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FFL: Week 7 | NFL: Week 7

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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Player Notes
Brandon Aiyuk Oct 20 8:00pm ET
Brandon Aiyuk

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) exited Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after taking a hit to the knee in the first half. He was carted off the field before eventually being ruled out. Unfortunately, head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated that there is concern the wideout suffered an ACL tear. Aiyuk will likely undergo further testing, but it will take a miracle for him to be on the field for Sunday night's clash with the Dallas Cowboys. With Deebo Samuel Sr. (illness) and Jauan Jennings (hip) also uncertain for that one, George Kittle, Jacob Cowing, and Ricky Pearsall could see an uptick in attention from Brock Purdy.

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Austin Seibert Oct 20 7:50pm ET
Austin Seibert

Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert had a busy evening as he went 4-for-4 on attempts and 4-for-4 on extra-point attempts in their Week 7 blowout victory over the Carolina Panthers. After missing his first attempt last week, Siebert bounced back this weekend and continued his excellent campaign. The 27-year-old's longest attempt of the evening was from 49 yards out. Even though rookie sensation Jayden Daniels (ribs) left the game in the opening frame, the Washington offense looked just as potent, providing Seibert with ample scoring opportunities. Seibert remains a high-end kicker heading into a Week 8 tilt against the Chicago Bears.

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Ray Davis Oct 20 7:50pm ET
Ray Davis

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis ran the football five times for 41 yards and a touchdown in the team's 34-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans. The rookie also caught one pass for six yards. Davis' touchdown came on Buffalo's final drive with under two minutes remaining. The fourth-round pick took the carry for 16 yards into paydirt. Most of Davis' production happened in the second half. James Cook returned to the lineup and dominated touches and snaps in the first half. Following his great stat line against the Jets, Davis cemented himself as one of the top handcuffs in fantasy football. Unless Cook suffers another injury, Davis should stay on fantasy football benches.

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Dante Fowler Oct 20 7:50pm ET
Dante Fowler

The Washington Commanders defense enjoyed their best performance of the season against the Carolina Panthers. They held the Panthers to just seven points, their lowest total of the campaign. In addition, linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. got on the board early with a pick-six in the opening quarter off Andy Dalton. Fowler would also tally one of the two sacks, with linebacker Frankie Luvu registering the other. After struggling against Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry last weekend, the Commanders defense enjoyed a dominant performance this weekend. The Commanders remain a risky streaming option as they have been unable to find consistency through extended periods of the season. Next week, they will face rookie Caleb Williams, who has averaged 265.0 passing yards per game with six total scores in his past two games.

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Roman Wilson Oct 20 7:50pm ET
Roman Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (hamstring) is inactive for Sunday's meeting with the New York Jets. The 23-year-old made his debut against the Raiders, although he didn't do anything on the statistical end. But Wilson is now battling a hamstring injury, so he'll be back on the shelf for Week 7. He wasn't a vital component of the offense during his debut. But Wilson's absence could mean and extra target or two for George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, and Calvin Austin III.

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Keon Coleman Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Keon Coleman

Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman caught four of his seven targets for 125 yards in the team's 34-10 win over the Tennessee Titans. The rookie more than doubled his previous career-high mark for receiving yards. Most of his yardage came on two plays: a 44-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter and a 57-yard gain in the fourth. He nearly scored a touchdown on another play but was it overturned to incomplete after a review. The presence of Amari Cooper may have eased the defensive attention on Coleman, but the veteran will eventually eat into his snaps as well. The rookie will be a boom-or-bust wide receiver for fantasy football managers again in Week 8.

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Tyler Conklin Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Tyler Conklin

New York Jets tight end Tyler Conklin (hip) will play on Sunday night against the Steelers. The veteran was questionable for this one because of a hip injury. However, he carried the same designation ahead of the Week 6 matchup with the Bills, so this update isn't surprising. With that said, Conklin has only 19 catches this season, so he's not a viable fantasy option. The arrival of Davante Adams also means he will see less attention from Aaron Rodgers moving ahead.

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Zach Ertz Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Zach Ertz

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz caught four of his five targets for 40 yards and a score in their victory over the Carolina Panthers. This was the first time Ertz found the end zone in the DMV. The veteran tight end became a key part of the Washington offense once Marcus Mariota replaced Jayden Daniels (ribs). Even though Ertz was productive with Daniels, he seemed to have a strong connection with Mariota, as he finished with the third-most targets and second-most yards on the team. The 33-year-old has now tallied double-digit PPR points in back-to-back games and remains a solid low-end TE1 heading into Week 8.

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Ben Sinnott Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Ben Sinnott

Washington Commanders rookie tight end Ben Sinnott caught his first two passes in the NFL and found the end zone in their Week 7 victory over the Carolina Panthers. The Kansas State product found the end zone in the third quarter on a three-yard pass from Marcus Mariota, which extended their lead to an impressive five scores. The second-round selection in this year's draft has been held off the scoresheet through the first six weeks but was finally able to make an impact. For now, fantasy managers in redraft formats should leave Sinnott on the waiver wire, but if he continues to see an increasing role in the offense, he could be worth a speculative stash in deeper formats.

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Dalton Kincaid Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Dalton Kincaid

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid caught three of his six targets for 52 yards in the team's 34-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans. The pedestrian total was actually Kincaid's season-high mark for receiving yards, which says a lot about his production so far this season. Kincaid was about a yard away from scoring a touchdown in the third quarter. Josh Allen found Ty Johnson two plays later for the score. With Amari Cooper now on the roster, Kincaid drops to the third option in the passing game. He'll be a low-end TE1 against the Seattle Seahawks next weekend.

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Marcus Mariota Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Marcus Mariota

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota went 18-for-23 with 205 yards and two passing scores in relief of Jayden Daniels (ribs), who left the game in the first quarter. Mariota added 34 yards on 11 rushing attempts. The veteran QB did not face much trouble in relief as the Commanders were overpowering Carolina the entire evening. The former Oregon product found both tight ends, Zach Ertz and Ben Sinnott, in the end zone. He connected with Terry McLaurin all evening as he finished with a team-high 98 yards on six catches. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Daniels' status during the week, as Mariota could be in line to start next weekend against the Chicago Bears.

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Andy Dalton Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Andy Dalton

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 93 yards and two interceptions off 11-for-16 passing in Sunday's blowout to the Washington Commanders. Nothing was going right for the Panthers offense in Week 7, resulting in Bryce Young entering late when the game was out of reach. As a result, many wondered if Young would be back under center moving ahead. However, that doesn't appear to be the case, with head coach Dave Canales stating postgame that the team is "committed" to Dalton moving ahead. The veteran signal-caller has played better than expected since taking over for Young, so fantasy managers in multi-QB formats can consider him a starting option in Week 8 against the Broncos.

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Brian Robinson Jr. Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Brian Robinson Jr.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. had a productive day in his return as he tallied 71 yards on the ground off 12 attempts and found the end zone for the sixth time this season. He did not see a target in the passing game. The Commanders got ahead of Carolina quite early and gave their rusher a limited workload in the second half as the game was out of hand. However, the 25-year-old looked healthy after his Week 6 absence due to a knee injury as he reclaimed his typical short-yardage role. Robinson should be locked into all lineups as an RB2 next weekend against the Chicago Bears.

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Austin Ekeler Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Austin Ekeler

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler had a quiet showing in their Week 7 dismantling of the Carolina Panthers. Ekeler ran the ball just four times for a mere 17 yards. In the passing game, he brought in both of his targets just three yards. This was his lowest output of the season, both on the ground and through the air. However, the game script for the pass-catching back was not too positive, as the Commanders were up by multiple scores all evening. Fantasy managers in PPR leagues should continue to view Ekeler as a low-end flex option heading into their Week 8 tilt against the Chicago Bears.

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Terry McLaurin Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Terry McLaurin

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin led all Washington pass-catchers with 98 yards in their victory over the Carolina Panthers. He brought in all six of his targets, which tied for a team-high. Even though he was without his QB1 through most of the game, the 29-year-old has continued his impressive stretch as he has tallied at least 15.0 PPR points in every game since Week 3. During this span, McLaurin found the end zone four times and has been the clear lead option in the Washington air attack. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring Jayden Daniels' status (ribs) throughout the week, but McLaurin remains a safe, high-end WR2 facing the Chicago Bears next weekend.

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Dorian Thompson-Robinson Oct 20 7:20pm ET
Dorian Thompson-Robinson

According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (finger) may have avoided a severe injury. However, his availability moving forward will be determined based on "how he responds to treatment and how he can grip a football." With Deshaun Watson (Achilles) going down in the Week 7 meeting with the Bengals, DTR took over under center, throwing for 82 yards off 11-for-24 passing, adding 44 yards off three carries. But after he was injured, Jameis Winston entered the contest. Cleveland will next meet the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8. Still, no matter who is throwing the ball, fantasy managers will have a tough time trusting any Browns quarterback until the offense shows signs of life.

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Amari Cooper Oct 20 7:20pm ET
Amari Cooper

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper caught four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown in his first game with the team. Cooper, acquired via trade last week, scored on his first reception of the game in the third quarter. The 30-year-old wasn't deployed as often as other Buffalo wide receivers as he was still learning the playbook. On his touchdown, he appeared to ask rookie Keon Coleman what the play was before the ball was snapped. His involvement will only increase moving forward and should take snaps from Coleman and Mack Hollins. He'll be a WR2 when the Bills travel to Seattle next weekend.

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Khalil Shakir Oct 20 7:20pm ET
Khalil Shakir

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir caught all seven of his targets for 65 yards in the team's victory over the Tennessee Titans. Shakir was well on his way to a dud performance until Buffalo's first drive of the fourth quarter. Josh Allen threw three straight passes to the slot receiver for 24 yards. Amari Cooper caught one pass, and then Allen went right back to Shakir for two more catches for 26 yards. Cooper's arrival in Buffalo won't impact Shakir's playing time. He operates almost exclusively from the slot and does not often see the field in two-receiver sets. He'll be in the flex conversation next week against the Seattle Seahawks.

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Kayshon Boutte Oct 20 7:10pm ET
Kayshon Boutte

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte caught one of his two targets for 33 yards during Sunday's Week 7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The second-year receiver wasn't able to replicate his impressive Week 6 stat line that included a touchdown, but he was still heavily involved. He finished Sunday's contest with 50 snaps (most among Patriots wide receivers) and 37 routes run (most among all Patriots players). Boutte is off the redraft radar going forward but remains an intriguing dynasty stash as he continues to earn meaningful offensive snaps.

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Josh Allen Oct 20 7:10pm ET
Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen completed 21 of 33 pass attempts for 323 yards and two touchdowns in the team's 34-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans. He rushed three times for one yard. Allen was on his way to a respectable, but not great, stat line until the fourth quarter. He tossed his second touchdown to running back Ty Johnson and added 125 passing yards to his total on the two subsequent drives. Allen's first score was a red zone strike to the newly acquired Amari Cooper. He and the healthy return of Khalil Shakir give Allen reliable options in the passing game. Allen and the Bills will travel to Seattle for their Week 8 matchup.

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