With the fantasy football season just around the corner, it means players are in the midst, or preparing for their respective drafts. Chances are you’ll need to fill that tight end spot one way or another, and outside of a handful of elite options, viable tight ends are slim pickings. It can be even more difficult when accounting for their respective strength of schedules, as a tough slate can cap any semblance of fantasy upside.
Luckily, we’re here to provide some insight ahead of your draft. Here are the fantasy tight ends with the toughest schedules in 2023.
Worst receiving schedules
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Pitts has been one of the last few seasons’ more frustrating fantasy football conundrums. Despite possessing the skillset of an elite tight end, he was limited to 10 games last season due to injury, and in those limited appearances, he averaged just 5.9 targets per game. Looking ahead to 2023, he’ll face the division rival Saints twice on the schedule, and New Orleans just so happened to allow the fewest fantasy points per game (6.4) to his position in 2022.
Additionally, he’ll face the Packers after they allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends last season, and the Jets, who were the best against overall opposing receivers in fantasy scoring in 2022.
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
Hockenson is coming off a career-high in receiving yards, with a healthy amount coming in the aftermath of being traded to Minnesota midway through last season. Looking ahead to 2023, two games each against NFC North rivals such as the Bears and Packers will present respective tough matchups from a fantasy perspective. Chicago and Green Bay each ranked in the bottom six in points allowed to tight ends, with an average of 8.6 fantasy points per game surrendered to the position.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh may have drafted Freiermuth’s heir apparent in Darnell Washington, but the upcoming schedule for the Steelers’ tight end poses a different challenge altogether. The Steelers will of course face their AFC North rivals in the Ravens and Browns twice this season, and both happen to rank in the bottom 10 in fantasy points surrendered to tight ends.
They gave up an average of 9.6 fantasy points per game to the position, which adds another obstacle for Freiermuth as he battles for targets alongside Washington, Najee Harris, George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, and now Allen Robinson.
Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
Goedert returns to suit up for the reigning NFC Champions, and he’ll once again have a top 10 quarterback throwing him the ball in Jalen Hurts. But be sure to pencil in the following matchups against the Bills, Cowboys (twice), and 49ers. All three aforementioned teams allowed fewer than 10 fantasy points per game to the tight end position.
With an additional season of tape to scheme against this offense, you can expect opposing defenses to make Philadelphia’s job more difficult in finding the end zone.