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Dynasty $250 - FFL: Week 4 | NFL: Week 4

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
Jared Goff Sep 27 2:50pm CT
Jared Goff

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff faces a stiff test with the Seattle Seahawks defense on Monday night. The Seahawks come in with the No. 2 overall defense and No. 1 pass defense in the NFL through three weeks. At the same time, Goff represents the best quarterback the Seahawks will have faced after matching up with Denver's rookie Bo Nix, New England's Jacoby Brissett, and Miami's Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle. Seattle boasts a strong secondary and Goff has yet to break out through three weeks of this season. Expect a run-heavy focus for the Lions' offense on Monday night with Goff attempting to get the ball to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams whenever possible against Seattle's tough corners in Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen. Goff profiles as a mid-range QB2 in this matchup with better options available.

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Nico Collins Sep 27 2:40pm CT
Nico Collins

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) popped up on the Week 4 injury report on Thursday and was limited in practice the last two days, but he says he's good to go on Sunday against the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars. It's good news for Houston's offense with fellow wideout Tank Dell (chest) unlikely to play after missing practice all week. Mid-week additions to the injury report usually aren't a good sign, but the fact that Collins practice on Thursday and Friday give him a good shot to play in Week 4 and see his typical amount of snaps. And with Dell unlikely to play, both Collins and Stefon Diggs have higher ceilings and floors against a Jaguars defense that was torched by the Buffalo Bills in Week 3. Collins, who leads the league through three weeks with 112.7 yards per game, should be locked in as a high-end WR1 this weekend.

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Anthony Richardson Sep 27 2:30pm CT
Anthony Richardson

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (groin) missed practice all week and has officially been ruled out for the Week 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts. Highsmith injured his groin in the Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers and will miss at least one game. The good news is the 27-year-old is not expected to need surgery, but he could still very well miss multiple games moving forward. Fantasy managers in IDP leagues obviously need to bench Highsmith this week and keep him stashed on the bench until further notice. The impressive Nick Herbig should step into a starting spot in the middle of Pittsburgh's defense on Sunday against the Colts. Even with Highsmith out of action this weekend, the swarming Steelers defense/special teams unit should still be considered a top-five fantasy play against struggling Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.

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Jordan Love Sep 27 2:30pm CT
Jordan Love

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (knee) was listed as limited for a third straight practice this week on Friday. "Any time he's out there, it's encouraging," head coach Matt LaFleur said. Fantasy managers need to check back soon for Love's official designation heading into Sunday's divisional clash against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. LaFleur won't say one way or another if he knows what Love's availability will be on Sunday. Love is trending toward being a game-time decision, but the good news is fantasy managers will know early on Sunday whether he's available or if the Packers will roll with backup Malik Willis for a third straight game. Love is attempting to return from an MCL sprain suffered in the season-opener. The 25-year-old was close to playing in the Week 3 win over the Titans, for what it's worth. Love will be a more volatile QB1 option with potentially limited mobility if he's active.

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Michael Mayer Sep 27 2:20pm CT
Michael Mayer

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (personal) has been ruled out for the Week 4 contest on Sunday against the visiting Cleveland Browns. Mayer didn't practice due to a personal matter on Thursday and now will not be with the team at all this weekend. Top receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) has also been ruled out, so Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker now figure to be quarterback Gardner Minshew II's top targets in the passing game, as well as rookie tight end Brock Bowers. Harrison Bryant should have a bigger role behind Bowers with Mayer out, but he remains off the fantasy radar. Tucker is worth consideration as a WR4/flex play in deeper fantasy leagues with Adams officially out. It's unclear how long Mayer will be away from the team. The 23-year-old former second-rounder has taken a clear back seat to Bowers and has four catches for 21 yards through three games in 2024.

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Russell Wilson Sep 27 2:20pm CT
Russell Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) was limited in practice all week and will draw yet another questionable tag for the Week 4 meeting against the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Steelers are 3-0 with Justin Fields leading the offense with his arm and legs, so the Steelers have no reason to rush Wilson back from a calf injury that he initially injured in training camp. Even when the 35-year-old veteran signal-caller is considered past his calf injury, he's likely to remain the backup in Pittsburgh as long is Fields is playing well and not turning the ball over. Fields is going to make his fourth straight start against the Colts, with Wilson most likely being inactive again. Wilson has no business being rostered in single-QB leagues at this point.

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Jordan Addison Sep 27 2:10pm CT
Jordan Addison

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (ankle) has been cleared to play in Week 4 against the division-rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field. Addison injured his ankle in the Week 1 win over the New York Giants and missed the last two games as a result. With no injury designation heading into the weekend, the 22-year-old shouldn't be in danger of seeing a limited snap count and should return to being the WR2 for quarterback Sam Darnold behind All-Pro pass-catcher Justin Jefferson. Addison only had three catches on four targets for 35 yards in Week 1, but he managed 911 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 games in his rookie season in 2023. The Packers have been middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to receivers through three weeks. Addison is once again in play as a WR3/flex, while his return hurts Jalen Nailor the most.

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Jaylen Warren Sep 27 2:10pm CT
Jaylen Warren

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (knee) has been ruled out ahead of the Week 4 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. This comes as little surprise given the fact that Warren hasn't practiced all week due to a knee injury. He underwent an MRI last week, but the team hasn't given much information surrounding the injury. Najee Harris remains a lead back in Pittsburgh and figures to see an increased workload with Warren unavailable. Also, veteran Cordarrelle Patterson will likely end up being the primary backup to Harris this weekend. Patterson probably won't see enough time on the field to warrant using in any fantasy formats.

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Deshaun Watson Sep 27 2:10pm CT
Deshaun Watson

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (ankle) will not play in the Week 4 game this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns at Allegiant Stadium, according to head coach Antonio Pierce. In addition to Crosby missing the first game of his six-year NFL career, top receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) will also be out for the Raiders as they look to bounce back from a Week 3 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Raiders pass rush is really hurting with Malcolm Koonce (knee) already on Injured Reserve. With the 27-year-old Crosby also sidelined this weekend, the Raiders will be hoping that Tyree Wilson can step up to generate some pressure on struggling quarterback Deshaun Watson. Crosby will obviously need to be benched in IDP formats, and fantasy managers should stay away from the Raiders defense/special teams unit as well.

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Davante Adams Sep 27 2:00pm CT
Davante Adams

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) has been ruled out for the upcoming Week 4 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Yikes, Adams was added to the injury report on Thursday as a limited participant due to a hamstring issue. It appears that injury was fairly serious as the team has already ruled him out for this weekend. That is going to leave a massive void to be filled, which is going to be tough given the Raiders lack of viable options. Wideout Jakobi Meyers figures to remain heavily involved and is on the WR3 radar. Also, tight end Brock Bowers has been used all over the place and is a strong TE1 without Adams on the field.

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Greg Joseph Sep 27 2:00pm CT
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The Dallas Cowboys defense had a nice bounce-back outing on Thursday evening as they did not allow a touchdown en route to defeating the New York Giants. This was a nice step in the right direction for one of the top defenses in football last season, as they served up 72 points over the past two weeks. On Thursday, they contained the New York offense when they approached the red zone as kicker Greg Joseph put all 15 points on the board himself. The Cowboys tallied one interception late in the game, courtesy of Amani Oruwariye, and one sack, thanks to edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence. However, the Cowboys could be without Micah Parsons (ankle), who suffered an ankle injury last night and had to be carted off. Nonetheless, fantasy managers should continue to view Dallas as a high-end defense heading into Week 5 when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Brandon Aubrey Sep 27 1:50pm CT
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Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey went 2-for-3 on field goal attempts and a perfect 2-for-2 on extra point attempts on Thursday evening. Aubrey made his first field goal of the evening from 60 yards out in the third quarter and later made his second from 40 yards out. His lone miss was from 51 yards that came with just 30 seconds left in the game. The Notre Dame product now enters Week 5 with a stellar 92.3% on attempts with an impressive 6-for-7 from 50+ yards out. Aubrey's longest field goal of the campaign came last week from 65 yards out, which set a new franchise record. The 29-year-old remains the top kicker in fantasy due to his incredible length strength and should always remain locked into all starting lineups.

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Rome Odunze Sep 27 1:50pm CT
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Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze (hip) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The rookie wideout popped up on the injury report on Thursday when he was limited in practice. However, he was able to get through a full session on Friday and appears to be fine heading into the weekend. Odunze finished with over 100 yards and a touchdown last week, but he could see a dip in usage going forward. Fellow wide receiver Keenan Allen (heel) was a full participant during Friday's practice and is questionable to play on Sunday. This would be Allen's first time suiting up since the season opener. He saw 11 targets in Week 1 and figures to be an important part of the offense going forward. Odunze should be in the mix as a low-end WR3 for Week 4.

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Alvin Kamara Sep 27 1:40pm CT
Alvin Kamara

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (hip, ribs) was able to get on the practice field for Friday's session. This is good news after Kamara sat out of Wednesday's practice, but has been involved each of the last two days. The fact that Kamara has practiced two days in a row should mean that he'll be fine for the Week 4 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Unless he suffers a setback, Kamara should be a must-start fantasy option for this Week 4 contest. He has 285 rushing yards and four touchdowns through the first three games of the season.

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Keenan Allen Sep 27 1:40pm CT
Keenan Allen

Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen (heel) was upgraded to a full participant during Friday's practice session. That is good news considering Allen was limited during the first two sessions of the week. Despite that, Allen was given a questionable tag ahead of the Week 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. He has a chance to get back on the field for the first time since Week 1. That being said, it wouldn't be shocking to see the Bears have Allen on a snap count this weekend. Allen saw 11 targets in the season opener, but is also battling with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze for targets on this offense. Fantasy managers should consider Allen as a flex play, assuming he's cleared to play in Week 4.

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Jalen McMillan Sep 27 1:30pm CT
Jalen McMillan

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (hamstring) picked up an injury during Friday's practice session, according to head coach Todd Bowles. His availability for Week 4 is uncertain, but it's never a good sign when a player suffers an injury this late in the week. The Bucs will likely wait and see how McMillan feels over the next few days before they make a final decision. The third-round rookie has been quiet early in the season, but could see an increased role with Mike Evans (knee) and Chris Godwin (neck) both on the injury report. McMillan will be off the fantasy radar, assuming both wideouts are available to play this Sunday.

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Micah Parsons Sep 27 1:20pm CT
Micah Parsons

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons (ankle) could end up missing some time after suffering an injury during Thursday's win over the New York Giants. The superstar pass rusher has reportedly suffered a high-ankle sprain. The organization hasn't yet given a timetable for Parsons, but it wouldn't be shocking if he does miss time. Luckily, the Cowboys do have 10 days off before they play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5. Parsons has been off to a slow start with only 14 tackles and one sack through the first four games. However, his absence would be a significant blow to this defense going forward.

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Marshawn Kneeland Sep 27 1:20pm CT
Marshawn Kneeland

Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) could be in danger of missing some time after suffering an injury during Thursday's game against the New York Giants. This is bad timing for the Cowboys with Micah Parsons (ankle) also picking up an injury during that game. The team hasn't given a timetable for Parsons, but they expect Lawrence to miss multiple weeks due to a foot injury. Not good news considering Lawrence has been a solid contributor for the Cowboys. He has 14 tackles, three sacks, and four tackles for loss through four games. Chauncey Golston or Marshawn Kneeland are next in line to see increased snaps with Lawrence likely out a few weeks.

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Diontae Johnson Sep 27 1:00pm CT
Diontae Johnson

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (groin) is listed as questionable to face the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday in Week 4. Johnson popped up on the Week 4 injury report after missing practice on Thursday, but he was able to return to the practice field on Friday, giving him a shot to play this weekend. Johnson's status looms even larger after Carolina placed fellow wideout Adam Thielen (hamstring) on Injured Reserve earlier this week. If Johnson is limited or out in Week 4, that takes out the Panthers' top two receiving options for veteran Andy Dalton. Even if Johnson suits up on Sunday, rookie Xavier Legette should be in for an expanded role, making him worth a look as a WR4/flex play in deeper fantasy leagues against a Bengals defense that isn't scaring anyone. Jonathan Mingo would serve as Carolina's No. 2 WR if Johnson isn't given the green light.

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Nico Collins Sep 27 12:40pm CT
Nico Collins

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) was seen at practice on Friday and is trending toward playing in Week 4 on Sunday versus the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars. Collins was added to the Week 4 injury report after putting in a limited practice on Thursday. Fantasy managers should check back to see what Collins' official status is for the weekend, but even if he's questionable, it appears that he's on the right side of questionable after not missing any practice time this week. The 25-year-old pass-catcher should be in all starting fantasy lineups against a porous Jags defense if he's active, especially with fellow wideout Tank Dell (chest) unlikely to play. Collins went over 100 yards receiving in each of the first two weeks despite the addition of Stefon Diggs in the offseason, and he currently leads the league with 112.7 yards per game.

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