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TE Strength of Schedule

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

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Bowers could have big year one


Using our rules for our money leagues, we came up with a schedule strength ranking for the tight end position. We are using our fantasy defenses report to calculate the rankings. This report can be found in all of our leagues under the "reports" heading. We took the schedule of each team and entered the average number of fantasy points allowed to tight ends last season from all of their opponents to get our fantasy points allowed number. This is a good indication of the tight ends with the most favorable schedules for fantasy scoring for the coming season. Defenses obviously change from year to year, but knowing the tight ends that might have the easiest schedule for fantasy is always a good idea when formulating your rankings and draft strategy.

  TE SOS  
1. Cincinnati Bengals 186.39
2. Miami Dolphins 193.98
3. Philadelphia Eagles 196.38
4. Washington Commanders 197.75
5. Houston Texans 198.15
6. Pittsburgh Steelers 199.18
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 199.68
8. New York Giants 201
9. Dallas Cowboys 201.18
10. Los Angeles Rams 201.38
11. Buffalo Bills 201.39
12. Chicago Bears 201.66
13. Arizona Cardinals 201.76
14. New York Jets 202.56
15. Jacksonville Jaguars 202.86
16. Baltimore Ravens 203.04
17. Denver Broncos 203.95
18. Los Angeles Chargers 204.02
19. Atlanta Falcons 204.25
20. Cleveland Browns 204.59
21. New Orleans Saints 205.62
22. Seattle Seahawks 205.73
23. San Francisco 49ers 206.80
24. Indianapolis Colts 206.89
25. Detroit Lions 207.92
26. New England Patriots 208.23
27. Kansas City Chiefs 210.92
28. Tennessee Titans 211.44
29. Green Bay Packers 212.07
30. Minnesota Vikings 212.23
31. Carolina Panthers 213.66
32. Las Vegas Raiders 213.81


A rookie led fantasy tight ends in scoring last year and the top rated rookie tight end this year gets the easiest fantasy schedule for tight end. Brock Browers and the Raiders have the most favorable schedule for tight ends. Sam LaPorta showed last year that a rookie can make an immediate fantasy impact, so don’t discount Browers to have big-time success in year one. He certainly looks the part of an elite tight end.

Another rookie with a good chance to start has the second easiest schedule for tight ends. Panthers tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders will compete with Tommy Tremble to start, but should emerge and be the top pass-catching tight end. He is looking like a good late-round gamble for fantasy teams.

The Vikings, Packers and Titans round out the top-five most favorable schedules for tight ends. T.J. Hockenson would be looking like a great pick if he wasn’t returning from a major injury. He is no sure thing to play early in the year. But once he is healthy, he could help fantasy teams in a big way once again.

Green Bay is likely to have Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft split a lot of the work at tight end, hurting both their value. They could produce some big games along the way, though, making them decent No. 2 fantasy tight ends this season. Both produced well in an expanded role last year.

Lastly, Chin Okonkwo didn’t quite have the breakout season many hoped last year, but he wasn’t bad by any means. Maybe he gets a few more chances this year and has some bigger games along the way with this favorable schedule. He is another decent tight end to grab as your backup.

The teams that top the list for toughest fantasy tight end schedules are teams that haven’t really utilized the tight end much in recent seasons. The Bengals have the toughest schedule followed bye the Dolphins. Mike Gesicki is the starter for the Bengals, but probably isn’t worth the risk with this schedule and the Bengals recent track record with tight ends.

Miami uses their tight ends to block more than anything in their offense. They have the occasional big game, but Jonnu Smith is going to be a risky weekly fantasy play. He would have looked much better landing with a different team.

There are a couple big-time fantasy tight ends that have unfavorable schedules. Dallas Goedert has the third toughest schedule. Goedert can be a little hit or miss to begin with in this offense, so this schedule gives him a little more concern. You might want to pass on him come draft day and go with another elite tight end with a better schedule and more consistency.

Dalton Schultz is the other elite tight end with a top-five unfavorable schedule. Schultz had a big first season with the Texans, becoming a favorite target of C.J. Stroud. He should get the targets this year. But he has a challenging schedule and more to compete with for targets, so his consistency might be a little off this year compared to last. 

We also wanted to look at playoff schedules for fantasy tight ends. So we crunched the numbers of all the schedules from Week 14-17, which is the fantasy playoffs for most leagues. We know you have to get to the playoffs first, but knowing the tight ends with the easiest playoff schedules doesn’t hurt by any means, especially in the big-money contests.

  TE PLAYOFF SOS  
1. Atlanta Falcons 175
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 182.37
3. Philadelphia Eagles 184.73
4. Arizona Cardinals 187.67
5. Jacksonville Jaguars 187.77
6. New England Patriots 189.83
7. Miami Dolphins 190.37
8. New Orleans Saints 191.3
9. Los Angeles Rams 192.17
10. Pittsburgh Steelers 192.43
11. Cincinnati Bengals 196.1
12. Detroit Lions 196.12
13. Houston Texans 196.2
14. Indianapolis Colts 198.97
15. Buffalo Bills 199.63
16. Kansas City Chiefs 203.03
17. New York Jets 204.13
18. Carolina Panthers 205.7
19. Baltimore Ravens 205.9
20. Green Bay Packers 207.7
21. Chicago Bears 213.73
22. New York Giants 214.27
23. Seattle Seahawks 214.72
24. Cleveland Browns 214.97
25. Dallas Cowboys 215.8
26. Las Vegas Raiders 219.4
27. Washington Commanders 220.13
28. Denver Broncos 220.8
29. Minnesota Vikings 221.72
30. Tennessee Titans 223.73
31. San Francisco 49ers 225.53
32. Los Angeles Chargers 228.53


The Titans and Vikings are the only two teams with the most favorable fantasy schedule for tight ends during the regular season and playoffs. Hockenson is the intriguing one because he might not be fully healthy until late in the season. So while he might not be a huge fantasy factor for the regular season, Hockenson might be a difference maker in the playoffs.

Okonkwo is looking like a player worth grabbing as a No. 2 fantasy tight end, especially if you have an established starter ahead of him. Okonkwo has a high fantasy ceiling for the coming year because of a schedule that could facilitate a breakout season for him.

The Chargers actually have the best fantasy playoff schedule for tight ends. Donald Parham is the likely starter and has some potential in an offense looking for playmakers in the passing game. This could be his best season to date, making him an intriguing late-round gamble.

George Kittle is the biggest name on the list for top-five favorable fantasy tight end playoff schedules. He is going to produce big and could be even better down the stretch with a schedule setup for success.

The Falcons have the most challenging playoff schedule for fantasy tight ends. This is not good news for Kyle Pitts. He is already a polarizing fantasy player, so this schedule won’t do him any favors to get in good graces with more fantasy owners. Many think he could finally turn things around this year with a new coaching staff in place, but nothing is certain with this situation. Pitts could be a boom or bust pick once again.

The Eagles are the only team on both the top five most difficult fantasy schedules for tight ends for the regular season and playoffs. Goedert is looking like a player you might want to let someone else grab come draft day. There are a lot of good, young options at tight end this year. Going with one of those guys over Goedert might be the play on draft day.

Trey McBride is a favorite for many fantasy owners this year for a breakout season. He had a huge finish to last year and is shooting up draft boards. We wouldn’t avoid him come draft day because he has the fourth toughest fantasy playoff schedule. It is a little bit of a concern, but not a huge red flag for the talented tight end. Maybe just prepare for his numbers to dip a tad during the playoffs.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at [email protected]. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

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Player Notes
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Ricky Pearsall

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) will open training camp on the non-football injury list. Pearsall has a hamstring injury, and while the severity of the issue remains unclear, general manager John Lynch expects Pearsall to miss the first week of camp practices. Last year, the 23-year-old wideout caught 65 of his 90 targets for 965 yards and four touchdowns across 12 games at Florida and was chosen by the Niners with the No. 31 pick in the draft this spring. Although hamstring issues always have a chance to linger, Pearsall's fantasy stock still hangs in the balance with star receiver Brandon Aiyuk still having an outstanding trade request out of San Francisco. Pearsall remains in play as a late-round flier and still has plenty of time to get fully healthy for preseason action, which doesn't begin until Aug. 10 against the hosting Tennessee Titans.

From RotoBaller

Greg Dulcich Jul 23 1:30pm CT
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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton says that tight end Greg Dulcich (hamstring, foot) is expected to practice this week. After being limited to two appearances for the Broncos in his second season due to hamstring and foot injuries a year ago, Dulcich is aiming to enter the 2024 campaign with a cleaner bill of health. The 24-year-old former third-round pick begins the season as a post-hype sleeper in deep fantasy leagues after racking up 411 yards with two touchdowns on 33 catches (55 targets) over 10 games back in his rookie year in 2022, but he'll need to stay healthy and will also still be contending with Adam Trautman for looks in Denver's uninspiring offense, which has plenty of uncertainty under center. For the start of training camp, Dulcich is off the radar in shallow redraft formats but could emerge as a TE2 option with strong showings in camp and the preseason.

From RotoBaller

Brandon Aiyuk Jul 23 1:00pm CT
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San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is reporting to training camp this week, according to sources, despite his desires for a new long-term contract extension. The 49ers have not held extensive contract talks with him since May, and because of that, Aiyuk has formally requested a trade. As of the start of training camps this week, a trade of Aiyuk isn't close at all, but that could change once practices get underway and players start going down with injuries. If Aiyuk is eventually dealt before the start of the 2024 regular season, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings and rookie first rounder Ricky Pearsall would be locked into starting three-wide sets in San Fran. If no trade happens, Aiyuk will be set to play out the 2024 campaign on his fifth-year option after posting his second straight 1,000-yard receiving season last year. He's a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 in the Bay Area in fantasy if he sticks around.

From RotoBaller

Jayden Daniels Jul 23 12:40pm CT
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Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said that rookie first-round quarterback Jayden Daniels and veteran Marcus Mariota will split time with the first-team offense early in training camp. "When he's ready, we'll know," Quinn said of Daniels. Daniels, the second overall pick in April's NFL draft out of LSU, saw most of the starting work in offseason practices and is fully expected to be the starter under center in D.C. to begin his rookie season in Week 1, but the Commanders aren't forcing anything early in training camp. The Commanders naming the 23-year-old as the starter is expected to become a formality sooner than later. Daniels' dual-threat ability and a strong supporting cast in Washington give him plenty of immediate upside in fantasy, both in single-year and dynasty/keeper formats.

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Brandon Aiyuk Jul 23 12:40pm CT
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Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters said it remains unlikely that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will end up in Washington. Aiyuk formally requested a trade recently because of his frustration with the progress of contract-extension negotiations and posted a still photograph of a Commanders practice on social media this week. There are plenty of concerns about the Commanders' depth at the receiver position behind Terry McLaurin, but it doesn't sound like they are considering trading for the 26-year-old former first-rounder as the 2024 regular season approaches. The most likely scenario is that Aiyuk plays out his fifth-year option in San Fran and becomes a highly-coveted free agent next March. Aiyuk is a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 in 2024 after posting his second straight 1,000-yard season with seven TDs in 2023.

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Tyson Campbell Jul 23 12:30pm CT
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The Jacksonville Jaguars signed cornerback Tyson Campbell to a four-year, $76.5 million contract extension on Tuesday. The 24-year-old arrived in Jacksonville as the 33rd overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft out of Georgia, and he's been a starter in all three of his years in the league. He missed six games with a hamstring injury in 2023, but the Jaguars think he's going to be healthy moving forward and a big part of their secondary in 2024. In his first three seasons in the NFL, Campbell has totaled 203 tackles (145 solo), six tackles for loss, six interceptions, 30 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown, in 43 games (42 starts). Three of his interceptions came in his second year in the league in 2022.

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Jacoby Brissett Jul 23 12:20pm CT
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When asked about the team's quarterback competition at the start of training camp, New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said, "Coming out of spring, I think it's clear Jacoby Brissett is the most pro-ready guy we have." Even though the Patriots selected Drake Maye with the third overall pick in April's NFL draft, the expectation all along was that Brissett, a 31-year-old veteran, would open the 2024 regular season as the starter under center while Maye sits and learns on the sidelines. "I don't think there's any doubt," Mayo went on to say when asked if Brissett was the starting QB for training camp. Maye will probably end up playing later on in his first NFL season, but early on it will be Brissett leading an offense without many playmakers. With limited weapons in the passing game and a shaky offensive line, Brissett is a desperation QB2 in superflex leagues in 2024.

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Deneric Prince Jul 23 12:20pm CT
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MarShawn Lloyd Jul 23 12:10pm CT
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Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said he didn't think rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd (hip) would be out too long to open training camp but that he probably would miss the next couple of days. Lloyd is sitting out of practices at the start of camp due to a mild hip injury. It's not ideal for the 23-year-old third-rounder as he tries to learn a new offense and adjust to the speed of the NFL, but as long as he returns soon, it shouldn't be a big issue. Josh Jacobs is the team's clear lead back entering the 2024 campaign, but Lloyd has a real chance to leapfrog AJ Dillon on the RB depth chart as the primary backfield complement to Jacobs. As long as Lloyd's ball-security issues don't resurface early on, he could become a valuable handcuff for fantasy managers that draft Jacobs early on.

From RotoBaller

AJ Dillon Jul 23 12:10pm CT
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From RotoBaller

Matt Judon Jul 23 10:53am CT
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New England Patriots LB Matt Judon and DT Davon Godchaux were among the entire Patriots roster that reported to camp Tuesday, July 23.

From TheHuddle

Marquise Brown Jul 23 9:42am CT
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Kansas City Chiefs WR Marquise Brown is a possible candidate to be a punt returner this season, according to head coach Andy Reid.

Jacoby Brissett Jul 23 9:33am CT
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New England Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett is the 'most pro-ready guy we have,' according to head coach Jerod Mayo.

Fantasy Spin: Brissett is the favorite to start over first-round pick Drake Maye for now. It's early, and Maye figures to take over at some point. Both are QB2s in fantasy, but Maye is the more attractive fantasy option.

From TheHuddle

Chop Robinson Jul 23 8:50am CT
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Haason Reddick Jul 23 8:40am CT
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New York Jets pass rusher Haason Reddick will continue to hold out as training camp gets underway, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Reddick skipped minicamp and continues to take a firm stance on his contract status with the regular season just six weeks away. The Jets acquired Reddick from the Eagles this offseason, hoping to benefit from a player who demonstrates availability and dominance. (He registered 11 sacks last year and has never missed a game throughout seven seasons.) While he seeks a new contract with just one year remaining on his current deal, we recently heard that the team is not expected to give him a new deal. It's unclear just how long this holdout will continue, but the two sides are clearly at an impasse as training camp gets underway across the NFL.

From RotoBaller

Aaron Rodgers Jul 23 8:40am CT
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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) officially reported to training camp on Tuesday morning, according to a photo posted on the team's official X account. Rodgers had previously skipped minicamp and was subsequently fined, but he's back at the Jets' facilities as training camp gets underway across the NFL. Rodgers is looking to make a big impact in 2024 after suffering a torn Achilles during his first game with the Jets last year. Fantasy managers who believe Rodgers can get back on track might salivate at his current ADP of 133, which makes him the 20th quarterback off the board in redraft leagues. The Jets have struggled with quarterback play in recent years, but pairing Rodgers with a talented group of weapons such as Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall might just be the recipe for success.

From RotoBaller

Haason Reddick Jul 23 8:33am CT
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New York Jets LB Haason Reddick isn't expected to report to training camp. Reddick is due $14.25 million in the final year of his deal after the Jets traded for him in March, and he's seeking an extension. Reddick is subject to $50,000 per-day fines for each absence.

From TheHuddle

Matthew Stafford Jul 23 8:30am CT
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was not among the many players who reported to training camp on Monday night, according to Cameron DaSilva of The Rams Wire. While we don't have an official word on Stafford's absence, it's likely related to his ongoing contract impasse with the Rams. Stafford, who still has three years left on his existing deal, reportedly wants to restructure his contract so that he gets more guaranteed money and possibly a pay raise, too. Oftentimes, these impasses get resolved during the summer months (or the player gives in and tables discussions until the following offseason). However, that's not always the case, and Stafford's veteran status could prompt him to take a firmer stance on the whole ordeal. His presence (or lack thereof) will be a storyline that fantasy managers should continue to monitor as the 2024 season inches closer. For now, Stafford has an ADP of 121 in redraft leagues, making him the 19th quarterback off the board in drafts. He was the overall QB15 last year after tossing for 3,965 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

From RotoBaller

Nyheim Hines Jul 23 8:20am CT
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Cleveland Browns running back Nyheim Hines (knee) is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered during a jet ski accident last summer, but the team believes he could compete to be their third-down back and primary kick returner if healthy, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Specifically, Jackson notes that Hines could compete with Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman for the backup role if Nick Chubb (knee) is cleared for Week 1, but that would put Chubb well ahead of schedule. If Chubb needs more time to recover, Ford would likely handle early downs while Hines rotates in on third down. Hines specialized as both a returner and pass-catcher during his first four years in the league with the Indianapolis Colts, ultimately catching 103 passes for 792 yards and four touchdowns between 2020 and 2021. He played more of a special teams role after being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2022 but did still show an ability to catch passes. Despite this new optimism about Hines' recovery and role for the upcoming season, he's still not a very intriguing name in fantasy football leagues. His ceiling is the backup role with pass-catching upside, but his floor is likely No. 4 on the depth chart (and a heavy dose of special teams snaps) once Chubb returns. This uncertainty keeps him off the fantasy radar in most redraft leagues, where he currently sports an ADP of 526 (134th among running backs).

From RotoBaller

Emmanuel Ogbah Jul 23 8:13am CT
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Free-agent DE Emmanuel Ogbah (Dolphins) agreed to an undisclosed deal with the Miami Dolphins Tuesday, July 23.

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