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
Dynasty | The Arizona Cardinals have cut running back Michael Carter. Dynasty Analysis: The fact Emari Demercado is on the initial 53 for Arizona is a bad sign for Carter's future for sure. It also means Trey Benson is the clear handcuff to James Conner moving into the season. Carter could land on his feet as a third down or change-of-pace back somewhere but he's way off the dynasty radar at this point.
Dynasty | The Jaguars have waived quarterback CJ Beathard. Dynasty Analysis: Beathard gets an injury settlement and Jones gets to be Trevor Lawrence's backup. This was a close battle but a late preseason injury to Beathard pretty much sealed the deal. Jones will now look to continue his development behind Lawrence and hope for a shot as a starter again elsewhere. The former first rounder is a tough hold on a dynasty roster, however.
Dynasty | The Commanders have released running back Chris Rodriguez. Dynasty Analysis: Rodriguez had some nice moments last year but was caught up in a numbers game after Washington traded for Austin Ekeler. With much of the "deep sleeper" bloom off the rose now with his release, it's going to be tough for dynasty managers to hold on to Rodriguez.
Dynasty | The 49ers have released wide receiver Robbie Chosen. Dynasty Analysis: The Chosen one will not be suiting up for the 49ers after all. With Brandon Aiyuk likely staying (at least at the moment), San Francisco didn't have a need for the speedster. After spending time with the Panthers, Jets, Cardinals, Dolphins and now the 49ers, it's fair to wonder if this may be the last we see of him. He's not worth a dynasty roster spot, unless you're in a league that rewards for multiple in-season name changes.
Dynasty | Packers running back AJ Dillon has been placed on season-ending IR. Dynasty Analysis: Wow. The Packers brought him back this year to back up Josh Jacobs and it seems he's not going to be recovered enough from last year's neck injury to do that. MarShawn Lloyd may have the inside track to back him up but Jacobs is in line for a monster workload. As for Dillon, this is going to be a tough time to justify keeping him on a dynasty roster.
Kansas City Chiefs RB Emani Bailey, LB Swayze Bozeman, TE Baylor Cupp, DT Neil Farrell, OT Chukwuebuka Godrick, CB Kamal Hadden, RB Keaontay Ingram, LB Curtis Jacobs, DE Truman Jones, DT Fabien Lovett Sr., CB D.J. Miller, OT Lucas Niang, QB Chris Oladokun, WR Cornell Powell, RB Louis Rees-Zammit, WR Nikko Remigio, WR Justyn Ross, CB Keith Taylor and WR Montrell Washington were waived on Tuesday, Aug. 27. The Chiefs also waived S Tyree Gillespie (undisclosed) with an injury designation and released S Deon Bush, LB Cole Christiansen and DT Matt Dickerson.
From TheHuddle
Free-agent QB Mike White (Dolphins) is expected to sign with the Buffalo Bills' practice squad, according to sources.
From TheHuddle
Dynasty | The Denver Broncos have released running back Samaje Perine. Dynasty Analysis: This comes as no surprise as reports circulated yesterday indicating Perine was on the trade block. It's also notable the Broncos kept four running backs - Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, and Blake Watson. Perine himself should have little problem landing a backup job but he's a hard sell as a dynasty asset.
Dynasty | The Broncos have released Tim Patrick and he's subsequently signing with the Detroit. Dynasty Analysis: Patrick expects to be on the practice squad in the short term but the expectation is he's signed to the active roster shortly. It's a decent landing spot for him, though it's tough to see him carving out real value in the short term. His injury history is troublesome and he's looking like more of a roster clogger than anything else at the moment.
Dynasty | The Minnesota Vikings have released tight end Robert Tonyan. Dynasty Analysis: This is a bad sign for Tonyan's career considering TJ Hockenson is still out with an injury. Tonyan had a great stretch with the Packers early in his career but he just hasn't been able to rekindle that magic over the past few years. He looks like dynasty waiver wire fodder at the moment.
Dynasty | The 49ers have placed running back Elijah Mitchell on season-ending IR. Dynasty Analysis: This is significant for a couple of reasons. First, Mitchell is clearly not worth a dynasty roster spot at this point. Second, Jordan Mason clearly is. While Christian McCaffrey is going to get virtually every touch for the 49ers, Mason would be a huge difference maker should he miss time. Hmm. Interesting.
Dynasty | The Tennessee Titans have released wide receiver Kyle Phillips. Dynasty Analysis: Philips has just not panned out for the Titans, despite having multiple opportunities. He battled a hamstring injury and could wind up on another team but his dynasty shine is clearly dimming and it's hard to make a case for keeping him on a dynasty roster.
Dynasty | The Dallas Cowboys have cut running back Royce Freeman. Dynasty Analysis: Freeman looked to have an inside track at a job but ended up being cut along with Malik Davis in favor of both Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn. With Dalvin Cook also a possibility of being signed after his visit this week, this depth chart looks like a bit of a mess. Freeman is starting to run out of chances, despite performing relatively well when he's had chances.
Free-agent quarterback Mike White is signing with the Buffalo Bills' practice squad, per Adam Schefter. White has also been a member of the Jets and most recently, the Dolphins, where he's played 14 regular season games, throwing for 2,219 yards, nine touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. This will be White's third AFC East team in as many seasons, but as far as a fantasy asset in 2024, White shouldn't be drafted in any format. As a member of the practice squad, White would have to be activated ahead of time if he were to get any action on the field in the event of a Josh Allen and Mitch Trubisky injury. If White does get the opportunity to start, he has looked the part in his limited time on the field.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens OT Corey Bullock, RB Chris Collier, CB Bump Cooper Jr., WR Malik Cunningham, OG Darrian Dalcourt, LB Joe Evans, TE Qadir Ismail, QB Devin Leary, OG Tashawn Manning, OT Julian Pearl, DE C.J. Ravenell, LB Yvandy Rigby, LB Joshua Ross, WR Dayton Wade, CB Damarion Williams, NT Deadrin Senat and DT Josh Tupou were waived Tuesday, Aug. 27. The team also placed RB Keaton Mitchell (knee) on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list and released CB Ka'dar Hollman, RB John Kelly, WR Keith Kirkwood, WR Anthony Miller and CB Daryl Worley. LB Deion Jennings (undisclosed), CB Christian Matthew (undisclosed), CB Arthur Maulet (knee), CB Trayvon Mullen (undisclosed), WR Isaiah Washington (undisclosed) and RB Owen Wright (foot) were placed on the Reserve/Injured list but only Maulet was designated to return later in the season.
From TheHuddle
Free agent edge rusher Tyus Bowser is scheduled to visit with the Dallas Cowboys, Todd Archer reports on Tuesday. Bowser, who spent seven seasons with the Baltimore Ravens as a second-round pick in 2017, was released by the Ravens this past March after not playing in 2023 following his placement on the reserve/non-football injury list and subsequent knee issues. Bowser only played nine games in 2022 as well after a 59-tackle, seven-sack season while playing all 17 games in 2021. Much has been said about the Cowboys bringing in Dalvin Cook, but the 29-year-old Bowser would be a talented defensive addition to any defense if he can get his health issues straightened out.
From RotoBaller
The Dallas Cowboys were granted a two-game roster exemption for All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on Tuesday, the same day where he returned to practice for the first time since signing his long-term extension. Per Tom Pelissero, Lamb remains on the commissioner's exempt list and doesn't count against the 53-man roster limit until he's activated, which can happen anytime. Fantasy managers let out a collective sigh of relief on Monday when Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million extension which includes $100 million guaranteed and a record $38 million signing bonus for receivers. A Pro Bowler in each of the last three seasons, Lamb put up his best season to date with 135 receptions, 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. Lamb is a locked-in top-two receiver in fantasy and with his financial security in place, should be a comfortable selection in the top-five picks in fantasy football this season.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos P Trenton Gill, WR Michael Bandy, WR Brandon Johnson, WR Jalen Virgil, RB Tyler Badie, TE Hunter Kampmoyer, TE Thomas Yassmin, OG Nick Gargiulo, OG Will Sherman, OT Demontrey Jacobs, DE Elijah Garcia, DT Jordan Miller, LB Thomas Incoom, LB Dondrea Tillman, CB Quinton Newsome, CB Reese Taylor and S Tanner McCalister were waived Tuesday, Aug. 27. The team also waived/injured LB Durell Nchami (undisclosed) and released WR Tim Patrick, WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey, WR David Sills, RB Samaje Perine, FB Michael Burton, C Sam Mustipher and OG Calvin Throckmorton. LB Drew Sanders (Achilles) and S Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) were placed on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list, while CB Damarri Mathis (ankle) was placed on the Reserve/Injured list but has been designated to return later this season.
From TheHuddle
New York Giants WR Isaiah Hodgins, WR Miles Boykin, TE Lawrence Cager, TE Jack Stoll, FB Jakob Johnson, C Jimmy Morrissey, OG Joshua Miles, OL Marcellus Johnson, DT Casey Rogers, LB Darrian Beavers, LB KJ Cloyd, LB Tomon Fox, CB Darnay Holmes, CB Tre Herndon, CB David Long, CB Alex Johnson, S Raheem Layne and PK Jude McAtamney were released Tuesday, Aug. 27. The team also waived/injured CB Mario Goodrich (hamstring), OG Jalen Mayfield (leg,ankle) and LB Ovie Oghoufo (hamstring). WR Isaiah McKenzie (foot) and LB Matthew Adams (quadriceps) were placed on the Reserve/Injured list, but Adams has been designated to return later in the season.
From TheHuddle
The Tennessee Titans have released cornerback Caleb Farley, their first-round pick from 2021, among Tuesday's roster cuts. Farley. Farley missed some time this training camp with a hamstring injury but was able to play in Tennessee's final preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Injuries have wreaked havoc on Farley's career as he missed most of 2022 with a torn ACL and then missed the entirety of the 2023 NFL season with back injuries that caused him to undergo a microdiskectomy, putting his playing career in jeopardy. Farley has only played 12 games in three seasons, putting up just 14 tackles and one pass defended in his career thus far. It remains to be seen if Farley will pursue other NFL opportunities, but if he's on any IDP rosters, he can be dropped into free agency.
From RotoBaller
