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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The Paur Report
Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 18
As expected, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (hand) is officially active and will start on Sunday against the division-rival Buffalo Bills in the Week 18 regular-season opener. Maye has been dealing with a right-hand injury, and although he was questionable to play, there was never much doubt that he'd be active to close out his rookie season. It's been an up and down first year in the NFL for Maye, as he enters Week 18 action with a 66.8 completion percentage, 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 12 games (11 starts). The North Carolina product has shown flashes of upside, though, and given the lack of talent around him, it's hard to be too critical of the rookie in his first year. Despite some starters resting around the league, Maye will merely be a QB2 with upside in Week 18 against a Bills defense that will be pulling starters early.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger (ankle, quadriceps) is officially active for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Buffalo Bills. However, the team already ruled out cornerback Christian Gonzalez (concussion) after he suffered a concussion in last week's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Dugger has battled multiple lower-body injuries throughout the year but has mostly played through his ailments. Although the Patriots defense probably has more upside this weekend than they have all year with key starters on the Bills offense to play very little on Sunday, fantasy managers should continue to avoid their defense/special teams unit. In his fifth season with New England, Dugger enters the regular-season finale with 79 tackles (53 solo), one sack, eight tackles for loss, four pass breakups and a forced fumble in 12 starts.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants owner John Mara continues to evaluate head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen separately, according to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. As of Sunday in Week 18, Mara remains undecided on the futures of Daboll and Schoen with the organization. Schultz notes that "exploratory calls and feelers about potential scenarios if one were retained and the other let go have happened in recent days." Daboll has gone just 18-31-1 through three seasons with the Giants. He led them to a winning season and playoff berth in his first season at the helm, but he owns a miserable .273 winning percentage since then. Schoen has been with the Giants for three years, as well. He has some impressive moves on his resume, including this year's selection of Malik Nabers and the reinforcement of New York's offensive line, but has also received much-deserved criticism for the Daniel Jones extension and Saquon Barkley departure, among other moves. With many coaching staff shakeups expected across the NFL over the next few days, time is running out for Mara to make key personnel decisions. We would expect more clarity on the futures of Daboll and Schoen by Monday afternoon.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring) is officially active for the Week 18 game.
Fantasy Spin: Shepard had a decent role in the passing game a few weeks ago but has been targeted only four times over the last two games. He probably will see a few targets this week, but fantasy players should have better options available and can avoid Shepard.
From TheHuddle
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel (rib) is officially active on Sunday for the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival New England Patriots. Samuel will make his return after missing the last two weeks due to a rib injury. The 28-year-old hasn't had much of a role on offense for Buffalo in 2024, although he could get more run this weekend with Buffalo expected to sit their starters on both sides of the ball after a series or two. Amari Cooper (personal) was already ruled out. The Bills are locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC for the postseason, so there is no benefit to them playing all their key players in this one. However, if Samuel sees a season-high in snaps on Sunday in New England, he'd mostly be working with backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Samuel could be busier than usual, but it's hard to put any fantasy faith in a player with only 201 receiving yards and one TD in 13 games.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (knee) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Chicago Bears. He had been listed as questionable. The 25-year-old returns from a one-game absence to play in the Packers' regular-season finale. Watson's highest yardage total of the season came against the Bears back in Week 11 when he caught all four of his passes for a whopping 150 yards through the air. While he'll hope to replicate that performance this Sunday, that's far from guaranteed. He's averaging just 1.8 catches, 27.4 yards, and zero touchdowns over his last five contests, and he's not a dependable option for fantasy lineups in leagues with 12 or fewer teams.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (illness) is inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Chicago Bears. He had been listed as questionable after his late addition to the injury report on Saturday. The 24-year-old finishes the regular season as the overall WR52 in PPR leagues, catching 46 passes for 601 yards and four touchdowns over the course of 16 games. He has been one of several impactful pass-catchers in the Packers' offense, commanding targets amidst a committee of low-end fantasy receivers. His absence in Week 18 leaves Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and Dontayvion Wicks as the Packers' top healthy wide receivers.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (foot) has been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Henry was limited in practice all week but will end his 2024 season a week early. With the 30-year-old officially out against a Bills defense that will be taking it easy with the No. 2 seed already locked up for the playoffs, Austin Hooper could be a sneaky DFS play this weekend with a starting workload on tap. Henry will be back with New England next year after wrapping up his fourth season with the Pats. The former second-rounder by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2016 out of Arkansas finishes with a career-high 674 receiving yards on a career-high 66 receptions (97 targets), although he only found the end zone two times in 16 games, limiting his value as a low-end TE1 option on a weekly basis in fantasy.
From RotoBaller
Chicago Bears running back Travis Homer (hamstring) and left guard Teven Jenkins (calf) are inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Green Bay Packers. Both players had been listed as questionable. Homer has operated as the Bears' No. 3 running back for most of this season, amassing just nine touches for 34 yards through 10 games. He was far more involved on special teams than on offense in 2024, leaving most of the backfield work to D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. Meanwhile, Jenkins is headed for his third absence of the year, including his second in a row. He'll be replaced by Jake Curhan at left guard for Sunday's season finale.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (hip, wrist) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. The rookie had been listed as questionable after finishing last week with back-to-back limited practices. Legette has appeared in 15 contests this season, catching 46 passes for 467 yards and four touchdowns. He typically operates as the No. 2 receiver behind Adam Thielen, and last week, he led the team with nine targets. He should remain heavily involved on Sunday afternoon, but the Panthers' subpar offensive production leaves the rookie pass-catcher as a low-end WR3/FLEX option, at best.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots TE Hunter Henry (foot) has been declared inactive for the Week 18 game.
Fantasy Spin: Austin Hooper should see a handful of targets with Henry unavailable but probably can be avoided in most fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (groin) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This news does not come as much of a surprise given that Kamara had been listed as doubtful and did not practice this past week. The 29-year-old finishes the 2024 season with 950 rushing yards, 543 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns through 14 games. He was well on his way to his first-ever 1,000-yard rushing season before suffering a season-ending groin injury in Week 15. He'll come up 50 yards shy of that mark but still finishes 2024 as the overall RB8 in PPR leagues. With Kendre Miller (concussion) also sidelined, the Saints will rely on a combination of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jamaal Williams, and Jordan Mims out of the backfield in Week 18.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (concussion) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Dallas Cowboys. He had been listed as questionable but was widely expected to play after the Commanders activated him from injured reserve on Saturday. The 29-year-old spent the minimum of four games on injured reserve after suffering a scary head injury on special teams. He returns to his role as the No. 2 running back in Washington behind Brian Robinson Jr., but he'll still be able to carve out a significant workload. Through 11 games when healthy, Ekeler tallied 355 rushing yards, 346 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. Notably, he has scored a receiving touchdown in every season except 2024, so he'll have one last chance to extend that streak on Sunday. Ekeler will rank as a mid-range RB3 thanks to his pass-catching upside and Robinson's recent struggles.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (knee) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the New Orleans Saints. He had been listed as doubtful despite logging a limited practice on Friday. Otton finishes the 2024 regular season as the overall TE14 in PPR leagues, amassing 59 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns through 14 games. He was one of the best tight ends in fantasy football when Mike Evans and Chris Godwin (ankle) were both sidelined, but his productivity dwindled as soon as Evans returned to the mix. Payne Durham will step up as the Buccaneers' top tight end in Week 18, ranking as a mid-range TE2 for fantasy purposes. Devin Culp, a rookie tight end out of Washington who saw his first career target last week and ended up catching three passes for 52 yards, should also remain involved.
From RotoBaller
Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo (abdomen) is officially active for the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Houston Texans on Sunday. Okonkwo popped up on this week's injury report after putting in a limited practice on Thursday before sitting out on Friday. The 25-year-old will end up giving it a go in the team's final game of the season. He's been on a decent run of production of late with 22 catches on 28 targets for 182 yards and no touchdowns in the last three games, although that also coincided with Mason Rudolph taking over under center for the Titans. Tennessee is going back to quarterback Will Levis (at least to start) in Week 18, which should give fantasy managers some pause when considering Okonkwo as a TE streamer. He has 52 total catches on the year for 479 yards and only two touchdowns in 16 games.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (hamstring) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 game against the New Orleans Saints. He had been listed as questionable. The veteran receiver has been productive through 13 games in a depth role this season, catching 31 passes for 323 yards and one touchdown. He has served as a reliable target for Baker Mayfield, especially after Chris Godwin (ankle) suffered a season-ending injury. With that said, Shepard is off the fantasy radar as long as he remains behind Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan on the depth chart.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (knee) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had been listed as questionable after logging three consecutive limited practices. Johnson has operated alongside Foster Moreau all season long, catching a career-high 44 passes for 468 yards and three touchdowns through 16 games. He ranks as the overall TE22 in PPR leagues this season, making him a mid-to-low TE2 option for the final week of the 2024 regular season.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders wide receiver K.J. Osborn (illness) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Dallas Cowboys. Osborn had been listed as questionable with an illness, but it's also possible that his absence is non-injury-related and merely a coach's decision, as has been the case most weeks since Washington claimed him off waivers from New England. Terry McLaurin remains the Commanders' primary receiver with Olamide Zacchaeus thriving in a complementary role. Dyami Brown, Luke McCaffrey, and Jamison Crowder are depth pass-catching options for Sunday's regular-season finale.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara (groin) is not active for Week 18's game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Fantasy Spin: Kamara had been listed as doubtful on the injury report after missing all three of the Saints' practice sessions during the week. RBs Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jamaal Williams are expected to split the carries in the New Orleans backfield this afternoon and both players can be viewed as flex options in deeper fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle
Philadelphia Eagles running backWill Shipley(concussion) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the New York Giants. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the right direction after he logged a full practice on Friday. Shipley has taken a backseat toSaquon BarkleyandKenneth Gainwellthis season, but with Barkley inactive for Week 18, the rookie out of Clemson has a chance to earn increased opportunities. The 22-year-old has been mostly used as a ball carrier this season, rushing 20 times while failing to command a single target. He's likely headed for a change-of-pace role in Week 18, but with his exact involvement unknown, Shipley is tough to trust in fantasy football. He ranks as a low-end RB4 and should be avoided in most leagues.
From RotoBaller
