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FFL: Week 2 | NFL: Week 2

QB Strength of Schedule

Thu May 23 11:12am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Prescott setup for big success


Using our rules for our money leagues, we came up with a schedule strength ranking for the quarterback 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 quarterbacks last season from all of their opponents to get our fantasy points allowed number. This is a good indication of the quarterbacks with the most favorable schedules for fantasy scoring for the coming season. Defenses obviously change from year to year, but knowing the quarterbacks that might have the easiest schedule for fantasy is always a good idea when formulating your rankings and draft strategy.

  QB SOS  
1. Miami Dolphins 313.6
2. Cincinnati Bengals 314.77
3. Los Angeles Chargers 317.32
4. Denver Broncos 317.38
5. Pittsburgh Steelers 320.33
6. Houston Texans 320.74
7. Buffalo Bills 321.01
8. Philadelphia Eagles 323.71
9. Kansas City Chiefs 325.08
10. Washington Commanders 325.12
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 326.4
12. Jacksonville Jaguars 328.45
13. New York Jets 329.06
14. New England Patriots 329.64
15. Cleveland Browns 330.31
16. Los Angeles Rams 330.72
17. Arizona Cardinals 331.54
18. Indianapolis Colts 331.69
19. Seattle Seahawks 332
20. Atlanta Falcons 332.73
21. Baltimore Ravens 333.05
22. San Francisco 49ers 333.05
23. Detroit Lions 334.13
24. Las Vegas Raiders 334.38
25. New York Giants 334.72
26. New Orleans Saints 336.27
27. Minnesota Vikings 337.2
28. Dallas Cowboys 339.64
29. Chicago Bears 340.70
30. Tennessee Titans 343.69
31. Carolina Panthers 345.54
32. Green Bay Packers 349.53


The Packers have the easiest fantasy schedule for quarterbacks. Jordan Love already had a breakout season last year and could take his game to an even higher level this season. Love is shaping up to be a really intriguing QB1 this season. He is a player on the rise and seems setup for even more success this year.

A couple second-year quarterbacks have really favorable schedules, Will Levis and Bryce Young. Both seem like good No. 2 fantasy quarterbacks to take a chance. Their teams did well in upgrading the talent around them this offseason and a favorable schedule bodes well for them to take some steps forward this year.

Caleb Williams was the No.1 overall pick and the Bears gave him plenty of firepower to work with in year one. Williams has a lot of good going for him this year and could be the C.J. Stroud of this year’s rookie class. And having a favorable fantasy schedule helps Williams even more.

A couple veterans with favorable schedules are Dak Prescott and Derek Carr. Prescott is the one that stands out the most. The Cowboys are lacking top options at the running back spot, so it would not surprise if the Cowboys are really pass-heavy offensively. Prescott could really rack up the numbers this year.

There are some big-name quarterbacks on the opposite side of things, having very tough fantasy schedules. Tua Tagovalioa has the toughest schedule of all. He struggled a little down the stretch last year and now has the most unfavorable schedule for any fantasy quarterback. This is a little concerning.

Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and whoever is starting in Pittsburgh, likely Russell Wilson, are other veteran quarterbacks that have a top-five unfavorable schedule for fantasy quarterbacks. Burrow is not a huge concern for us because we think they will still have success throwing the ball and he has a ton of talent around him at receiver. Herbert is a concern. The Chargers lost their top two receivers and could be a lot more run-heavy with a new coach in place. Herbert has some red flags for him this coming year, making him a bit of a risky pick for fantasy teams. Wilson is another veteran with a tough schedule. He also has Justin Fields pushing him to play, so Wilson is going to be a boom or bust fantasy pick.

We also wanted to look at playoff schedules for fantasy quarterbacks. 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 quarterbacks with the easiest playoff schedules doesn’t hurt by any means, especially in the big money contests.

  QB PLAYOFF SOS  
1. Jacksonville Jaguars 292.02
2. Houston Texans 299.33
3. New York Giants 301.93
4. Miami Dolphins 307.48
5. Los Angeles Rams 308.45
6. Detroit Lions 312.4
7. Arizona Cardinals 313.15
8. Kansas City Chiefs 313.45
9. Buffalo Bills 313.6
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 317.53
11. Cincinnati Bengals 318.03
12. Baltimore Ravens 318.25
13. Green Bay Packers 322.48
14. Indianapolis Colts 322.83
15. Pittsburgh Steelers 328.78
16. Philadelphia Eagles 331.23
17. Cleveland Browns 331.95
18. Minnesota Vikings 334.68
19. Atlanta Falcons 336.18
20. Carolina Panthers 338.62
21. Seattle Seahawks 338.65
22. Las Vegas Raiders 341.18
23. Los Angeles Chargers 341.22
24. New York Jets 344.3
25. New Orleans Saints 346.68
26. Chicago Bears 347.07
27. Tennessee Titans 348.42
28. New England Patriots 355.23
29. Denver Broncos 355.35
30. Dallas Cowboys 359.62
31. Washington Commanders 359.92
32. San Francisco 49ers 363.47


There is just a team that makes both the top-five favorable quarterback schedule for the regular season and playoffs. That team is the Cowboys. So Dak Prescott has the third easiest playoff schedule in addition to having the fifth easiest regular season schedule. Prescott was a player looking pretty good even before seeing these schedules, so you might want to bump him up a few spots in your rankings after seeing this. Prescott could be a league winner in 2024.

The 49ers actually have the easiest fantasy quarterback schedule for the playoffs. So Brock Purdy could have a great run during the fantasy playoffs. He always has a high weekly ceiling, so things are looking great for him this postseason.

Now some rookie quarterbacks round out the team of having top-five fantasy quarterback playoff schedules. Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Drake Maye are all likely starting for their teams later in the season, so they should help fantasy teams during the playoffs. They all have some question marks surrounding them but could be worth the gamble, especially if you have a dependable starter already on your roster. These rookies could make some noise late in the season.

On the opposite side of things, the Dolphins are the only team to have both a top-five unfavorable fantasy quarterback schedule for the regular season and playoffs. We already had a few concerns for Tagovalioa even before these schedules were released. And now seeing he has very challenging schedules for both the regular season and playoffs make him a player you might want to avoid come draft day.

Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars have the toughest schedule for the playoffs. Lawrence has not lived up to expectations to date. He could have his best season to date this year, but his schedule during the playoffs is concerning. Lawrence could struggle when it matters most.

C.J. Stroud is the biggest name of any quarterback with a top-five unfavorable playoff schedule. We aren’t too concerned about this because some players can rise above the challenge. Stroud is one of those players. Things will be tougher for him in year two, but he will also progress and get better. Plus, he has Stefon Diggs added to the mix, which should improve that passing game even more.

Daniel Jones is another quarterback with a challenging playoff schedule. He is another fringe draft pick to begin with, so seeing him possibly have struggles down the stretch causes more trepidation when it comes to possibly drafting him. He might be another player to just steer clear of come draft day.

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 jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

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Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 2

Player Notes
Jaylen Warren Sep 10 1:20pm ET
Jaylen Warren

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that running back Jaylen Warren (hamstring) is "healthy enough," but that it would be a "slippery slope" to say that Warren is fully healthy heading into a Week 2 road tilt against the Denver Broncos. In the Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Najee Harris handled 56% of the offensive snaps, while Warren was in on just 31% and finished with only two carries for seven yards while catching both of his targets for 13 yards in a game in which the Steelers offense didn't produce a single touchdown. The 25-year-old battled a hamstring injury throughout the preseason and doesn't appear to be fully healthy. He proved last year that he can be a productive weekly RB3/flex for fantasy managers, but in an offense now being led by quarterback Justin Fields with Russell Wilson (calf) hurt, Warren's fantasy stock is down, especially while trying to overcome a lower-body injury.

From RotoBaller

Jake Ferguson Sep 10 1:20pm ET
Jake Ferguson

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he's optimistic about tight end Jake Ferguson (knee) playing in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints. Ferguson was injured in the Week 1 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday and was diagnosed with an MCL sprain and bone bruise. For now, the 25-year-old is being called week-to-week, but if he's able to practice later this week, he could have a shot to suit up this Sunday to face the Saints. Fantasy managers need to have a backup plan in place at the position in case Ferguson is out, which is probably more likely. If Ferguson misses Week 2, Luke Schoonmaker and fullback Hunter Luepke should be more involved in Dallas' offense, although it's tough to recommend them as starting fantasy options, even in the deepest of leagues. After a Pro Bowl season in 2023 in which he had 761 receiving yards and five touchdowns, Ferguson needs to be stashed in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Justin Fields Sep 10 1:10pm ET
Justin Fields

According to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, the Steelers are "preparing as Justin Fields is our QB" ahead of their Week 2 road matchup in Denver against the Broncos this coming Sunday. All offseason, Pittsburgh's coaching staff reiterated that veteran quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) was their starter, but a calf injury suffered in training camp has resurfaced, causing him to miss the season-opening win against the Atlanta Falcons, and it's looking like he'll start the year with two straight games on the sidelines. He's not on track to start practicing again until Thursday, so Pittsburgh may play it safe and sit him out again against his former team, the Broncos. Fields, 25, didn't lead the offense to a single touchdown in the win over Atlanta, but he also didn't turn the ball over. If he makes a second straight start against Denver, he'll be in play as a QB2 in superflex leagues, but the ceiling is low in this offense.

From RotoBaller

Jordan Mason Sep 10 12:13pm ET
Jordan Mason

Dynasty | 49ers running back Jordan Mason had 147 rushing yards, one catch, five receiving yards and a touchdown in San Francisco's blowout win over the Jets. Dynasty Analysis: With Christian McCaffrey out for the game (and maybe longer), Mason dominated the Jets defense, averaging over five yards per carry and controlling the game. While he's not going to make anyone forget about McCaffrey, Mason proved he can (and will) carry the load when CMC can't play. Even more promising is the fact Mason had every single running back touch in the game for the 49ers. He's a must-start RB1 next week should McCaffrey miss another week, as expected. In fact, this performance does nothing but buy CMC time to get healthy. Plan accordingly.

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Breece Hall Sep 10 12:13pm ET
Breece Hall

Dynasty | Jets running back Breece Hall had 54 rushing yards, five catches, 39 receiving yards and a touchdown in New York's loss to the 49ers. Dynasty Analysis: Hall had little chance against a stout 49ers defense that dominated the line of scrimmage. The fact he was able to post a decent line in this one was borderline amazing. Hall will certainly be better as the season goes on and remains an elite-level RB1 despite what looks like a bit of a slow start.

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Aaron Rodgers Sep 10 12:13pm ET
Aaron Rodgers

Dynasty | Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 13-of-21 passes for 161 yards with one touchdown and one interception in New York's MNF loss to the 49ers. Dynasty Analysis: Rodgers and the offense had little chance to be successful as San Francisco carved up the Jets defense en route to a 39:21 advantage in time of possession. When the Jets did have the ball, Rodgers looked like his old self in terms of arm strength and accuracy, though he did look a little out of sorts at time. There's no need to panic as better days are surely ahead for this group. Rodgers himself is a habitual slow starter, so the story here is him simply making it through the game healthy. He remains a low-end QB1 at the moment.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Braelon Allen Sep 10 12:13pm ET
Braelon Allen

Dynasty | Jets running back Braelon Allen had eight rushing yards, one catch, and nine receiving yards in his NFL debut. Dynasty Analysis: Allen was the talk of the dynasty rookie sleeper town for the past couple of months but it's clear the Jets are going to make Breece Hall a true workhorse. Allen has immense dynasty upside and is a great rookie stash on a roster. However, early returns from him are not going to be good and dynasty managers will need to be very patient. He'd be a borderline RB1 should Hall miss time, however.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Kirk Cousins Sep 10 12:13pm ET
Kirk Cousins

Dynasty | Kirk Cousins is already under the microscope after a rough week one performance in his Atlanta debut. Dynasty Analysis: There's no need to panic here, but this is life in the NFL when a team drafts your eventual replacement. Cousins completed just 16-of-26 passes for 155 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in his Falcons debut - an ugly loss to the Steelers. This is likely due to him sitting out the entire preseason and missing most of last year after being injured, so there's no real legitimate concern. However, a few more clunker games like this and Cousins may start to be evaluated. This is simply something to keep in the back of the minds of dynasty managers as the season moves forward and Michael Penix continues to progress.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Puka Nacua Sep 10 11:29am ET
Puka Nacua

Dynasty | The Rams have placed wide receiver Puka Nacua on injured reserve. Dynasty Analysis: Uh oh. Nacua will now miss at least the next four weeks and we won't see him until week seven at the earliest after the Rams have their bye week - this means dynasty managers will be without him until at least October 20th, a brutal blow to just about any dynasty franchise this year. Cooper Kupp will soak up a massive amount of targets and dynasty managers need to plan accordingly. As for Nacua, this is a short-term issue and won't affect anything other than his short-term outlook.

Amon-Ra St. Brown Sep 10 11:28am ET
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Dynasty | Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had three catches for 13 yards in the Lions win against the Rams. Dynasty Analysis: It's just one week but it's also clear Jameson Williams is going to get more targets than last season. Still, this is likely going to be St. Brown's worst game and anyone who is getting anxious probably doesn't have the stomach for fantasy football. Stay the course. Things will get better. St. Brown is still a top-five option each week.

Chigoziem Okonkwo Sep 10 11:28am ET
Chigoziem Okonkwo

Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo caught both his targets for 15 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Chicago. Quarterback Will Levis could not get the passing game going most of the game, which led to down weeks for all Titans' pass catchers. Okonkwo was able to bail out fantasy managers with his touchdown grab, an incredibly impressive catch in the back right corner of the end zone over a defender. It was a tough day for the position overall, as Oknkwo finished as TE6 on the week heading into the Monday night game with only 9.5 PPR points. While he had a fine fantasy day because of the score, playing Okonkwo on a weekly basis is still not recommended if this passing attack can't improve considerably from Week 1. Okonkwo and the Titans offense will have their work cut out for them when the Jets travel to Nashville next week.

D.J. Reader Sep 10 10:10am ET
D.J. Reader

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is confident that defensive lineman D.J. Reader (quad) will play in Week 2. Reader has been out with a quad injury he suffered in Week 15 with the Cincinnati Bengals last season. He signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Lions in the offseason. Reader is a game-wrecker at times at defensive tackle and should only boost the Lions' excellent defense upon his return. After a solid performance against the Rams in Week 1, the Lions' D/ST could be on the rise with Reader approaching a return.

From RotoBaller

Tyrod Taylor Sep 10 10:00am ET
Tyrod Taylor

New York Jets backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor entered the game in the fourth quarter for starter Aaron Rodgers in the team's loss to San Francisco on Monday night. Taylor completed 6 of 8 passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. The veteran quarterback found Allen Lazard on a 3-yard TD connection with 25 seconds remaining in the game. If nothing else, Taylor's performance shows he is a worthy backup option for Rodgers, who is now 40 years old and coming off of a significant Achilles injury. Not much to see here fantasy-wise while Rodgers is healthy, however.

From RotoBaller

Charles Harris Sep 10 10:00am ET
Charles Harris

The Carolina Panthers are set to sign veteran defensive end Charles Harris, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Harris, a former first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins has 16.5 career sacks. Most recently, Harris recorded 1.5 sacks for the Detroit Lions last season. The Panthers are looking for a spark with Derrick Brown (meniscus) reportedly feared to have a season-ending injury. Harris could provide a veteran presence and still might have some pass-rush juice left in the tank. The Panthers D/ST should still be avoided for fantasy purposes.

From RotoBaller

Kyle Juszczyk Sep 10 9:50am ET
Kyle Juszczyk

San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk hauled in two of his three targets for 40 yards in the team's Week 1 win over the Jets. Juszczyk was on the field for 40 snaps and ran 17 routes. The versatile back made the most of his three targets in the absence of Christian McCaffrey. However, he did not see any carries out of the backfield. Despite being a fullback, Juszczyk operates as a second tight end in a lot of ways. Until he sees more targets, though, he is not a fantasy-relevant player. He's a great weapon for a loaded 49ers offense and creates mismatches on the field but he just doesn't get the volume necessary for fantasy purposes.

From RotoBaller

Charles Harris Sep 10 9:43am ET
Charles Harris

Free-agent DE Charles Harris (Lions) agreed to an undisclosed deal with the Carolina Panthers Tuesday, Sept. 10.

From TheHuddle

Braelon Allen Sep 10 9:40am ET
Braelon Allen

New York Jets backup running back Braelon Allen saw limited usage out of the Jets' backfield in the team's Week 1 loss at San Francisco. Allen carried one time for eight yards and caught his lone target for nine yards. All in all, Allen saw eight total snaps compared to 42 for starter Breece Hall. Most of Allen's time on the field came in mop-up duty and he ran seven routes on his eight snaps. The rookie from Wisconsin is just 20 years old and could see his role expand as the team gains more trust in the youngster. However, Hall is one of the most dominant backs in the league and should command a lion's share of the touches. Barring injury to Hall, Allen is not fantasy-relevant at the moment.

From RotoBaller

David Onyemata Sep 10 9:33am ET
David Onyemata

Atlanta Falcons DT David Onyemata revised his contract Tuesday, Sept. 10, to free up $4.85 million of salary cap space.

From TheHuddle

Lamar Jackson Sep 10 9:30am ET
Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is sore after Week 1 but should be good to go in practice this week according to a report from NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Jackson missed Monday's practice to open a long week of preparation for Week 2 against the Raiders after facing the Chiefs in the NFL opener on Thursday night. But the expectation is he will be back practicing the rest of the week. Jackson rushed 16 times for 122 yards in the opener and was 26-of-41 passing for 273 yards and a touchdown. His rushing usage stands out and makes him one of the top quarterbacks in fantasy. He should be locked and loaded as QB1 against Las Vegas after this report.

From RotoBaller

Micheal Clemons Sep 10 5:30am ET
Micheal Clemons

The New York Jets defense struggled to slow down the San Francisco 49ers in a 32-19 loss in Week 1's Monday night game. New York picked up three sacks but was unable to force any turnovers as the 49ers kicked six field goals to down the Jets in the season opener. The Jets got sacks from Sauce Gardner, Micheal Clemons, and Tony Adams but also allowed the 49ers to roll up 401 yards of total offense with Christian McCaffrey inactive. That being said, things should be much easier for New York in Week 2's matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

From RotoBaller