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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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Joe Burrow Oct 4 11:50pm CT
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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
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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

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Tyrone Tracy Jr. Oct 4 10:30pm CT
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Daniel Jones Oct 4 10:20pm CT
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Courtland Sutton Oct 4 9:50pm CT
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Tommy Tremble Oct 4 9:10pm CT
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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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Xavier Legette Oct 4 8:50pm CT
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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette will face off against a tough Chicago Bears defense in a road matchup this coming Sunday. The rookie wideout saw his usage tick up last week with the team down wide receiver Adam Thielen (hamstring) after he was placed on injured reserve. Legette responded with the best production of his young career, hauling in 6-of-10 targets for 66 yards and a touchdown en route to a WR13 finish in PPR leagues. Those totals were all good for second on the team. The first-round pick and the rest of Carolina's offense have benefitted from the switch to veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, and he should continue to return solid value while his role remains elevated in the offense. The Bears' defense presents as a more staunch challenge this week, but the South Carolina product projects as a sneaky low-end WR3/FLEX option for the matchup. Legette is RotoBaller's PPR WR36 in this week's rankings.

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Jaleel McLaughlin Oct 4 8:40pm CT
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Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin does have a plus matchup in Week 5 against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders, a defense that is allowing the eighth-most half-PPR fantasy points to RBs through four weeks in 2024. That's about where the positives end for McLaughlin, though, coming into this game. He's the No. 2 back behind Javonte Williams, is averaging a lackluster 3.2 yards per carry and is in an offense that has averaged just over 100 yards rushing per game. McLaughlin did have 5.1 yards per carry and 46 yards on nine carries in the Week 4 win over the Jets and found the end zone in Week 3 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He checks in as the RB50 in half-PPR scoring and also ranks 45th in carries (27) and 47th in passing targets (seven). McLaughlin has a better matchup this week, but Denver's low-scoring offense hasn't been able to support one fantasy RB, let alone two.

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Chuba Hubbard Oct 4 8:30pm CT
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Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard has a favorable matchup this Sunday when the team takes on the Chicago Bears in Week 5. Hubbard is coming off two stellar performances in which he recorded 100-yard games on the ground and caught at least four passes while scoring a touchdown. It's back-to-back superb efforts for the fourth-year RB, who has his arrow pointing up with quarterback Andy Dalton remaining under center. The former fourth-round pick will eventually see less work out of the backfield with the looming activation of rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee). However, he's a locked-in RB2 with upside while he has a stranglehold on the Panthers' lead-back duties. Chicago's defense hasn't allowed many points this season, but they're letting up 4.5 yards per carry, and opposing offenses have scored five times on the ground against them -- the sixth-most in the league. Hubbard is RotoBaller's PPR RB11 in this week's rankings.

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Javonte Williams Oct 4 8:20pm CT
Javonte Williams

Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams has the opportunity to get his season kickstarted in a matchup this Sunday at home against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5. The Raiders defense is allowing the eighth-most half-PPR fantasy points to RBs through four weeks, also giving up 137.5 rushing yards per game (ninth-most). Now the question is whether the 24-year-old can exploit the matchup, but maybe more so, can the Broncos' offense be more consistent in sustaining drives? Williams hasn't been great -- he's the RB41 in half-PPR scoring -- and is averaging a career-low 3.2 yards per carry. He also has yet to find the end zone. But he did have his most efficient game last week (16 carries for 77 yards) against the Jets and could be facing a Raiders defense without Maxx Crosby (ankle). Although the upside remains on the low end in Denver's low-scoring offense, Williams has RB2 upside this week.

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Andy Dalton Oct 4 8:20pm CT
Andy Dalton

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton will have low-end streaming appeal in Week 5 when the team takes to the road to face the Chicago Bears. It's been two weeks since the 36-year-old took over for Bryce Young as the Panthers' signal-caller, and the transition has paid off thus far for the team's offensive outlook. Dalton has racked up 539 yards and five touchdowns over that time frame while completing 65.4% of his passes (51-of-78). He and Carolina's skill players will have a more challenging task Sunday against a Bears defense, allowing the eighth-fewest points per game in the league through the season's first month (18.8). Still, the former second-round pick is performing well and has the Panthers offense looking far better off than the first two weeks. This will be his most difficult matchup to date, but Dalton has earned weekly lineup consideration in multi-quarterback formats and a longer look than usual, considering the start of bye weeks. He's RotoBaller's QB19 this week.

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Bo Nix Oct 4 8:10pm CT
Bo Nix

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix will hope to end the franchise's long losing streak in Week 5 on Sunday at home against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders. Nix comes into this game as the QB23 in overall fantasy points through his first four NFL games. The 12th overall pick out of Oregon has completed only 60.1% of his passes for 660 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, adding two touchdowns on the ground. It's safe to say he's struggled early on, but to be fair, it's not like he has great weapons around him in Denver. The 24-year-old threw for just 60 yards and his first NFL TD in the 10-9, Week 4 upset over the New York Jets. The Raiders defense (possibly without Maxx Crosby) presents a softer matchup at home, but fantasy managers should already know not to expect too much for the young signal-caller. Nix should be considered a low-end QB2 in superflex leagues against a Raiders D that ranks 18th in fantasy points allowed to QBs per week through four games.

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Travis Etienne Oct 4 8:10pm CT
Travis Etienne

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. has a chance to have a great week in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts. Etienne Jr. was limited in practice all week, but fortunately will enter Sunday's game without an injury tag. While the Colts are better against the run than the pass, they aren't great against either. Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor may both be out for the Colts offense, meaning the Jaguars have a great chance to earn their first win of the season. That means more time spent leading and more running the ball. The main thing that has limited Etienne Jr.'s upside has been less volume than expected. It's hard to get a lot of carries for a team always playing from behind, but that could change on Sunday. Tank Bigsby has been good in limited touches, so he could continue to eat into Etienne Jr.'s workload. However, in a good matchup with potential for more volume, Etienne Jr. should be viewed as an RB2 with RB1 upside in Week 5.

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Evan Engram Oct 4 8:00pm CT
Evan Engram

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram is officially questionable heading into Sunday's matchup with the Indianapolis Colts after limited participation in practice all week. The star tight end hasn't played since Week 1, and the Jaguars offense has suffered without him. Brenton Strange has been a solid replacement but hasn't come close to the production Engram was expected to provide entering the season. While the former New York Giant had only one catch in Week 1, fantasy managers should be happy to start him if he returns from injury. His upside is higher than most alternative tight ends, which is all fantasy managers can really rely on at the position so far this season. Engram will have to compete with Christian Kirk and Brian Thomas Jr. for targets, but his red zone threat is something the team sorely lacks without him. The offense has steadily improved week-to-week, meaning Week 5 against a poor Colts pass defense could be the perfect week for Engram to return from injury with a bang.

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Trevor Lawrence Oct 4 7:50pm CT
Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence should be upgraded this week in a great matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are one of the worst defenses in the NFL against the pass this season, so if Lawrence were to have a breakout game, this would be the game to do it. The former first overall pick has not been reliable to start the season, but the offense does seem to be improving, albeit slowly. Lawrence finally tossed multiple touchdowns last week, one to Christian Kirk and one to Brian Thomas Jr. There's a great chance he has another multi-touchdown effort this week, especially if star tight end Evan Engram returns from injury. The Colts will be without Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor on the offensive side, so it's possible the Jaguars will be playing ahead for the first time all season, meaning more runs than passes. Still, Lawrence should be viewed as a QB2 with QB1 upside in Week 5.

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Rhamondre Stevenson Oct 4 7:30pm CT
Rhamondre Stevenson

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo revealed on Friday that running back Rhamondre Stevenson won't make the start in Week 5 this Sunday against the division-rival Miami Dolphins. "Had a conversation with Rhamondre [Stevenson] and he won't be starting I'll be upfront and transparent. But he will play. And he understands he has to protect the football going forward," Mayo said. The head coach said earlier this week that he'd consider starting Antonio Gibson over Stevenson this week, and it looks like that will happen. Stevenson has had trouble hanging onto the football (four fumbles) while averaging 4.1 yards per carry on 65 rushing attempts. Gibson has been more efficient, averaging a career-best 5.3 yards per tote on just 29 carries. Stevenson should still be involved on Sunday, but now he'll be an even lower upside RB3/flex for fantasy managers.

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