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
Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 11
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle grades as a high-end RB3 heading into Monday night's matchup with the Houston Texans. Mike McCarthy stated earlier this week that there is no more committee in Dallas, although that has become increasingly evident over the past month with Dowdle's usage ramping up. With guaranteed volume he is startable, but his ceiling remains limited due to the downturn of the Cowboys' offense without quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring). Dowdle is a volume-based play in Week 11 against a Houston defense that ranks seventh against opposing running backs.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (neck) popped up on the first injury report of the week, although he was a full participant. Head coach Mike McCarthy said after last week's blowout loss that the team would continue to roll with Rush as the starter heading into Week 11's Monday night matchup with Houston. The veteran backup will need to play better in order to keep the job with Trey Lance behind him on the depth chart. He is off the fantasy radar even in formats that use multiple quarterbacks against a stout Houston defense.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown still hasn't found the end zone since Week 6, but he did lead the team in receiving yards on Thursday night in the victory over the Washington Commanders. The superstar wideout ended the game with five receptions for 65 yards on eight targets. This was his second-lowest yardage total of the season so far, but he got into double-digit fantasy points in PPR formats. Unfortunately, for the receivers, Saquon Barkley took this game over on the ground. Brown will look ahead to some extra rest before the Week 12 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts put together a solid fantasy outing using his legs during the 26-18 win over the Washington Commanders. The star signal-caller ended up with 221 yards and no touchdowns while throwing 18-for-28 and added 10 carries for 39 yards and one score. The trusty goal line carries came in handy yet again for Hurts in this matchup after not being able to find as much success scoring-wise through the air. One thing to monitor going into Week 12 is the head injury that Hurts suffered in the first half. He went through some concussion protocol before coming back for the second half, but fantasy managers will want to stay tuned in case anything comes out of that.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley put up a humongous game against their NFC East rivals on Thursday night. The veteran back finished the 26-18 win with 146 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries while adding two receptions for 52 yards. His two scores came within about 30 seconds of each other and pushed the Eagles' lead from 12-10 to 26-10. With this performance, Barkley has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the season and he currently sits at the RB2 in half-PPR formats. For the time being, he also leads the league in rushing yards until Derrick Henry plays this week. Barkley will look to use the added rest to run wild against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Eagles running back Saquon Barkley had 146 rushing yards, two catches, 52 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a win against Washington. Dynasty Analysis: Barkley just continues to roll this season and tonight's game put him well over 1,000 rushing yards in just ten games. When you add in his nine total touchdowns, you have a running back making a run at overall RB1 status. Barkley looks rejuvenated in the Philadelphia offense and while there are always going to be concerns about possible injuries, he's looking a lot like the player who dominated fantasy football at times early in his career.
Dynasty | Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 22-of-32 passes for 191 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a loss against the Eagles. Dynasty Analysis: After looking unstoppable early in the season, Daniels has now had two games where he's simply looked like a rookie. This is likely just a blip on the radar, but disappointing nonetheless. Daniels will look to get back on track but dynasty managers are clearly hoping this isn't the start of Daniels hitting a rookie wall. If anything, it could also open a quick buy low window for him in dynasty leagues. It's going to take a lot more than this to make him drop down in our dynasty rankings.
Dynasty | Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin had one catch for ten yards in a loss against the Eagles. Dynasty Analysis: Philadelphia clearly wanted to take McLaurin out of the game and they succeeded in doing so, Still, this is a shock as McLaurin has been one of the most dependable receivers all season. Dynasty managers shouldn't hesitate in using him moving forward as this likely nothing more than one bad game. McLaurin's dynasty value is actually on the rise of late as he's been paired with a stud quarterback in Washington.
Philadelphia Eagles TE Dallas Goedert caught all five of his targets for 61 yards against the Washington Commanders on Thursday, Nov. 14.
Fantasy Spin: In his second game back from injury, Goedert was more involved, matching A.J. Brown with five receptions and finishing just four yards behind him. It was the best we've seen from him in a game where both Brown and DeVonta Smith were available. With that in mind, the question becomes, is that all we can hope for from Goedert in an offense that hasn't completed 20 passes since Week 3? At this stage, he's a borderline TE1 that can be tried in the right matchups, but he lacks weekly appeal.
From TheHuddle
Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley posted 26 carries for 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns during a Week 11 win over the Washington Commanders. Barkley also caught two passes (on three targets) for 52 yards.
Fantasy Spin: Barkley wound up just two yards short of 200 total yards on Thursday night. Incredibly, he came within one yard of that mark in Week 9 against the Jaguars, scoring twice in that one as well. While he's hit or miss with the touchdowns due to Jalen Hurts' goal-line abilities, Barkley rates as an elite RB1.
From TheHuddle
Washington Commanders TE Zach Ertz had six receptions (on seven targets) for 47 yards and a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. He also caught a pass for a two-point conversion.
Fantasy Spin: Both the touchdown and conversion happened in the final minute of the game, so they had no impact on the outcome, but they still counted for fantasy owners. The veteran tight end is a nice safety blanket for Jayden Daniels, but he hasn't produced the weekly numbers to be more than a fantasy backup in leagues large enough to warrant carrying a TE2.
From TheHuddle
Washington Commanders WR Noah Brown was targeted four times, catching one pass for four yards against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11.
From TheHuddle
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz converted seven targets into six catches for 47 yards and one touchdown during Thursday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Ertz found the end zone with 31 seconds left and proceeded to earn an "octopus" by adding a successful two-point conversion catch one play later. Ertz has been a top-12 fantasy tight end this season and continued to put together a strong age-34 campaign as he finished Week 11 with more catches, yards, and touchdowns than all of Washington's wide receivers combined.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders RB Austin Ekeler led the team in targets (9), receptions (8), and receiving yards (89) versus the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11. He also ran the ball twice for seven yards.
Fantasy Spin: On a night when the Eagles locked down Washington on the outside, Ekeler was Jayden Daniels' primary target, ultimately falling just shy of 100 total yards even with Brian Robinson back in action. The veteran back is a capable flex option that can creep into RB3 territory some weeks.
From TheHuddle
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin caught just one of two targets for 10 yards during Thursday's Week 11 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a painfully unproductive performance from McLaurin, but he still managed to lead the Commanders' wide receivers in targets and yardage. The veteran receiver's streak of scoring 14-plus fantasy points (PPR) has ended at eight games. He'll look to bounce back as a mid-to-high fantasy WR2 heading into next week against the Dallas Cowboys.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. rushed 16 times for 63 yards and one touchdown during Thursday's Week 11 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He also converted his lone target into a nine-yard reception. Robinson had missed Washington's last two contests due to injury but picked up right where he left off Thursday, scoring his sixth touchdown over the last six games. The 25-year-old ranks as a mid-to-low fantasy RB2 heading into next week's game against the Dallas Cowboys.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler rushed for just seven yards on two carries during Thursday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He was much more heavily involved in the passing game, catching eight of his nine targets for an additional 89 yards through the air. The veteran running back was the Commanders' leading receiver as quarterback Jayden Daniels threw a heavy amount of short-range passes on Thursday night. The 29-year-old has posted at least 17 fantasy points (PPR) in each of his last three games and should be treated as a strong RB3 option going into Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 22 of his 32 pass attempts for 191 yards, one touchdown, and one interception during Thursday's Week 11 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He also took three sacks and rushed for just 18 yards on seven attempts. Daniels got off to an incredibly hot start in his rookie season, but he has quieted down over the last two games, tallying one touchdown, one turnover, six sacks, and 23 rushing yards during that span. This year's No. 2 overall pick still has an impressive track record through just half a season in the NFL and should be treated as a mid-to-low fantasy QB1 heading into Week 11 versus Dallas.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown caught just one of four targets for four yards during Thursday's Week 11 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Although Brown had his quietest game of the season, it's still promising given that he led the Commanders' wide receiver room in snaps, targets, and routes run. He was even more involved than Terry McLaurin. Brown should be treated as a high-end fantasy WR4 heading into next week's battle with the Dallas Cowboys.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets kicker Anders Carlson is likely to handle the kicking duties during the Week 11 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. It has been musical chairs at the kicker spot for the Jets over the last few weeks. Carlson figures to become the fourth kicker for the team over the four games. Spencer Shrader was kicking for the Jets last week, but he has been signed to the Kansas City Chiefs active roster. Carlson is 5-for-5 on field goal attempts this season from his two-game run with the San Francisco 49ers. Carlson struggled as a rookie last season, but maybe can settle down with the Jets and become their full-time kicker.
From RotoBaller
