts. There's a chance he could be back for their Week 8 contest, but that's a Thursday night game against the Los Angeles Rams, so it could be a bit early. Hockenson's status will be something to monitor each week, and their bye week in Week 6 could be a great help. With how great the Vikings have played with Sam Darnold at the helm, Hockenson's return could be a breath of fresh air for fantasy managers in desperate need of a tight end.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin continued his successful 2024 campaign during Thursday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. The veteran wideout hauled in five of his six targets for 64 yards in the overtime loss. Fellow wideout Mike Evans saw the red zone attention this week with two touchdowns. Despite that, Godwin still put together a solid performance as he's reached 60 yards or more in four of his five games. The Bucs will now head into a tougher matchup against the New Orleans Saints in Week 6. Evans figures to draw star defensive back Marshon Lattimore which means Godwin should see more looks next week.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans came ready to play during Thursday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. The veteran wideout hauled in five of his seven targets for 62 yards and two touchdowns during the overtime loss. It could've been a bigger game for Evans who was wide open for what looked like his third score but quarterback Baker Mayfield didn't see him. Regardless, fantasy managers will take his two-score game from Evans who now has five touchdowns on the season. He'll head into a tougher matchup against the New Orleans Saints in Week 6. Despite that, Evans should still be able to carve out WR1 value for that game.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (hip) has been dealing with a hip issue which caused him to be a limited participant at practice on Wednesday. The good news, for the injury-riddled Rams, is that he was upgraded to a full participant on Thursday and he's trending in the right direction. With Cooper Kupp (ankle) still not practicing, Robinson is in line for added opportunities alongside Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington. In the Week 4 matchup against the Chicago Bears, Robinson finished with three targets, two receptions, and 37 yards. The matchup against the Green Bay Packers presents a better situation this time around though.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving wasn't able to capitalize on the field during Thursday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. The rookie back rushed nine times for 44 yards while adding two receptions for 12 yards in the receiving game. This marked the first time this season that Irving has been outrushed by fellow back Rachaad White. Irving also lost a critical fumble late in the game. It's unclear if this lackluster performance is going to hurt his stock going forward, but he should still remain in a committee with White. That being said, Irving is worth stashing, but won't have a ton of starting appeal for the Week 6 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White put together his best performance of the season on the ground during Thursday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. White rushed the ball 10 times for 72 yards in what ended up being an overtime loss to Tampa Bay. It's worth noting that 56 of the yards came on one play, so White struggled throughout most of this game. Fellow back Bucky Irving didn't do a whole lot better with a fumble and getting stood up at the goal line. It remains clear that the Bucs are going to use a committee approach at running back. That being said, White will likely only have flex appeal for the Week 6 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson was more efficient on the ground this week but was unable to turn it into a big fantasy outing as the team grabbed a hard-fought win in overtime over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Robinson finished the game with 61 yards on 12 carries while hauling in all three of his targets for 16 yards. The 5.1 yards per carry is a great stat to see, but with one less reception in this game and no touchdowns, he was unable to bounce back from a lackluster week against the New Orleans Saints. Tyler Allgeier was a bit more involved in this contest as he received nine total touches, but the story of this game was the passing game as Kirk Cousins threw the ball 58 times for 509 yards. Robinson's next chance to find the end zone will be against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) has not practiced at all yet this week as he's dealing with what everyone is calling a "mild high-ankle sprain." The star back injured his ankle against the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Week 4 matchup, and Ian Rapoport believes that he's "likely to miss some time" moving forward. He noted that Taylor suiting up for their Week 5 game would be a big surprise. His status past this week will be something to monitor, especially since they don't have a bye week for added rest until Week 14. Trey Sermon is the next man up with Tyler Goodson ready to take some snaps in relief.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons WR Ray-Ray McCloud had six catches (on nine targets) for 66 yards versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, Oct. 3.
Fantasy Spin: When you pass the ball 59 times, a lot of guys are gonna see action. That included McCloud, who has now been targeted five times or more in four of Atlanta's five games. He looks to be filling the WR3 slot behind Drake London and Darnell Mooney, but the veteran doesn't offer much to fantasy owners with his 66 yards tonight representing a new career high.
From TheHuddle
Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins connected on 42 of his 58 passes for a franchise-record 509 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception during an overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, Oct. 3. Cousins was sacked four times.
Fantasy Spin: Uneven for most of the first four games, Cousins morphed into Kirko Chainz on Thursday night, lighting up an injury-depleted Buccaneers secondary for 509 yards, which included a game-tying drive in the final seconds and a game-winning drive on the first possession of overtime. Obviously, this was a once-in-a-lifetime type performance from Cousins, but just go back to his days in Minnesota to remind yourself that he'll have weeks where he tops 300 yards with multiple TDs. He remains a nice QB2 for fantasy owners, though anyone that had him active tonight most definitely LIKED THAT!
From TheHuddle
Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin had five receptions for 64 yards versus the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, Oct. 3. He was targeted seven times.
Fantasy Spin: After a red-hot start, Godwin has gone back-to-back weeks with less than 70 yards and no touchdowns. He hasn't had a truly bad game, yet, but it feels like he's settling into more of that WR3 spot he's typically filled over the years for fantasy owners. Godwin had two of his better games of last season against the Saints (8-114-0 in Week 4, 3-81-1 in Week 17), so make sure he's in your lineup when those clubs renew acquaintances in Week 6.
From TheHuddle
Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans caught five passes (on seven targets) for 62 yards and a pair of touchdowns versus the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, Oct. 3. They were the 99th and 100th touchdowns of Evans' 11-year career.
Fantasy Spin: While he still hasn't hit the 100-yard mark this season -- in fact, he's finished with less than 65 yards in all but one game -- Evans continues to demand a spot in your lineup by pushing his touchdown total on the year to five. On deck is the renewal of his legendary rivalry with Marshon Lattimore. Get your popcorn ready.
From TheHuddle
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney caught nine of 16 targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns during Thursday's overtime win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was Kirk Cousins' most-targeted teammate as the quarterback attempted 58 passes for a franchise-record 509 yards through the air. Mooney delivered one of the best fantasy performances of his career, and he would've added even more points had he been able to catch a fourth-quarter pass that ultimately went through his hands and hit his chest. The 26-year-old seems to be enjoying a resurgence after leaving the Chicago Bears in free agency. Over his last four contests as a Falcon, Mooney is averaging 18.4 fantasy points per game. He ranks as an appealing WR3/FLEX for Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts converted eight targets into seven catches for 88 yards during Thursday's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The young tight end still hasn't blossomed into a consistent fantasy option, but his productive showing in Week 5 was a step in the right direction. Of course, it was aided by a historic performance by Kirk Cousins, who attempted a whopping 58 passes and tallied a franchise-record 509 yards through the air. This type of yardage likely isn't sustainable for Cousins, but it's possible that his rapport with Pitts will hold strong moving forward. He remains a mid-to-low fantasy TE1 for Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver caught 12 of 13 targets for 154 yards and one touchdown during Thursday's overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. London was one of the main benefactors as quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for a franchise-record 509 yards in Week 5. He's now averaging 20.5 fantasy points (PPR) per game over the last four weeks, vaulting him into the high-end WR2 territory with WR1 upside. The 23-year-old can finally be trusted in fantasy lineups week after week. He's a must-start option heading into Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers.
From RotoBaller
