QB Strength of Schedule
Thu May 23 11:12am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
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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Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II was named the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday night. Surtain tallied 26 first-place votes and became just the second defensive back to win the award since 2010, joining Stephon Gilmore, who won the award as a member of the New England Patriots in 2019. The 24-year-old came just one vote shy of being a unanimous selection for first-team All-Pro honors and recording four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 11 pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 16 regular-season starts. According to Next Gen Stats, Surtain was targeted on only 10.9% of his coverage snaps in 2024, the lowest rate among 83 cornerbacks with 300-plus coverage snaps. He allowed 0.6 yards per coverage snap, giving up only 306 receiving yards as the nearest defender. Surtain is the first Bronco to win the award since linebacker Randy Gradishar in 1978.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini writes that the San Francisco 49ers will get a long-term contract extension done with quarterback Brock Purdy. The Niners won't drag their feet on this one -- they want a deal done soon and have already started conversations with Purdy's representatives. Even after a disappointing 2024 season, the team has not wavered on Purdy being their franchise signal-caller. "Everybody out there, if you have any questions about Brock Purdy, I'm here to tell you I'm not biased, I know ball he's the guy," linebacker Fred Warner said. The 25-year-old Purdy suffered a right-elbow injury at the tail end of the regular season but should be just fine this offseason and for Week 1 in 2025. He took a step back after his 2023 breakout, but injuries to key offensive weapons didn't help. Purdy should be a rebound candidate and should be considered a low-end QB1 in fantasy, at worst, in 2025.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Carolina Panthers want veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen back for the 2025 campaign. Thielen hinted that he would contemplate retirement this offseason, but he recently said that he has decided to come back for another season. The 34-year-old veteran is due for more than $6 million in overall payout in the final year of his deal, but the two sides could renegotiate on a new one-year contract or extension. Fowler gets the sense that the Panthers don't plan to release Thielen. The two-time Pro Bowler played in just 10 games in 2024 due to a hamstring injury and finished with a 48-615-5 line on 62 targets. Thielen did have over 1,000 receiving yards in his first year in Carolina in 2023 and has plenty of chemistry with rising young quarterback Bryce Young. The upside is limited, but fantasy managers shouldn't discount his rapport with Young if he stays with the Panthers.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Arizona Cardinals hope to re-sign impending free-agent tight end Trey McBride this offseason. The tight end market has been in the $15-17 million per-year range for some time now, but McBride could change that this offseason after recording 192 catches the last two seasons. Although he inexplicably scored just two touchdowns during the 2024 season, McBride led the Cardinals across the board as a receiver and also set new career-highs in receptions (111), targets (147) and receiving yards (1,146) in 16 games played. His 1,146 receiving yards were second at the position, behind only rookie Brock Bowers. McBride was the TE3 in half-PPR scoring, behind Bowers and George Kittle. He will be highly coveted on the open market, but it sounds like Arizona will do everything in their power to retain him. McBride has upside for more in 2025 if he can find the end zone more.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that there is a possibility that impending free-agent quarterback Russell Wilson re-signs with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. The Steelers are also open to the idea of re-signing Justin Fields, but most likely the team will only bring back one of the signal-callers. Reports this offseason suggest the Steelers would be comfortable using Fields as their starter in 2025 because he's younger and has more mobility. However, head coach Mike Tomlin has been loyal to Wilson, and the Steelers could be priced out of Fields' free-agent market, which could be robust. In addition to Pittsburgh, the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Russ, but if he has it his way, staying with the Steelers would probably be his first choice. The 36-year-old initially gave Pittsburgh's offense a spark but finished the year with five straight losses.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Dan Graziano writes that the Houston Texans might look to fill in around No. 1 wide receiver Nico Collins this offseason with more targeted, role-oriented acquisitions. Graziano mentions Buffalo Bills impending unrestricted free-agent wideout Mack Hollins specifically as a potential target for Houston. Many teams like what the Bills did at receiver in 2024 by adding role-player types like Hollins that are more than willing to do the dirty work. Houston's acquisition of Stefon Diggs last offseason didn't work out after he suffered a season-ending torn right ACL. In addition to Diggs' injury, Tank Dell also suffered a season-ending knee injury that could keep him out for all of 2025, so the Texans will need to retool their wideout room this offseason. Hollins had only 378 receiving yards on 31 receptions for Buffalo, but he did add a career-high five touchdowns in 17 regular-season games.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that the Kansas City Chiefs want to keep impending free-agent wide receiver Marquise Brown in the fold going into the 2025 season. Hollywood should have a good market this offseason due to teams wanting speed options on the outside, even though he missed almost all of the 2024 season due to a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was a proponent of the team adding Brown last year and will likely do so again. However, the Chiefs could have competition from the Buffalo Bills, as sources say that quarterback Josh Allen has long wanted to play with Hollywood. Brown had nine catches on 15 targets for 91 yards in two regular-season games and has caught three of seven targets for 35 yards in two playoff games for KC. If he re-signs with the Chiefs, the combination of Brown and Rashee Rice would be busy with Mahomes.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the San Francisco 49ers have granted wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and his agent, Tory Dandy, permission to seek a trade. It comes after Samuel asked the 49ers to trade him during the players' exit meetings after the regular season. "It was a hard conversation to have with Kyle (Shanahan) because of the relationship that we have," Samuel said. "But I have to do what's best. I'm more than thankful for the Niners giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, but now I think it's best that we find another team." NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported earlier that the 49ers were expected to explore trading Samuel this offseason. Despite Brandon Aiyuk (knee) missing most of 2024, Samuel had only 51 catches -- the second-lowest total of his career -- for 670 yards and three TDs in 15 games. He's due $17.55 million in 2025 in the final year of the three-year, $71.55 million extension he signed in 2022.
From RotoBaller
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From RotoBaller
The New York Jets have been in ongoing discussions with QB Aaron Rodgers regarding his future and a decision on whether he will return to the team next season could come as soon as this upcoming week, according to multiple sources.
Fantasy Spin: New head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey appear to have a great deal of respect for Rodgers but he would probably need to take a pay cut from his scheduled 2025 base salary of $37.5 million to remain with the Jets. He would also likely need to dedicate significant time to the team's offseason program, especially with a new offensive coordinator. Assuming that the 41-year-old Rodgers decides to continue playing next season, he should be viewed as a QB2 option in fantasy leagues regardless of where he winds up.
From TheHuddle
Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill failed to record a catch of 30 or more yards after Week 1.
Fantasy Spin: Hill dealt with his own injuries and injuries to Tua Tagovailoa, which no doubt played a role in Hill having one of his least productive seasons. He will still have WR1 upside entering next season, but he has slid behind some of the other high-end receiver options.
From TheHuddle
Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford appears likely to return to the Rams next season, sources told ESPN.com's Dan Graziano.
Fantasy Spin: Stafford is expected to consider retirement this offseason, but it looks like he will be with the Rams if he continues his career. He played well this season but probably will be a No. 2 quarterback in fantasy leagues if he plays in 2025.
From TheHuddle
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has not decided on his playing future at this point, and the result of Super Bowl LIX could play a factor in his decision, according to sources.
Fantasy Spin: Kelce has been one of the top tight ends in the NFL for a while but is 35 years old and could decide on retirement soon. Fantasy players should keep an eye on the situation over the next few weeks to see if Kelce will play in 2025.
From TheHuddle
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is uncertain if he'll be back on the football field next season. Kelce said he has a lot of good football left in him, but is unsure if he'll return after Sunday's Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. It seems that Sunday's result could play a factor in Kelce's final decision. Kelce has played over a decade in the league and is one of the greatest tight ends to ever play. It's worth noting that Kelce has set himself up nicely for life after football. That being said, it wouldn't be shocking to see Kelce call it a career if the Chiefs are able to three-peat on Sunday. Kelce doesn't have much left to accomplish in his career, so a Super Bowl victory might be a nice way to ride into the sunset.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers WR Adam Thielen is expected to return to the Panthers next season and could be a candidate for the contract this offseason, according to ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler.
Fantasy Spin: Thielen was limited to 10 games this season but was still one of the better receivers for the Panthers in 2024. He should see a decent amount of targets next season and can be a No. 3 or No. 4 receiver in fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Steven Nelson has been elevated from the practice squad ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. Nelson came out of retirement to join the Chiefs roster in December. He hasn't played in a game since 2023, but he might get a chance to play in the Super Bowl. The most likely scenario is that Nelson is being brought up as emergency depth. The 32-year-old began his career with the Chiefs in 2015 and will look to end it at the top with a Super Bowl victory.
From RotoBaller
Chicago Bears impending free-agent WR Keenan Allen probably will not return to the Bears unless he is opening to signing a one-year contract with a team-friendly salary, in the opinion of BearsWire's Alyssa Barbieri.
Fantasy Spin: Allen had some success with the Bears but probably will receive interest from a few teams if he tests the free-agent market. He should be a solid part of a passing game for a team next season and can be a No. 3 or No. 4 receiver in fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (triceps) has been activated off the injured reserve on Saturday. Graham missed a majority of the second half of the season after tearing his tricep in late November. He sat out the first three postseason games as well, but Graham is healthy enough to play in the Super Bowl on Sunday. The veteran pass rusher has already said this is going to be his last season, so he'll get a chance to go out as a Super Bowl champion. At this point in his career, Graham is a situational player, but having him on the field is a boost for this Eagles defense as they look to knock off the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Joe Burrow was named the NFL's Comeback player of the Year. Dynasty Analysis: Burrow returned from various injuries last year to lead the league in passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43) and finished third in Total QBR (74.7). You could say he had a good year. With Ja'Marr Chase likely around for the long-term. Burrow is about as good as you can get at quarterback in dynasty leagues at the moment. He should be an elite-level QB1 for many years to come and his ADP could climb this off-season.
