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FFL: Week 10 | NFL: Week 10

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
Jake Ferguson Nov 11 1:00pm ET
Jake Ferguson

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson paced the team in receiving in the 34-6 blowout loss against Philadelphia on Sunday. Ferguson caught four passes for a team-high 24 yards in what was an abysmal showing from the Dallas offense. His fantasy ceiling has taken a hit with quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) likely done for the season. The 25-year-old is no longer a must-start entering Monday's matchup with Houston.

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Jalen Tolbert Nov 11 1:00pm ET
Jalen Tolbert

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert struggled along with the rest of the offense in the 34-6 loss to Philadelphia. The third-year receiver was targeted five times, catching three receptions for 14 yards. Tolbert has fallen off of the fantasy radar with quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) likely done for the year, as Cooper Rush and Trey Lance have not proven to be capable of supporting multiple pass catchers from a fantasy perspective.

From RotoBaller

Rico Dowdle Nov 11 12:50pm ET
Rico Dowdle

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle was the clear-cut lead back on Sunday in what was an abysmal offensive showing. Dowdle carried the ball 12 times for 53 yards and caught all three targets for just three yards. He ripped off a 19-yard run, good for the longest Dallas offensive play of the game. Dowdle appears entrenched as the top running back in the offense, although his value has taken a clear hit without quarterback Dak Prescott. He should be a matchup-dependent flex option moving forward.

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Ezekiel Elliott Nov 11 12:50pm ET
Ezekiel Elliott

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott only touched the ball six times in the blowout loss to Philadelphia on Sunday. Elliott was returning from a one-game internal suspension related to team conduct. He gained 22 yards on the ground and was not targeted in the passing game. Elliott remains off the fantasy radar as a handcuff to Rico Dowdle in what is now a defunct Dallas offense without quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring).

From RotoBaller

CeeDee Lamb Nov 11 12:50pm ET
CeeDee Lamb

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb saw a team-high 10 targets on Sunday in the 34-6 loss to Philadelphia. Lamb caught six of those passes, but only gained 21 yards. He also rushed once for a three yard gain. The Cowboys' star receiver's fantasy stock has taken a clear hit with quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) likely done for the season. He will look to bounce back next Monday night against Houston.

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Caleb Williams Nov 11 12:50pm ET
Caleb Williams

The Chicago Bears offense has been stagnant ever since the team's bye in Week 7, which has the team considering making a change at offensive play-caller entering Week 11 against the division-rival Green Bay Packers. Head coach Matt Eberflus said on Monday that the team was "in the middle of that process of that evaluation" about a possible switch away from offensive coordinator Shane Waldron calling the plays. Chicago's offense has produced just 27 points in their last three games combined after scoring 36 and 35 points, respectively, in Weeks 5 and 6. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams hasn't thrown a TD pass since Week 6, and the Bears offense hasn't scored a TD since Week 8. Nine games into the season, Chicago's offense ranks 31st in yards per play, 30th in yards per game, 30th in yards per pass, 28th in yards per carry, 32nd in sacks allowed per pass and 31st on third down.

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Cooper Rush Nov 11 12:40pm ET
Cooper Rush

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush had a poor outing in his first 2024 start as the Cowboys fell 34-6 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Rush completed 13-of-23 passes for just 45 yards, losing two fumbles in the game. He scrambled twice for two yards as well. Rush was pulled late in the game for Trey Lance, who did not look much better. It remains to be seen if Rush will maintain the starting job going into next week's Monday night game against Houston, but even if he does he is off the fantasy radar.

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Baker Mayfield Nov 11 12:40pm ET
Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl left tackle Tristan Wirfs (knee) has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain after undergoing an MRI exam and is expected to miss a couple of weeks, according to a source. Although it's bad news that Wirfs will have to miss time, it's a sign of relief for the Bucs that the injury wasn't worse. The 25-year-old was injured in the 23-20 loss to the visiting San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Week 10. With Wirfs now out for a couple of weeks, the expectation is that Justin Skule become a starter for a Tampa defense that continues to be hurt by injuries. It's more bad news for the blind-side protection for quarterback Baker Mayfield, who continues to make the most of what has become a very thin receiving corps with both Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle) injured.

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Trey Lance Nov 11 12:40pm ET
Trey Lance

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance stepped into the game late on Sunday, replacing a struggling Cooper Rush in what turned out to be a 34-6 blowout. The former third-overall pick struggled to get the offense going but did provide a bit more of a pop than Rush. Lance completed 4-of-6 passes for 21 yards and an interception while scrambling three times for 17 yards. Mike McCarthy has not named a starter for next Monday's matchup with Houston, but with how poorly Rush played there is a shot that Lance could draw his first start.

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Dak Prescott Nov 11 12:40pm ET
Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) is heading to New York on Monday to visit with a hamstring specialist, where he ultimately will make the decision on whether to have season-ending surgery for a hamstring avulsion that he suffered in the Week 9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Prescott's hamstring partially tore off his bone and will require six to eight weeks of recovery if he decides to avoid the surgical route. Either way, Prescott is unlikely to play again this year, but if he undergoes surgery, he'll be facing a three-month recovery period. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that Prescott is leaning towards having surgery. Fantasy managers can drop Prescott in single-year fantasy leagues at this point. Cooper Rush looked awful in his first start in Week 10 against the Eagles and could eventually give way to Trey Lance if things continue to go south in Week 11 versus the Houston Texans.

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Leonard Fournette Nov 11 12:30pm ET
Leonard Fournette

The Cincinnati Bengals are working out veteran free-agent running back Leonard Fournette on Monday. The Bengals apparently are considering adding to their RB room after Zack Moss (neck) suffered a season-ending injury in the Week 9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, despite trading for Khalil Herbert at the deadline last Tuesday. Chase Brown should operate as the team's unquestioned lead back moving forward, with Trayveon Williams as the RB3 behind Brown and Herbert. If the Bengals were to add Fournette, he'd almost certainly start on the practice squad before potentially working his way onto the active 53-man roster as additional RB depth. The 29-year-old veteran played in two games with the Bills in 2023 and has 12 carries for 40 yards on the ground. There's no guarantee that Lenny would find a significant role in Cincy if he were to be signed.

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Xavien Howard Nov 11 12:30pm ET
Xavien Howard

The Cincinnati Bengals are hosting four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard on a free-agent visit on Monday, according to sources. The Bengals are currently on the outside looking in on the AFC playoff picture, but their defense could use some help and experience in the secondary as they look to make a late-season playoff push. In addition to Howard, Cincy is working out free-agent running back Leonard Fournette on Monday. The 31-year-old Howard played in 13 games for the Miami Dolphins last year but was slowed by a foot injury late in the season. He should be fully healthy at this point after not joining a team for the start of the 2024 season. In his 13 games with Miami in 2023, Howard had 45 tackles (36 solo), an interception and 12 pass breakups.

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Diontae Johnson Nov 11 12:20pm ET
Diontae Johnson

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he'd expect new wide receiver Diontae Johnson to ramp up his snaps now that he's had enough practices with the team under his belt. Johnson was dealt from the Carolina Panthers to the Ravens before the trade deadline, but he's been a non-factor in his two games with the Ravens, catching just one of two targets for a six-yard gain. He wasn't targeted at all in his debut with Baltimore in the Week 9 win over the Denver Broncos. But now that the former Steeler has had enough practice reps, we should start to see him get more involved in the offense, starting in Week 11 in a big divisional clash against his former team in Pittsburgh. Still, Johnson will be a shaky WR3/flex option for fantasy managers in an offense with plenty of mouths to feed. Johnson's increased involvement is bad news for wideouts Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor.

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Keaton Mitchell Nov 11 12:20pm ET
Keaton Mitchell

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that running back Keaton Mitchell's role in the offense could expand moving forward. "I do see a little bit of a three-headed monster there," Harbaugh said of the team's backfield that also includes the NFL's leading rusher in Derrick Henry and pass-catching specialist Justice Hill. Mitchell finally recovered from a torn ACL that he suffered in his rookie season in 2023 to make his season debut in last Thursday night's one-point win over the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals, but the 22-year-old wasn't involved much, seeing two snaps on offense. He averaged 8.4 yards per carry and 10.3 yards per catch in eight games last year and has enough explosive abilities as a ball-carrier to warrant a bench stash in fantasy leagues down the stretch, especially if you also have Henry rostered.

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Jameis Winston Nov 11 12:10pm ET
Jameis Winston

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said coming out of the team's bye week that quarterback Jameis Winston remains the team's starting QB heading into their Week 11 contest against the Winston's former team, the New Orleans Saints. The 30-year-old veteran pulled off a surprising upset of the division-rival Baltimore Ravens in his first start in Week 8 but then fell flat against a tough Los Angeles Chargers defense in Week 9 before going on bye. Although Winston looked pretty bad before the bye, the Browns are going to give him another shot with Deshaun Watson (Achilles) done for the year. The alternative to Winston would be Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Winston doesn't exactly have the greatest supporting cast of receivers and should be considered an interception-prone, low-end QB2 in fantasy against a Saints D that hasn't been a great matchup for opposing QBs.

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Patrick Mahomes Nov 11 11:20am ET
Patrick Mahomes

The Denver Broncos defense/special teams unit failed to stand out in their 16-14 loss to the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10 on Sunday on the road. They did manage to get to quarterback Patrick Mahomes to sack him four times for a loss of 23 yards, and they also held the Chiefs offense to under 20 points. The Broncos D also held KC to only 57 rushing yards, but were unable to slow Mahomes down through the air, surrendering 243 yards through the air and one touchdown. It would have been a more fruitful day for Denver's defense had they been able to force the Chiefs into some turnovers, but that didn't turn out to be the case. Despite the down performance, the Broncos' D/ST is still a top-five unit in overall fantasy points and will have a chance to bounce back at home against the visiting Atlanta Falcons in Week 11.

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Jahmyr Gibbs Nov 11 11:20am ET
Jahmyr Gibbs

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs led the ground game in the team's 26-23 comeback win over the Houston Texans in Week 10. Gibbs carried the ball 19 times for 71 yards and caught two of his three targets for an additional 37 yards. He outpaced David Montgomery by seven carries, solidifying his lead role in the backfield for this game. However, this marks just the third game this season where he hasn't found the endzone or surpassed 15 fantasy points. He'll look to return to RB1 form in Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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David Montgomery Nov 11 11:20am ET
David Montgomery

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery contributed in the Lions' 26-23 win over the Houston Texans in Week 10, recording 12 carries for 32 yards, a touchdown, and a 24-yard catch. Montgomery scored his eighth rushing touchdown of the season on a short three-yard run in the third quarter, salvaging an otherwise modest fantasy outing. Since returning from the bye, Montgomery's fantasy production has dipped, reaching 15+ points in only one of the last five games after starting the season strong. Despite the recent slump, he remains a steady RB2 option, especially with his team-leading nine touchdowns. Montgomery will look to rebound in Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Amon-Ra St. Brown Nov 11 11:20am ET
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown delivered another top-10 fantasy performance in Week 10, securing six catches on eight targets for 60 yards and a touchdown in the 26-23 win over the Houston Texans. St. Brown extended his impressive touchdown streak to seven consecutive games while logging his sixth game with 18 or more fantasy points this season. With this consistent production, he currently ranks as a top-six fantasy WR for the 2024 season. St. Brown remains a must-start as he heads into Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Sam LaPorta Nov 11 11:20am ET
Sam LaPorta

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (shoulder) made a significant impact in the team's 26-23 win over the Houston Texans in Week 10, catching three of six targets for 66 yards and a touchdown. His performance earned him a TE4 finish for the week, marking his second-highest fantasy output this season. However, LaPorta exited the game early due to a shoulder injury. The Lions later reported an AC joint sprain, so LaPorta's status for Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars remains uncertain. Be sure to keep an eye on practice reports throughout this week. If he cannot play, expect Brock Wright to take over primary tight end pass-catching duties for Detroit.

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