Strength of schedule (SOS) is a differentiator when choosing between players. A great SOS can help elevate your roster to victories while picking a player in a bad situation can sink you every week. Today, we continue our SOS series with the tight end position. You’ll see some teams with two players and some teams with one. We will only be working with players who have a chance to produce significant fantasy stats for your team.
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Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule: TE Edition
We need to ask one question before we start the article and break down all 32 teams’ rankings and their fantasy analysis attached to the ranking.
What is Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule?
What exactly is the SOS?
FantasyPros explains SOS as each team’s strength of schedule (SOS) displays the relative ease or difficulty of their matchups for the season. This is based on each opponent’s fantasy points allowed to a position, adjusted for strength of schedule. Favorable matchups receive better matchup star ratings.
Now, let’s break down each level of our SOS while I provide some analysis to help you navigate their average draft position (ADP) with the SOS and make the perfect, informed decision on more than 40 tight ends.
Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule: Five Stars
Arizona Cardinals
There is only one team with a perfect SOS in 2024. That team is the Arizona Cardinals. Trey Mcbride has an ADP of 43 and can be a strong candidate within that time frame of your draft to elevate your team. Whenever you have an athletic tight end who is a top-three option in their offense, you must consider them for your fantasy team.
Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule: Four Stars
Las Vegas Raiders
Brock Bowers + Michael Mayer (TE – LV)
Although Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer have a strong SOS, they play within a run-first offense with below-average quarterback play. Bowers has an ADP of 103 and can sink your fantasy team, while Mayer is a waiver wire candidate who will waste space on your team. It would be best if you faded Raiders tight ends this year.
New Orleans Saints
Juwan Johnson + Taysom Hill (TE – NO)
Juwan Johnson just suffered an injury that will allow Swiss Army Knife Taysom Hill to catapult up the ADP charts from 157. Reports state Hill is maximizing his mini-camp as a running back and tight end. If your league allows Taysom Hill to play in the TE slot, draft him and use the cheat code every week to win.
Philadelphia Eagles
With new OC Kellen Moore, Dallas Goedert can elevate his draft stock and produce for you in fantasy football this year. Kellen Moore loves to scheme for his tight end, and Dallas Goedert is a top-three option in a condensed but potent offense. At 113th overall, Goedert can provide a solid floor with boom weeks.
New York Giants
Daniel Bellinger + Theo Johnson (TE – NYG)
Darren Waller has retired. Theo Johnson is athletic but needs to learn the position to elevate his snap percentage. Daniel Bellinger is a last-pick dart throw that can elevate your team like pre-breakout Mark Andrews.
San Francisco 49ers
George Kittle will always provide boom weeks, especially with his SOS. However, at 74th overall, the price is too expensive to put him on my team. Whenever Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel are healthy, they all cannibalize each other’s target share opportunities. If someone is traded or goes down with an injury, we can elevate George Kittle.
Tennessee Titans
Even with a strong SOS, we should fade Chigoziem Okonkwo this season. The Titans added Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard to an offense with DeAndre Hopkins and Tyjae Spears. For Okonkwo to matter this season, more targets must go to him.
Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule: Three Stars
Green Bay Packers
Luke Musgrave + Tucker Kraft (TE – GB)
I love Luke Musgrave and believe his low ADP is due to his injuries last season. With that said, I may avoid him and Tucker Kraft. This team has so many options to catch the ball that finding the right player may be problematic.
Carolina Panthers
In our last article about SOS and wide receivers, we just proved that the Panthers have the best WR SOS. With rookie tight ends needing time to learn the position, you may want to fade Sanders until he becomes a crucial cog in the offensive scheme.
Chicago Bears
Cole Kmet + Gerald Everett (TE – CHI)
There are too many hands in the cookie jar in Chicago. It will be tough for Cole Kmet or Gerald Everett to truly take over and elevate your tight end position, with Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and D’Andre Swift all ahead of them on the chart of importance.
Kansas City Chiefs
Travis Kelce has a reasonable ADP of 34. He is Patrick Mahomes‘ favorite target but is a mismatch on the field. Sure, he is aging, but don’t let that scare you away from the true WR1 in Kansas City.
New England Patriots
Hunter Henry recorded six touchdowns last season and could be a safety net for rookie Drake Maye. Just be careful; even though you can draft him 165th overall, he has a slew of rookie wide receivers to face off against that can eat into his target share.
Cleveland Browns
We are in the post-breakout David Njoku era. Yet, we can draft him 95th overall. He is an athletic tight end and a top-two option in Cleveland’s offense. Be bold and draft Njoku this season.
Atlanta Falcons
Is this the year Kyle Pitts will take over the game? He has Kirk Cousins, but you must draft him around his ADP (61) to use him. Once again, we have an athletic tight end who is a top-two point in the passing game; I’ll take one more swing on Pitts this year.
New York Jets
Drafting an Aaron Rodgers tight end is drafting for a floor play. They never overproduce; you will only see the ball if you are his favorite. I am not leaning on Conklin, even if he is a waiver wire selection.
Indianapolis Colts
An extremely athletic tight end is fighting to become a top option in this offense, but should you draft him? You can pick him off the waiver wire, but Jelani Woods profiles better as a DFS play than a redraft selection.
Detroit Lions
Sam Laporta is a monster at the tight end position. He is our consensus TE1. However, drafting him at 25 overall is risky when I could have Travis Kelce a round later. Because of his ADP alone, I will have Sam Laporta on a few teams.
Baltimore Ravens
Mark Andrews + Isaiah Likely (TE – BAL)
Mark Andrews is 48th overall and Isaiah Likely is 187th overall. Andrews is an athletic tight end who is the WR1 for league MVP Lamar Jackson. Likely dominates only in the absence of Andrews. Draft accordingly, but Andrews in the fourth has a chance to elevate your roster.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Most people do not realize that Evan Engram was the TE2 last season. We have an athletic tight end who is the 1A option in this passing offense. Draft him with comfort at his 71st overall ADP.
Seattle Seahawks
Noah Fant is a dart throw in a new offense. However, the Seahawks paid him to stick around, and Fant has the athletic ability near the top of the league for tight ends. He is a last-round pick, and if it doesn’t work in the first few weeks, drop him for the new shiny object on the waiver wire.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cade Otton is a snap share king on the field for 97%+ of the game. He never produces Travis Kelce numbers but he is a good fill-in for bye weeks.
Pittsburgh Steelers
With Pat Freiermuth entering an Arthur Smith offense we have a chance for an outlier season in Pittsburgh. As a top-two option in the offense, Freiermuth can dominate in targets and receptions to elevate your roster.
Los Angeles Rams
Tyler Higbee + Colby Parkinson (TE – LAR)
Tyler Higbee dealt with a gruesome injury to end last season and the Rams signed Colby Parkinson to a solid contract this offseason. Parkinson would be a last-pick dart throw to get a piece of the Rams’ high-flying offense.
Los Angeles Chargers
Donald Parham + Hayden Hurst (TE – LAC)
The offense will be run first, and neither player has proven to take over a game. Don’t waste your time here; move on.
Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule: Two Stars
Miami Dolphins
It’s a potent offense, but will Jonnu Smith see the target share that can matter for fantasy football? Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane will be schemed for; Smith may be a fun bye-week replacement but isn’t worth drafting.
Minnesota Vikings
T.J. Hockenson + Johnny Mundt (TE – MIN)
If T.J. Hockenson were healthy, this would be a slam-dunk pick. However, the odds of him returning to form to start the season are small. Make him a trade candidate mid-season, but you should pass on these two while they face an average SOS.
Washington Commanders
Ben Sinnott + Zach Ertz (TE – WAS)
Ben Sinnott is attractive due to his draft stock in the second round. At his ADP (191), he is a late-round selection. The issue with Ben Sinnott is Zach Ertz is a dependable veteran who will eat into his snap share. Be careful and tread lightly.
Denver Broncos
Greg Dulcich has a chance to become a significant part of the Denver Broncos offense with the departure of Jerry Jeudy. However, his most significant issue is availability, as he is always injured. With his tough SOS and injury-prone body, you may want to reserve him for DFS only.
Houston Texans
Dalton Schultz faces a tough SOS this season and will be, at best, the fifth option behind the stellar wide receiver core and Joe Mixon. My love for Schultz as a player will always be there, but for fantasy, you are better off elsewhere.
Dallas Cowboys
Jake Ferguson + Luke Schoonmaker (TE – DAL)
Tight ends with Dak Prescott always seem to flourish. With that in mind, Jake Ferguson needs to be on our radar. Don’t forget Luke Schoonmaker, though, as he brings a 94th percentile agility score and a 91st percentile catch radius. Schoonmaker can be a sneaky last-round draft selection for your fantasy team.
Buffalo Bills
Dalton Kincaid + Dawson Knox (TE – BUF)
Dalton Kincaid is slotted as the 52nd overall pick, but his SOS is not favorable. However, he is an athletic tight end who should be Josh Allen‘s new No. 1 target. It may be arduous if you are looking for explosive games regarding yards and touchdowns. However, you may see a season like Evan Engram, who dominated in receptions last year.
As for Dawson Knox, he is a sneaky waiver-wire selection who will be touchdown-dependent. With this SOS tied to a lower usage within the offense, Knox may be a best ball/DFS play only.
Fitz’s Fantasy Football Draft Primers
- Quarterback Fantasy Football Draft Primer
- Running Back Fantasy Football Draft Primer
- Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Draft Primer
- Tight End Fantasy Football Draft Primer
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