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 2
New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) is officially inactive for Week 2 versus the Dallas Cowboys. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the wrong direction after not practicing on Friday. By Sunday morning, reports emerged indicating that the Saints wanted to be cautious with Lattimore and might hold him out. Indeed, he'll sit out. Lattimore had been slated to cover CeeDee Lamb on Sunday, so this development is great news for the Cowboys' WR1 and fantasy managers who have him on their rosters.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints wide receiver A.T. Perry (coach's decision) is a healthy scratch for Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys. The 24-year-old missed Week 1 with a hand injury but was a full participant in practice this week. Now, he's sidelined again, but this time for non-injury reasons. The Saints will enter their second game of the season with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed atop their depth chart, followed by undrafted rookie Mason Tipton as their No. 3 receiver.
From RotoBaller
Jaguars tight end Evan Engram has been ruled out for the Week 2 game. He suffered a hamstring injury in pregame warmups.
Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jack Conklin (knee), who was considered questionable for the Week 2 tilt against the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road, has officially been ruled out for Sunday's game. With offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee) having already been ruled out earlier this week, Cleveland's offensive line will be missing some key pieces this weekend. The 30-year-old Conklin was limited in practice all of last week and also sat out the season-opening blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys in which the Browns' offense looked like a disaster. With both Conklin and Wills out, expect James Hudson and Dawand Jones to see plenty of playing time on Sunday on the book ends of Cleveland's offensive line. This is more bad news for a Browns offense that has come under a lot of scrutiny already under quarterback Deshaun Watson.
From RotoBaller
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (ankle) is officially active for Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had been listed as questionable after practicing in a limited capacity on Friday, but as the weekend progressed, it became clear that he was healthy enough to suit up. Williams is looking to build off a huge Week 1 showing in which he led the team with five catches, 121 yards, and one touchdown. We need to see this type of production on a more consistent basis before ranking Williams as a must-start fantasy weapon, but he's certainly worth consideration in most leagues with 10 or more teams. If he can produce alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, he has league-winning upside. For Week 2, he should be deployed as a mid-to-high WR3 option.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) has been downgraded to out ahead of Monday Night Football versus the Atlanta Falcons. He had already been trending in the wrong direction after missing practice on Saturday, and now we get confirmation that he won't suit up on primetime television. Fantasy managers will appreciate the timing of this announcement as it gives them roughly one hour to find a replacement for Brown in their lineups before the Sunday 1 p.m. games kick off. The Eagles will move forward with DeVonta Smith as their No. 1 receiver on Monday with additional opportunities for Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert. Receivers Olamide Zaccheaus and Jahan Dotson should get more looks, too, but neither of them is even worth rostering in leagues with 14 teams or fewer.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (hamstring) suffered a hamstring injury during pre-game warmups on Sunday and has been ruled out for Week 2 against the visiting Cleveland Browns. Fantasy managers that had Engram in their starting lineups for this weekend are going to have to adjust on the fly. In Jacksonville, Brenton Strange and Luke Farrell will now battle for targets in the passing game with Engram sidelined, but neither player is an acceptable starting replacement for Engram. The most likely scenario is that wide receivers Christian Kirk, rookie Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis will see more targets through the air against a tough Browns defense. The 30-year-old Engram had a rough season debut last week as well, catching only one of four targets for five yards in the loss to the Miami Dolphins. There's no guarantee he'll be able to play in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers running back Raheem Blackshear (personal) and tight end Tommy Tremble (hamstring, back) are both active for Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers. They had been listed as questionable entering the weekend. Blackshear was absent from practice this week for personal matters, but it appears he's good to go for Sunday's home game. Although he remains a depth option in Carolina's backfield, he offers plenty of value on special teams as the Panthers' primary kick returner. With the Panthers susceptible to surrendering plenty of scores, Blackshear could be busy returning kickoffs this season. He's only a worthwhile fantasy option in leagues that award points for return yards. Meanwhile, Tremble is suiting up after being limited on Friday. He was inactive in Week 1 and figures to poach snaps from rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders. Even without a clear top tight end in Carolina, there's no real path to fantasy relevance for Tremble.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (illness) was ill on Sunday morning but will play against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, according to a note on NFL.com's official injury report tracker. Carr was added to the injury report Sunday but did not have any designation, which is a good sign that he won't have any limitations in Week 2. The quarterback faces a tough matchup in the form of the Dallas Cowboys, but he's coming off a big performance against the Panthers and figures to maintain some QB2 appeal this weekend. He's a fine option in deeper two-quarterback leagues.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots running back JaMycal Hasty (knee) is officially active on Sunday for the Week 2 game against the Seattle Seahawks, while wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is a healthy inactive. Hasty popped up on the team's injury report on Thursday after putting in a limited practice, but his knee injury wasn't serious enough to sideline him this weekend. The 28-year-old is well off the fantasy radar in the vast majority of fantasy leagues as the No. 3 RB behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson in one of the weaker offenses in the NFL. In the surprising Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Hasty had didn't touch the ball at all on offense. Boutte didn't play a single offensive snap last weekend and will now take a seat so that rookie Javon Baker can make his NFL debut after he was a healthy scratch in Week 1.
From RotoBaller
The Indianapolis Colts have declared C Tanor Bortolini, WR Josh Downs, S Julian Blackmon, LB Genard Avery, OT Blake Freeland, TE Will Mallory and QB Sam Ehlinger inactive for Week 2.
From TheHuddle
Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) is officially active for Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the right direction throughout the weekend. As Lloyd makes his NFL debut, he could steal some touches from backup Emanuel Wilson. Both backs are expected to touch the ball Sunday despite operating behind Josh Jacobs. In fact, Green Bay could have a heavy dependence on its rushing attack with Malik Willis starting in place of the injured Jordan Love (knee). If the Packers want to keep the clock ticking and reduce the chances of a Willis turnover, we could see a lot of opportunities for Jacobs with Lloyd and Wilson each getting at least a handful of touches, too. Still, Lloyd is not an appealing redraft option and can be left on the bench in most dynasty leagues, too.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (knee) is officially inactive for Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. Green Bay technically left the door open for him to play by listing him as doubtful, but it was always clear that he wasn't going to suit up. The talented, young quarterback injured his MCL late in the season opener against Philadelphia and is expected to miss roughly three games, giving him a Week 5 return date. Until then, Malik Willis will quarterback the Packers. He has yet to prove himself as a capable starting quarterback in the NFL, which means fantasy managers should temper expectations for the Packers and their playmakers, including Josh Jacobs, Jayden Reed, and Christian Watson.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer (knee) is officially active for the Week 2 contest against the Carolina Panthers on the road on Sunday. Palmer was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday before being listed as a DNP on Friday, putting his status in question for the team's first road game of the season. However, the 24-year-old will be good to go and should continue to start alongside rookie Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston with DJ Chark (hip) on Injured Reserve. Palmer caught just two passes for 15 yards in the season-opening win over the Las Vegas Raiders and was ejected in the contest, making it a forgettable season debut. However, he did play 81% of the offensive snaps prior to his ejection, and he makes for a WR4/flex with upside against a Panthers defense that was torched by quarterback Derek Carr and the Saints in Week 1.
From RotoBaller
The Detroit Lions have declared WR Isaiah Williams, DE Marcus Davenport, CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr., OT Giovanni Manu, LB Trevor Nowaske, OT Colby Sorsdal and CB Ifeatu Melifonwu inactive for Week 2.
From TheHuddle
The New Orleans Saints have declared WR A.T. Perry, CB Marshon Lattimore, LB D'Marco Jackson, TE Dallin Holker, QB Spencer Rattler, DL Khalen Saunders and LB Jaylan Ford inactive for Week 2.
From TheHuddle
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (oblique) is officially inactive for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots. He had been listed as doubtful entering the weekend, so this latest update does not come as a surprise. The star running back will watch from the sidelines as Zach Charbonnet operates as the Seahawks' No. 1 running back. Charbonnet has some high-end RB3/FLEX appeal against a Patriots defense that did allow a rushing touchdown despite playing a strong game against the Cincinnati Bengals last week.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle), who is dealing with a high-ankle sprain and was considered 50-50 to play in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers, has been ruled out on Sunday as caution prevails. Downs suffered the high-ankle sprain in training camp in August and also was inactive for the season-opening loss to the division-rival Houston Texans. The good news, though, is that he was able to practice in full on Friday, so perhaps he'll be ready to make his season debut in Week 3 against the Chicago Bears. With Downs out again, it makes both Alec Pierce, who went over 100 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, and rookie Adonai Mitchell a little more attractive as flex plays in deeper fantasy leagues at Lambeau Field. But when Downs does make his way back, he could eventually settle into the WR2 role in Indy behind Michael Pittman Jr.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (calf, shin) is officially active for Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts. He had been listed as questionable after practicing in a limited capacity on Friday. Still, as the weekend progressed, Reed was trending toward playing. Indeed, he'll suit up on Sunday. Unfortunately for Reed and his fantasy managers, the Packers have ruled out quarterback Jordan Love (knee), which means Malik Willis will get the start at quarterback. It's unclear whether Willis is capable of supporting steady fantasy production from his playmakers, which means Reed drops to the WR3/FLEX tier in most leagues this week. He can still get involved in the rushing attack and break off big plays, but it's hard to envision him replicating his 138 receiving yards from the season opener.
From RotoBaller
There is a possibility that Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields could remain as the team's starting quarterback even after QB Russell Wilson (calf) has fully recovered from his aggravated calf injury, according to multiple sources.
Fantasy Spin: Head coach Mike Tomlin could stick with the hot hand if the Steelers keep winning and if Fields continues to execute the team's game plan while limiting turnovers. For now, Fields should only be used as a starting lineup option in two-quarterback fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle
