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
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. Since Smith showed no signs of the injury during the Eagles' Week 9 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the severity of the injury is currently unknown. Smith has started to heat up over the last couple of weeks. He has scored a touchdown and reached at least 85 receiving yards in each of the last two weeks. With fellow wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee) also limited on Wednesday, the Eagles will have to hope that they will have both of their star wide receivers available in Week 10. Smith checks into Week 10 as the WR17 in PPR formats. He has reached that number despite missing a game due to injury, recording one catch in another, and already having his bye. As such, he has been an excellent fantasy asset in 2024. This is a situation worth monitoring as soft tissue injuries tend to linger.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker bounced back in a big way from Week 8 to Week 9. He finished as the K4 after he knocked through a 34 and 37-yarder while making all five of his extra-point attempts. While the Ravens' offense continues to be elite, it only raises the value of Tucker in all fantasy formats. In Week 10, he'll go up against the Cincinnati Bengals and he finished as the K6 the last time these teams met in Week 5. Fantasy managers can continue to rely on Tucker as he's looked more consistent after his shaky start to the year.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons LB JD Bertrand (concussion) and LB Matt Judon (illness) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6. DT Grady Jarrett (Achilles), OG Chris Lindstrom (knee) and DE James Smith-Williams (leg) were limited during practice. LB Troy Andersen (knee) and C Drew Dalman (ankle) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, unfortunately, ended his string of solid fantasy outings in Week 9 as he finished in TE3 territory. Heading into a Week 10 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals gives him some new hope to return to TE1 though. Isaiah Likely (hamstring) has been ruled out so Andrews should see more than 50% of the snaps on Thursday night. During the first time these two teams matched up this year, Andrews received five targets and ended up with four receptions for 55 yards. The Bengals give up the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, so the added opportunities against a weaker defense should mean TE1 potential for the veteran.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets CB Michael Carter II (back), OG Jake Hanson (hamstring), OT Morgan Moses (knee), LB C.J. Mosley (neck), OG John Simpson (groin), OT Tyron Smith (non-injury), DE Solomon Thomas (knee) and OG Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6. S Ashtyn Davis (concussion) and LB Chazz Surratt (hamstring) were limited during practice. S Tony Adams (hamstring) was limited during practice.
From TheHuddle
New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers (hamstring, knee) fully participated in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Fantasy Spin: Rodgers is coming off one his better games of the season and has thrown five touchdowns and zero interceptions over the last two games. He can be a starting option in two-quarterback leagues but probably can be avoided in standard leagues.
From TheHuddle
New York Giants WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles), DT Dexter Lawrence (non-injury) and OG Greg Van Roten (shoulder) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6. PK Graham Gano (hamstring), P Jamie Gillan (hamstring), TE Theo Johnson (back, knee) and LB Ty Summers (ankle) were limited during practice.
From TheHuddle
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers has gained some momentum over the past couple of weeks and now has three weeks with finishes in WR1 territory. He also has two more finishes as a WR2, but now has more competition for targets with Diontae Johnson getting integrated into the offense a bit further. While Johnson only played in 30% of the snaps in Week 9, that will likely increase in Week 10 against the Bengals. Flowers surpassed the 100-yard mark against the Bengals in Week 5 and this game has the makings of another shootout just like their 41-38 contest. So, he should still have WR2 potential.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson played in 30% of the team's offensive snaps during their Week 9 win over the Denver Broncos. Head coach John Harbaugh even said that they planned to ease him into the offense for his first game. Now, with a game under his belt, the Ravens take on the Cincinnati Bengals in a short week. Without the full week of practice, it's unlikely that Johnson has that much bigger of a grasp on the offense, but he's also no stranger to AFC North matchups from his time in Pittsburgh. Zay Flowers remains the number-one option, but Johnson could get some opportunities if it turns into another shootout.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday, according to Brian Batko of PGSportsNow. Fields was inactive last weekend with a hamstring injury and could be in danger of sitting out in Week 10. Fields was moved to the backup spot on the depth chart in Week 7 in favor of Russell Wilson. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Fields' status throughout the week, as he could once again serve as the emergency option while Kyle Allen moves up to the backup position. During the first six weeks of the season, Fields averaged a solid 21.4 PPR points with 10 total scores. Fields remains a high-upside handcuff option in deeper superflex formats for the time being.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens DE Brent Urban (concussion) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6, and has been ruled out for Week 10. CB Jalyn Armour-Davis (knee) was limited during practice and is listed as doubtful. RB Rasheen Ali (ankle) and RB Keaton Mitchell (knee) fully participated in practice but are listed as questionable. LB Adisa Isaac (illness), DT Travis X. Jones (ankle), OG Patrick Mekari (shoulder), WR Tylan Wallace (foot) and DE Broderick Washington (knee) fully participated in practice and are not on the injury report.
From TheHuddle
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (fibula) is "getting close" to a return to practice, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN. Teicher further noted that his return is unlikely to happen this week. The former seventh-round selection is still recovering from a fractured fibula he suffered during Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, as he could be quickly approaching a return. In his limited play this season, the Rutgers product averaged an impressive 16.0 PPR points per game across the first two weeks. For now, fantasy managers should continue to expect Kareem Hunt to operate as the lead back but to eventually cede those duties to Pacheco when he returns to action.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring), OT Cornelius Lucas (ankle) and PK Austin Seibert (hip) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6. DE Dorance Armstrong (shoulder), C Tyler Biadasz (thumb), DE Clelin Ferrell (knee), LB Dante Fowler (groin) and OT Andrew Wylie (shoulder) were limited during practice. CB Noah Igbinoghene (thumb) and DT Phidarian Mathis (head) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (knee) fully participated in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6, and is not on the injury report for Week 10.
Fantasy Spin: Jackson seems to be dealing with a minor injury but should not have any limitations this week against the Cincinnati Bengals. He is a must-start option in all fantasy leagues when healthy.
From TheHuddle
Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring) is expected to practice on Wednesday, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. In addition, Standig reported that the coaching staff is "really going to push it this week." Fantasy managers should monitor his status throughout the week, but this is a positive sign for his availability for this weekend's tilt against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last weekend, Robinson was a game-time decision but was eventually ruled out. In his absence, Austin Ekeler and Chris Rodriguez Jr. saw the majority of carries out of the backfield. If Robinson were to miss his second straight game, Ekeler should be viewed as a solid RB2, with Rodriguez becoming a viable flex option in deeper formats.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry remains atop the position in fantasy this season and it doesn't look like he'll be letting go of that lead any time soon. The King faces off against the Cincinnati Bengals in a short week, but the last time these two teams faced off, Henry was able to find the end zone while compiling 92 yards on 15 carries. The game turned into a shootout, so he wasn't involved the whole way through. While that could happen again, Henry receives opportunities early and often, and he has a solid history on Thursday night as he's registered 685 yards and nine touchdowns on 134 carries in eight career Thursday night games.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (ankle) is expected to practice in full on Wednesday according to Adam Teicher of ESPN. Mahomes suffered an ankle injury during last Monday's victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but did not have to miss any action. Fantasy managers should monitor the 29-year-old's status throughout the week in case he faces a setback but he should be expected to start on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Last Monday, Mahomes scored a season-high 27.5 PPR points as he threw three scores with 291 yards. This was his first time this season that he tallied three scores in a single game. Despite his mediocre showings throughout this season, fantasy managers should continue to view him as a top-12 option going forward.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders TE Zach Ertz (non-injury) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Fantasy Spin: Ertz is coming off his worst game of the season but should be more involved in the passing game this week. He can be considered a low-end No. 1 tight end in some deeper fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (hamstring) has been ruled out for Thursday's tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Likely was unable to participate in any practice sessions this week and will set his sights on returning in Week 11 to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last weekend, the 24-year-old was held off the box score and saw just one target his way. Since Week 6, the tight end has averaged a mere 4.3 PPR points per game, which is a stark contrast to the 10.4 PPR points he averaged during the first five weeks of the season. Fantasy managers should expect Mark Andrews to see the vast majority of snaps at the position and be viewed as a solid TE1 and a strong flex option in DFS contests.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts LB Zaire Franklin (ankle) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Nov. 6. OT Matt Goncalves (finger, shoulder), DE Dayo Odeyingbo (elbow), OT Bernhard Raimann (concussion) and OT Braden Smith (knee) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
