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FFL: Week 1 | NFL: Week 1

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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Starts/Sits: Week 1

Player Notes
Chuba Hubbard Sep 9 2:00am ET
Chuba Hubbard

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard carried the ball six times for just 14 yards in the team's blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints. Hubbard was not involved in the receiving game, seeing zero targets. Hubbard saw just one more carry than running back Miles Sanders, but neither were able to provide much of a spark on the ground. Both running backs were gamescripted out of the matchup early on, with the Panthers finding themselves down by 27 at halftime. Hubbard's usage was encouraging enough to keep him in the mix moving forward, and he can be looked at as an RB3/4 option next week when the Panthers take on the Los Angeles Chargers.

From RotoBaller

Adam Thielen Sep 9 2:00am ET
Adam Thielen

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen caught three of his four targets for 49 yards in the team's loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Thielen led all Panthers pass-catchers in yards, remaining as a trusted target for quarterback Bryce Young. Carolina's offensive limitations hinder heavily on Thielen's upside, but he could be a name to keep an eye on if he remains the No. 1 option for Young. Fantasy managers can look to Thielen as a WR4/5 option when the Panthers take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.

From RotoBaller

Bryce Young Sep 9 1:50am ET
Bryce Young

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed thirteen of his 30 passes for 161 yards with two interceptions in the team's 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Young also carried the ball four times for an additional 12 yards and a touchdown on the ground, helping to salvage his fantasy production. Carolina had no success moving the ball in Sunday's matchup, seeing just barely over 200 yards of total offense. While there was some optimism the Panthers would improve from last year's offense, that was not shown to be the case on Sunday. Young can be left out of lineups in mostly all formats next week when the Panthers take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.

From RotoBaller

Michael Pittman Jr. Sep 9 1:40am ET
Michael Pittman Jr.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. caught just four of his eight targets for 31 yards in the team's loss to the Houston Texans. Pittman saw the most targets and snaps out of all Colts pass-catchers, but was unable to turn it into a productive fantasy day. Pittman remains the No. 1 option for Richardson and the Colts passing attack, and fantasy managers can include him as a WR2 in lineups in the team's Week 2 contest against the Green Bay Packers.

From RotoBaller

Anthony Richardson Sep 9 1:40am ET
Anthony Richardson

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson completed nine of his 19 passes for 212 yards in the team's loss against the Houston Texans. Richardson threw for two touchdowns as well as one interception. He also ran the ball six times for 56 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Richardson showed why his low-end passing volume isn't a huge deal for his fantasy production, as he was able to combine his big-play ability with his rushing ability into a very productive fantasy showing. Richardson remains a high-tier QB1 option moving forward, and fantasy managers can start him with confidence next week when the Colts take on the Packers.

From RotoBaller

Alec Pierce Sep 9 1:30am ET
Alec Pierce

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce was the surprise name of Sunday afternoon, grabbing all three of his targets for 125 yards and a touchdown in the team's loss to the Houston Texans. QB Anthony Richardson connected with Pierce on some big plays, including a 60-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and a 57-yard pass in the fourth quarter. Pierce also saw favorable playing time in Josh Downs' (ankle) absence, playing 84% of snaps, only behind Michael Pittman Jr in the WR group. Richardson's big arm makes all Colts pass-catchers a potential homerun option, and Pierce was the beneficiary of that on Sunday. It's unclear how sustainable Pierce's production may be moving forward, but he does make for an interesting waiver wire target this week. Fantasy managers can likely leave Pierce out of lineups in Week 2 in the Colts contest against the Green Bay Packers, but can revisit his status in Week 3 if he can follow up this week's performance.

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Jonathan Taylor Sep 9 1:20am ET
Jonathan Taylor

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor ran the ball 16 times for 48 yards and a touchdown in the team's loss to the Houston Texans. Taylor was not involved in the receiving game, getting zero targets through the air. Taylor struggled to breakthrough at just three yards a carry, but did receive the full workload as he was the only running back to see any carries. QB Anthony Richardson led the way on the ground for the Colts, rushing for 56 yards and a touchdown on six attempts. While it is encouraging to see Taylor get high-end usage, his inefficiency and lack of receiving work paired with Richardson's rushing upside did limit him in the contest. Taylor will look to bounce back next week when the Colts take on the Packers, a team that let Saquon Barkley rush for over 100 yards and three touchdowns in their Week 1 matchup. Fantasy managers can start Taylor with confidence in next week's matchup as an RB1 hopeful.

From RotoBaller

DeForest Buckner Sep 9 1:10am ET
DeForest Buckner

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (back) exited Sunday's game against the Houston Texans and did not return. At the time of his departure, he had registered six tackles and 1.5 sacks. Buckner continues to have game-wrecking potential in his age-30 season, so the Colts can only hope he won't miss too much time, if any at all. We can likely expect to receive more info on his diagnosis and timetable this Monday.

From RotoBaller

Geno Smith Sep 9 12:50am ET
Geno Smith

The Denver Broncos didn't win in Week 1 on the road at Lumen Field against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, but there defense certainly played better than their offense. Denver's defense/special teams finished as a top-10 fantasy through Sunday night in the 26-20 defeat. They got to quarterback Geno Smith two times, picked him off once, created two safeties and recovered a fumble on a muffed punt. The Broncos' revamped defensive line allowed 146 rushing yards on 33 attempts for a 4.4 yard-per-carry average. Through the air, they limited Smith to 158 passing yards to allow just over 300 yards total in a tough road game to kick off the regular season. Denver's D/ST will remain on waiver wires in most leagues, but they could be worth streaming consideration in deeper leagues in a Week 2 matchup at home against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that could already have QB controversy.

From RotoBaller

Courtland Sutton Sep 9 12:40am ET
Courtland Sutton

The good news for Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton in the team's 26-20 Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Sunday was that he led the team with 12 targets. However, Sutton could only connect with rookie first-round quarterback Bo Nix four times for just 38 receiving yards in a day in which Nix looked a bit overmatched in his NFL debut against a fired-up defense in a hostile environment. The 28-year-old Sutton is certainly going to have ups and downs in 2024 while working with a rookie signal-caller. It's clear that Nix is going to target Sutton plenty as the WR1 in Denver, but Sutton's fantasy managers couldn't have been thrilled with rookie Devaughn Vele drawing eight targets of his own in his NFL debut. The Pittsburgh Steelers won't pose a much easier matchup in Week 2, where Sutton will set up as a touchdown-dependent WR4/flex.

From RotoBaller

Darious Williams Sep 9 12:40am ET
Darious Williams

Los Angeles Rams left tackle Joe Noteboom (ankle) was carted to the locker room during the first half of Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions. All of a sudden, the Rams are struggling to stay healthy as they deal with injuries throughout their offensive line. Wide receiver Puka Nacua (knee) and cornerback Darious Williams (hamstring) are also banged up. Noteboom has a lengthy injury history as he tore his ACL and MCL in 2019, dealt with a calf issue in 2020, and tore his Achilles in 2022. The Rams will task AJ Arcuri with more reps at left tackle until Noteboom can return.

From RotoBaller

Wil Lutz Sep 9 12:40am ET
Wil Lutz

The Denver Broncos offense could not consistently move the football in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Lumen Field, but Lutz was still able to have a strong fantasy day thanks to the Broncos offense not being able to capitalize on good field position throughout the day. Lutz finished the day a perfect 3-for-3 on his field-goal tries, with a long of 45 yards. He also hit his only extra point to finish as a top-10 fantasy kicker in the games through Sunday night. Lutz's other two field goals were good from 30 and 35 yards out. It was a nice first game of the 2024 season for the 30-year-old booter, but the Broncos offense under rookie first-round quarterback Bo Nix is going to need to show improvement for Lutz to be considered an option as a streaming fantasy kicker in standard-sized 12-team leagues.

From RotoBaller

Devaughn Vele Sep 9 12:30am ET
Devaughn Vele

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Devaughn Vele made a statement in his NFL debut on Sunday in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Vele didn't have a banner day by any means with just 39 receiving yards, but his eight receptions (on eight targets) surprisingly led the team on a day in which the Broncos offense couldn't really move the ball at all consistently in rookie first-round quarterback Bo Nix's NFL debut. Vele caught all eight of the balls thrown his way in this one and was tied for second in targets with Josh Reynolds, behind Courtland Sutton's 12. Vele, a seventh round pick this year, wasn't targeted very far beyond the line of scrimmage with his eight receptions, but just that fact that he commanded that much attention from Nix is notable. The 26-year-old seems to have developed some good chemistry with his QB and is worth a look in deeper fantasy leagues as a waiver pickup.

From RotoBaller

Josh Hayes Sep 9 12:30am ET
Josh Hayes

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Bryce Hall (leg) was carted off the field in an air cast during Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders. He has been diagnosed with a dislocated right ankle and fractured fibula. It's a crushing blow for the Buccaneers, their secondary, and Hall. The 26-year-old is likely headed for an extended absence, and there's even a possibility that the Buccaneers could shut him down for the rest of the season. Hall doesn't have a very lengthy injury history, but he did suffer a season-ending ankle injury during his final collegiate campaign in 2019. The Buccaneers suddenly find themselves incredibly shorthanded at cornerback with Hall sidelined, Zyon McCollum (head) concussed, and Josh Hayes (ankle) at risk of missing time.

From RotoBaller

Josh Reynolds Sep 9 12:20am ET
Josh Reynolds

Denver Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds had a positive debut with the Broncos in their Week 1 loss on the road at Lumen Field against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday by a score of 26-20. Nobody in the Broncos offense really had a great game, but Reynolds caught five of his eight targets for a team-high 45 yards receiving. His eight targets were tied with rookie Devaughn Vele and were second on the team behind Courtland Sutton's 12. Nothing about Denver's offense under rookie first-round quarterback Bo Nix was really that impressive, and the young signal-caller spread the ball around, which is mostly bad news for all of Denver's pass-catchers. For now, Reynolds should remain on the waiver wire in standard-sized 12-team leagues as he battles for targets as the WR2 in Denver with Vele, Marvin Mims Jr. and Lil'Jordan Humphrey.

From RotoBaller

David Njoku Sep 9 12:20am ET
David Njoku

The Cleveland Browns fear that tight end David Njoku (ankle) suffered a high-ankle sprain during Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The 28-year-old had caught four of five targets for 44 yards prior to his departure. Cleveland suffered a brutal loss at the hands of the Cowboys, so this latest news about Njoku adds insult to injury. Assuming this initial diagnosis is confirmed, Njoku will be looking at an extended absence (typically a month or more) followed by a significant performance dip once he returns. Until he gets back on the field, Jordan Akins will operate as the Browns' top tight end. He remains off the fantasy radar for the time being.

From RotoBaller

Bo Nix Sep 9 12:13am ET
Bo Nix

Dynasty | Broncos quarterback Bo Nix completed 26-of-42 passes for 138 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in a season-opening loss at Seattle. Dynasty Analysis: Nix actually led the Broncos in rushing with 35 yards and a touchdown but he really struggled, making a few other ill-advised throws that also could have been picked off. Nix looked like a typical rookie in his first NFL start, so there's no need to panic. Still, he should be firmly on dynasty benches until we see him string a few good games together.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Bo Nix Sep 9 12:13am ET
Bo Nix

Dynasty | Broncos running back Javonte Williams had 23 rushing yards on eight carries, while catching one pass for no gain in Denver's opening day loss at Seattle. Dynasty Analysis: Yuck. Williams was out-carried by Jaleel McLaughlin 10-8, though neither of them looked particularly effective on the day. It's way too early to throw in the towel on Williams but this is a red flag after his disastrous 2023 season. Williams belongs on fantasy benches until Bo Nix can do enough to keep defenses honest as this Denver offense looks anemic at the moment.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Sep 9 12:13am ET
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Dynasty | Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had two catches for 19 yards in Seattle's win against Denver. Dynasty Analysis: Sigh. Smith-Njigba is one of the most popular breakout candidates this year but today's game was eerily similar to many from last year. There's a long runway for JSN to make some progress but this wasn't what dynasty managers hoping for a year two breakout were expecting today. JSN should stay on fantasy benches until we see some positive signs moving forward.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Baker Mayfield Sep 9 12:13am ET
Baker Mayfield

Dynasty | Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 24-of-30 passes for 289 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in Tampa Bay's opening day win over Washington. Dynasty Analysis: Mayfield has had some serious ups and downs in his career but he sure has found a home in Tampa Bay. Fresh off signing a new contract, Mayfield shows he was worth the money (and more) in this one today as he routinely placed the ball wherever it needed to be, hitting seven different receivers on the day. While not a sure-fire "set it and forget it" option quite yet, Mayfield is looking like no worse than a high-end QB2 next week and possibly beyond this season.

From Dynasty League Fantasy