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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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Jared Goff Oct 1 10:13am CT
Jared Goff

Dynasty | Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed 18-of-18 passes for 292 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in a win over Seattle. Dynasty Analysis: He also caught a touchdown pass from Amon-Ra St. Brown. His effort featured the most completions in a game without an incompletion in NFL history. Goff was masterful on the evening and has complete control of this Lions offense here in his fourth season. A relative "throw-in" years ago in the Matthew Stafford trade, Goff continues to impress. He'll remain being a low-end QB1 or high-end QB2 as we move forward.

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba Oct 1 10:13am CT
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Dynasty | Jaxon Smith-Njigba had eight catches for 51 yards in a loss to the Lions on Monday night. Dynasty Analysis: JSN now has 25 catches in four games in what amounts to be his breakout season thus far. While he is still looking for his first touchdown, his floor is starting to look pretty safe on a weekly basis. While best served as a secondary option as long as DK Metcalf is around, his dynasty value seems to be on the rise again.

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Zach Charbonnet Oct 1 10:13am CT
Zach Charbonnet

Dynasty | Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker had 80 rushing yards, four catches, 36 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a loss on Monday night to Detroit. Dynasty Analysis: Walker returned from a short-term injury with a fury as he did all his rushing damage on just 12 carries. Even better, Zach Charbonnet had only two carries, looking like a backup and not a "1B" yet again. Walker looks locked in as a RB1 moving forward and his dynasty value is going to continue ticking up.

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Mason Rudolph Oct 1 10:13am CT
Mason Rudolph

Dynasty | Titans quarterback Will Levis injured his shoulder and was replaced by Mason Rudolph in a win against Miami on Monday night. Dynasty Analysis: Levis completed the game going 3-for-4 for 25 yards with one interception on the night. After spending the rest of the game roaming the sidelines and not getting medical attention, it's fair to wonder just how "injured" he was. Tennessee is saying he's the starter moving forward, but his play has been less than inspiring this season. In fact, Levis now has 12 touchdowns and ten interceptions over his 13 games in the NFL, with four of those scores coming in his first ever start. The ice is getting thin in Tennessee.

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Tyler Huntley Oct 1 10:13am CT
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Dynasty | Dolphins quarterback Tyler Huntley completed 14-of-22 passes for 96 yards, adding 40 rushing yards and a touchdown in a loss against Tennessee. Dynasty Analysis: Huntley's fantasy day was saved with his rushing yards, but the Dolphins offense looks absolutely lost without Tua Tagovailoa right now. Tyreek Hill (four catches for 23 yards), and Jaylen Waddle (four for 36), have been relegated to fantasy benches and Huntley doesn't look like the quarterback who is going to salvage any of this right now. In short, this is a mess. Huntley isn't worth a dynasty roster spot after this performance.

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Jaylen Wright Oct 1 9:50am CT
Jaylen Wright

Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright toted the rock nine times for 32 yards in the team's 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans, failing to bring in his lone target. The rookie running back averaged 3.2 YPC on his nine touches, out-gaining backfield mate De'Von Achane on his ten carries (1.5 YPC). For the second week in a row, Wright has been the more efficient runner than Achane, albeit on fewer touches. It's unclear what type of role the fourth-round pick will have when running back Raheem Mostert (chest) returns to the field. However, no Dolphins skill player can be trusted for fantasy purposes in this version of the team's offense. They'll square off against one of the better defensive matchups in their Week 5 outing when they hit the road and travel to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots. Despite this, Wright is not in consideration for fantasy managers, and the remaining Dolphins' offensive pieces will continue to receive downgrades until (if) quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) returns from injured reserve.

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Will Levis Oct 1 9:40am CT
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Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo recorded one catch for five yards in the team's win over the Dolphins on Monday night. With quarterback Will Levis (shoulder) exiting early, Okonkwo was not a factor, seeing just three targets in the game as the Titans relied heavily on the running game. The three targets were actually a season-high for the tight end, who has not become a big part of the Titans' offense yet. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere for options at the position, and Okonkwo can be left on the waiver wire.

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Jaylen Waddle Oct 1 9:40am CT
Jaylen Waddle

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle hauled in 4-of-6 targets for a team-leading 36 yards in Monday night's 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Waddle matched running mate Tyreek Hill for the team lead in receptions while earning one less target. It's the second time in three weeks that the former has led the latter in receiving. However -- like Hill -- it's his third-straight outing with single-digit fantasy points. Despite the fourth-year wideout's output, he's racked up just a 15.1% target share on the team through four weeks, while the 30-year-old speedster is sitting at 23.1%. It's becoming increasingly difficult to trust any Miami skill player sans quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion), regardless of work. Fortunately for the Fins, they'll get one of the more enticing matchups this weekend when they take on the New England Patriots -- a defense that's given up the fifth-most passing yards to opposing offenses. However, the 25-year-old is nowhere near the WR2 lock he was earlier in the season. He'll be a low-end WR3 for the contest.

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Jared Goff Oct 1 9:30am CT
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The Seattle Seahawks defense/special teams had a tough outing in Week 4. After being one of the top units through the first three weeks of the season, the Seahawks allowed 389 yards and 42 points in Week 4. They also allowed Lions quarterback Jared Goff to go 18/18 through the air. The jury is still out on how good this defense actually is. This game turned out to be a track meet and resulted in 71 total points between the two teams. The Seahawks D/ST did manage to record three sacks against a talented Lions O-line. That is encouraging going forward. The Seahawks have now recorded 14 sacks on the season.

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Tyreek Hill Oct 1 9:30am CT
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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill caught 4-of-7 targets for 23 yards in the team's 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football. He added 19 yards on three carries. Hill's receiving yardage is a new season-low, while the four catches he racked up were the most since he had seven way back in Week 1. The Dolphins offense as a whole has been largely disappointing since losing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) in the team's loss to the Bills in Week 2, and the veteran wideout now has three consecutive single-digit fantasy point outings. On a positive note, Hill still garners a 23.1% target share on the team, but his managers are in a tough spot, considering that a top-three pick was used on him in this summer's drafts. Miami's next time out will be a juicier matchup when they hit the road to square off against the New England Patriots. However, expectations of the 30-year-old's output must be tempered as this offense doesn't move the same without their field-general. Hill will again be a low-end WR2 for the matchup.

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Devon Achane Oct 1 9:10am CT
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Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane rushed ten times for 15 yards and brought in all three of his targets for an additional 14 yards in Monday night's 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Woof. The carries, targets, receptions, and yards were all season-low marks for Achane. He was out-gained on the ground by quarterback Tyler Huntley (40), wide receiver Tyreek Hill (19), and backfield mate Jaylen Wright (32), who all racked up fewer carries than the second-year RB. While Wright was more efficient with his work, he didn't receive his first touch until halfway through the second quarter. It's an outing to forget for the former Aggie, but fantasy managers have to be disappointed, as it's the second contest in a row in which he's failed to score more than single-digit fantasy points. The former third-round pick will have a better matchup his next time out when the team takes on the New England Patriots in Week 5. However, it's hard to trust him as anything more than an RB3 for the time being, with Miami's offense in a tailspin.

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Zach Charbonnet Oct 1 9:10am CT
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Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet was limited to two carries for 15 yards but did record five catches for 39 yards in a loss to the Lions in Week 4. With Kenneth Walker III returning to action, Charbonnet was not involved in the run game as Walker saw a team-high 12 carries. The UCLA product salvaged his night with his pass-game work and he could keep that going moving forward. However, with Walker back in the mix as the lead back, Charbonnet's value and upside are limited. He had some good games with Walker out, but it appears that Charbonnet will take a bit of a back seat in the running-back pecking order.

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Nick Chubb Oct 1 9:00am CT
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The Cleveland Browns will open the 21-day practice window for Nick Chubb (knee), and Browns coach Kevin Stefanksi expects the talented running back to return to practice on Wednesday. Chubb has been on the Physically Unable to Perform list but once he practices the Browns will have 21 days to put him on the active roster. Chubb is coming off a brutal knee injury that he suffered last season and required two surgeries and will likely take a while to ramp up activities in practice and get in game shape. Fantasy managers will want to be patient with the return of the star running back but this is good news from a fantasy perspective. Chubb will have Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman to contend with in the Browns' backfield once he does return to games and it is unclear how he will respond to the injury.

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Tyler Huntley Oct 1 8:50am CT
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tyler Huntley completed 14-of-22 passes for 96 yards in the team's 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans, adding 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground on eight carries. It looked like Huntley and the Fins' offense were off to a good start on their first drive of the game, picking up 30 yards on their first two plays from scrimmage. However, two plays later, he'd throw a swing pass to wide receiver Tyreek Hill out of the backfield, which fell incomplete. Upon further review, it was a backward pass that Tennessee challenged and gained possession of. He would later save his night with a rushing score in the fourth quarter -- Miami's first touchdown since the first quarter of Week 2 -- but that would be all the offense they could muster. It's another disappointing day for the Dolphins as a whole. Whether Huntley will again get the start in Week 5 when the team takes on the New England Patriots is unclear. He should not be in fantasy managers' lineups despite the excellent matchup.

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Tua Tagovailoa Oct 1 8:30am CT
Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) is reportedly "symptom-free" and is on track to return to the field as soon as Week 8 according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Tagovailoa is eligible to return from the IR in Week 8 and could be back on the field by then after suffering a concussion in the team's Week 2 loss to the Bills. With a history of concussions, Tagovailoa's return to the field was not a given but it looks like he is eyeing a comeback from his latest scary head injury. The Dolphins are now 1-3 and the offense is struggling mightily without Tagovailoa on the field.

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Jameson Williams Oct 1 8:00am CT
Jameson Williams

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff on Monday night against Seattle and led the team in receiving with two catches for 80 yards. Williams saw just two targets in the game but showed his big-play ability by turning in the 70-yard TD. The Alabama product can turn a few touches into a big fantasy day because of that big-play threat. It makes him a little bit risky week-to-week but he has mostly rewarded fantasy managers this season. Williams will have to fight for targets with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta in the Lions' offense but his explosiveness on the outside makes him fantasy viable.

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David Montgomery Oct 1 7:50am CT
David Montgomery

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery scored a rushing touchdown in Week 4 against Seattle, carrying 12 times for 40 yards and a 1-yard score while adding one catch for 40 yards on Monday night. The Lions' power back showed off his strength by shaking off a tackle in the backfield on his touchdown run but was not overly efficient at 3.3 yards per carry in this game. Jahmyr Gibbs was the featured runner against Seattle with 14 carries for 78 yards and two TDs. Montgomery continues to be heavily involved in tandem with Gibbs and there has been plenty of fantasy production to go around for the talented duo. Montgomery has also shown he can be productive catching passes out of the backfield which only adds to his fantasy value. He should be a fantasy RB1 moving forward.

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Amon-Ra St. Brown Oct 1 7:50am CT
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught six passes for 45 yards and a touchdown and also threw a touchdown pass to Jared Goff on Monday night against Seattle. St. Brown caught all six of his targets but didn't see a massive workload as the Lions' had their ground game going as well in the game. Against a good Seahawks' secondary, St. Brown worked mostly the short field with his long completion in the game being 17 yards. He was able to execute a 7-yard trick play in which he found Goff for a passing touchdown as well which helped his fantasy night. The former USC star should continue to emerge in this offense as the season progresses but there is a lot of competition for looks with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in the backfield and Jameson Williams coming on at wide receiver.

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Kenneth Walker III Oct 1 7:40am CT
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Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III had a massive Week 4 upon his return from an oblique injury. Walker rushed for 80 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. The starting role was firmly in Walker's hands as he out-touched running back Zach Charbonnet 16 to seven. Walker looked awesome evading Lions defenders and ripping off chunk plays. He accounted for three of the Seahawks' four touchdowns and kept them in the game until the end. When Walker has played this season, he has looked the best that he has looked possibly in his entire career. He remains firmly in the RB1 conversation when the Seahawks take on the New York Giants in Week 5.

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D.K. Metcalf Oct 1 7:40am CT
D.K. Metcalf

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf finished Monday night's game with seven receptions for 104 yards. He did lose a fumble in the first half that proved to be costly as the Seahawks were never able to close the one-touchdown gap with the Lions. Metcalf has now gone over 100 yards in three straight games. This offense looks really good in 2024 and should only continue to improve as the players and coaching staff get more comfortable. Unlike in previous seasons, this Seahawks regime has made it a point to force-feed Metcalf the ball. He is currently on pace for 153 targets which would shatter his previous career high. Look for Metcalf to continue his excellent run when the Seahawks play the New York Giants in Week 5.

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