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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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Dalton Schultz Sep 25 11:40pm CT
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Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (ankle) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, according to the team's PR department. It's worth noting that the lingering ankle issue impacted Schultz's practice status last week, too, but that didn't stop him from playing a season-high 96 percent of snaps on Sunday afternoon. He now has a modest seven catches, 48 yards, and zero touchdowns through three games this season. His reduced productivity could be the result of an offense that has become even more crowded following the offseason addition of Stefon Diggs. For now, Schultz is a mid-to-low fantasy TE2.

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Tyler Badie Sep 25 11:30pm CT
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The Denver Broncos have signed running back Tyler Badie to their 53-man roster, according to Mike Klis of 9News. Badie, a third-year player out of the University of Missouri, had earned back-to-back elevations from the practice squad for Weeks 2 and 3. Now, after rushing nine times for 70 yards in last Sunday's contest, the 24-year-old has officially graduated from the practice squad to the active roster. He still figures to operate behind Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin, but given that both of those backs have struggled with efficiency and production this year, there could be some extra opportunities for Badie to prove himself within the next few weeks. He lacks fantasy appeal at the moment but remains a player to monitor.

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Hunter Henry Sep 25 11:30pm CT
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New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (ankle) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, according to Mark Daniels of MassLive. The veteran has been inconsistent in fantasy football this season, catching eight passes for 109 yards in Week 2 but then disappearing for just two catches and nine yards in Week 3. His fantasy value directly correlates to the state of the Patriots' offense, which isn't very good right now. New England's unfavorable offensive outlook makes all of their skill players, including Henry, tough to trust from a fantasy football perspective. On the injury front, the good news is that players who are limited on Wednesday have a solid chance to practice in full before the practice week ends. We should know more about Henry's status by Friday afternoon, but as of now, he's trending toward playing against the San Francisco 49ers.

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Taysom Hill Sep 25 11:20pm CT
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Khalil Shakir Sep 25 11:20pm CT
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Andy Dalton Sep 25 9:20pm CT
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Dameon Pierce Sep 25 9:00pm CT
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Adam Thielen Sep 25 8:30pm CT
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Sam Darnold Sep 25 8:20pm CT
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Evan Engram Sep 25 7:40pm CT
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Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (hamstring) missed the first practice of the week on Wednesday. Engram injured his hamstring during pre-game warmups in the Week 2 loss to the Cleveland Browns and also missed the Monday night beatdown at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in Week 3. He is going to need to get back on the practice field in some fashion over the next couple of days to at least give himself a chance to suit up this Sunday versus the division-rival Houston Texans as the Jags seek their first win of the season. With Engram out the last two games, Brenton Strange has caught five of his 11 targets for 77 yards and one touchdown, putting him on the map as a TE2 streamer for fantasy managers if Engram misses a third straight game in Week 4. Engram caught just one pass for five yards in Week 1, so he's been a disappointment so far in 2024.

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Gabriel Davis Sep 25 7:40pm CT
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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis (shoulder) was listed as a limited participant in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. Davis is dealing with what seems to be a minor shoulder injury after he played 76% of the offensive snaps in the team's Week 3 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night. Unless he has a setback with his shoulder in practice later this week, he should be active for the Week 4 tilt against the division-rival Houston Texans. The 25-year-old former fourth-round pick by the Bills in 2020 out of Central Florida has been inefficient so far through three games in his first year in Jacksonville. Davis has caught just half of his 16 targets for 123 yards and currently carries a career-low 15.4 yards per catch in what has been a Jaguars offense that just hasn't figure it out yet. He caught two of six targets for a season-low 18 yards on Monday night.

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Nick Chubb Sep 25 7:30pm CT
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When asked if Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (knee) will be designated to return to practice from Injured Reserve next week, head coach Kevin Stefanski said, "We'll see when we get to next week. He's doing well." Chubb opened the year on IR after needing two surgeries to fix a torn ACL and MCL in his knee after a gruesome injury early in 2023. It's anyone's guess as to when the 28-year-old will be able to return this year. It would be nice to see Chubb back at practice next week, but it wouldn't guarantee his return in Week 5 versus the Washington Commanders. When Chubb is finally ready to make his 2024 debut, it's likely that the Browns will ease him in alongside Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman. Chubb, a four-time Pro Bowler heading into last year, has a career 5.3 yard-per-carry average and deserves to be stashed in all fantasy leagues.

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Ja'Whaun Bentley Sep 25 7:23pm CT
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New England Patriots LB Ja'Whaun Bentley (pectoral) was placed on the Reserve/Injured list Wednesday, Sept. 25.

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Amari Cooper Sep 25 7:20pm CT
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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper wasn't included on the team's first injury report of the week after practicing in full on Wednesday. Cooper appeared to injure his hip on the final play of the Week 3 loss to the New York Giants but appears fine heading into a Week 4 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders on the road. The 30-year-old veteran needs to be locked into all starting fantasy lineups this week against a Raiders defense that was just picked apart by Carolina Panthers veteran quarterback Andy Dalton. Cooper had only five catches for 27 yards in the first two weeks of 2024 before breaking out for seven receptions (12 targets) for 86 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to the G-Men. Despite the Browns offense looking lackluster so far, there's no question that Cooper remains quarterback Deshaun Watson's top target.

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Cooper Kupp Sep 25 7:13pm CT
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Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp (ankle) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Sept. 25. TE Davis Allen (back) was limited during practice, while OG Logan Bruss (finger) fully participated in practice.

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