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.
Carolina Panthers rookie first-round wide receiver Xavier Legette (foot) returned to training camp practice on Monday after missing several days with a foot injury. In addition to missing some valuable practice time at the end of last week, Legette was also forced to sit out of the preseason opener last Thursday against the New England Patriots. It remains to be seen if the 23-year-old will play in the second preseason contest this Saturday against the New York Jets. The good news is that he's now back on the field as he tries to get up to speed for his first NFL campaign in 2024. Carolina's offense should have nowhere to go but up after last year's struggles, but with the addition of Diontae Johnson and the presence of veteran Adam Thielen, Legette could have trouble being anything more than an occasional big-play threat for fantasy managers in his rookie season.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (undisclosed) won't come off the Physically Unable to Perform list this week and is considered week-to-week with an undisclosed ailment. It was originally believed that Beckham would be fine to play for the Week 1 regular-season opener in early September, but that sentiment is now changing since he's still on the PUP list as we head into the second week of the preseason. When healthy, the 31-year-old pass-catcher is expected to serve as the team's WR4 behind Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Braxton Berrios. OBJ failed to stand out with 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns in 14 regular-season games for Baltimore in a receiving corps that had much more opportunity than his current situation in Miami. Beckham is currently being drafted in just 2% of Yahoo leagues.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver D.J. Montgomery reeled in two of his four targets for 45 yards in the team's loss on Sunday, leading all Colts' pass-catchers. Montgomery saw increased playing time as the Colts' starters and second-stringers played sparingly in the first half, allowing some players deeper on the depth chart to get some reps. Montgomery will continue to fight for a spot on the 53-man roster and is off the radar from a fantasy perspective.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (ankle) limped off the practice field on Sunday and the team thought it was a minor ankle sprain at the time. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, it looks like the mild ankle sprain has been confirmed and Nabers seems to be considered day-to-day. The Giants are likely to play it safe with their prized first-round pick, so fantasy managers will want to stay tuned for updates as the week progresses. Starting quarterback Daniel Jones is expected to play in the team's next preseason contest, so getting Nabers some reps with Jones is the ideal situation. We'll have to wait on some more official updates as the game gets closer.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams (ankle) suffered an ankle injury which is going to cause him to miss a significant amount of time. Head coach Raheem Morris was the one to deliver that news while speaking with the media, but the second-year safety has not landed on the IR just yet. Hellams was a seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and was listed as the backup strong safety in the unofficial depth chart behind Richie Grant. Lukas Denis is the next one up to get some playing time with the backups as training camp rolls along.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts running back Evan Hull carried the ball eight times for 16 yards and a touchdown in the team's loss to the Denver Broncos. Hull also reeled in his only target for an additional 15 yards through the air. Hull led all of Indy's running backs in touches, seeing one more carry than Tyler Goodson. Hull is currently listed as the RB4 on the team's depth chart, and with an injury to Trey Sermon, he will try to climb further up the depth chart to potentially land the RB2 role in the offense. Unless he finds himself in the mix for the RB2 role behind Jonathan Taylor, Hull will be off the fantasy radar in 2024.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger completed five of his six passes for 80 yards in the team's loss, his only incompletion resulting in an interception. The Colts played five quarterbacks in Sunday's contest, with Ehlinger playing behind Richardson and Flacco, solidifying his spot as the QB3 in this offense. The former Longhorn will compete with Kedon Slovis and Jason Bean for the role, and all three will be off the fantasy radar heading into the 2024 season.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts running back Tyler Goodson ran the ball seven times for 15 yards and scored a touchdown in the team's preseason loss against the Denver Broncos. Goodson also caught both of his targets for just one extra yard through the air. Goodson was featured early in the game, seeing touches directly after the Colts' starters played the opening drive. With Trey Sermon suffering an injury in today's game. Goodson will continue to compete for the RB2 role, as he's currently slated to be the RB3 in Indy's offense. Depending on the severity of Sermon's injury, Goodson could have some fantasy relevancy as Jonathan Taylor's handcuff but would be largely off the radar otherwise.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson completed two of his four passes for 25 yards in the team's loss to the Denver Broncos. He also ran the ball once for an additional yard on the ground. Richardson and most of the Colts' offensive starters played just the first two drives in today's matchup before being taken out. With his strong arm, rushing upside, and sound offensive scheme, Richardson is a high-end QB1 in fantasy for 2024.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey picked up where he left off last season in the first Cowboys preseason game, kicking four field goals in five tries. Aubrey's made kicks came from 30, 36, 38, and 52 yards out, while his miss was from 65. Aubrey was the top scoring kicker in most fantasy formats last season, and even in fantasy football's most volatile position, there's no reason to think he won't be at least top-five again this year.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Brooks made a big catch in Sunday's preseason game loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Brooks was targeted twice, making both catches for 49 yards. One of his catches was the biggest play of the game for Dallas, a 43-yard completion tossed from quarterback Cooper Rush. Brooks played in seven games last season, making six catches on six targets, mostly playing on special teams. He's coming into the season fourth at best on the wide receiver depth chart, but has some upside possible for patient fantasy managers/
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (ankle) said he expects to be on the field when the team resumes practice on Tuesday, Aug. 13.
From TheHuddle
Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis led the Cowboys backfield in carries and yards in a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. Davis ran the ball eight times, gaining 18 yards, with a long of just four. The rest of the Cowboys backfield combined for just nine carries, so Davis had his chances in this one, but didn't do a ton with them. He was also targeted five times in the passing game, catching two passes for 20 yards. The second-year running back will be third at best on the depth chart, well behind Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle, and likely behind Royce Freeman as well.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (ankle) expects to practice when the team returns to the field on Tuesday, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. The veteran quarterback clarified that his ankle is "fine" even though soreness held him out of Dallas' preseason opener. Given that Prescott will practice on Tuesday, fantasy managers can let out a sigh of relief knowing that the Dallas quarterback avoided a serious injury. He remains on track to start for Dallas in Week 1, ranking as a low-end QB1 option in most redraft leagues.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (thigh) missed practice on Sunday, according to NFL insider Nick Underhill. The rookie signal-caller reportedly suffered a slight thigh bruise, but he received treatment on Sunday and is expected to return for the Saints' next practice. One would have to imagine that Rattler suffered the injury during the Saints' preseason game on Saturday. The fact that he expects to return for the team's next practice is a good sign given that he's locked into a serious competition with Jake Haener for the backup quarterback role. Rattler and Haener will continue to showcase themselves through the remainder of training camp and the preseason.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance played most of the Cowboys preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. Lance attempted 41 passes, completing 25 of them for 188 yards. He did not throw a touchdown but also did not turn the ball over. He did take three sacks, losing 16 yards. On the ground, he rushed six times for 44 yards, including a long of 19. Lance wasn't particularly impressive in this one, but he will continue to battle with Cooper Rush for the Cowboys backup job behind starter Dak Prescott.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (quad) returned to practice on Sunday following a multi-week absence, according to a video from Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Acquired from the Cincinnati Bengals during the offseason, Mixon now appears to be 100 percent and on track to lead the Houston backfield when the NFL season kicks off in a few weeks. Dameon Pierce may push to earn some touches in 2024, but Mixon, who tallied 1,410 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns last year, is their lead back and should be valued accordingly. He's a fringe top-12 running back in redraft fantasy football leagues.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali (undisclosed) sustained a stinger partway through Friday's preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Brian Wacker of the Baltimore Sun. As a result, he was absent from practice on Sunday. Ali rushed a whopping 10 times in the contest but was held to just 26 yards on the ground. He should make the 53-man roster with Keaton Mitchell (knee) on the PUP list, but he'll need a strong camp and start to the season in order to gain a firm hold on his role within the Ravens' offense. For the time being, he fills a depth spot and can be avoided in most redraft leagues.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce expects to name his starting quarterback for Week 1 after the conclusion of next Saturday's preseason contest against the Dallas Cowboys, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. The competition is between incumbent starter Aidan O'Connell and free agent acquisition Gardner Minshew II, and it's possible that Pierce won't make up his mind on a starter until each quarterback plays at least one quarter next weekend. The Raiders aren't expected to have a terrific offense this year, but both O'Connell and Minshew have previously shown that they're capable of supporting fantasy-relevant production from their playmakers.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams tight end Miller Forristall hauled in three passes for 20 yards and a touchdown on three targets in Sunday's preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys. He caught the game-winning TD pass from Stetson Bennett late in the game as the Rams won 13-12. Forristall, a 26-year-old Alabama product, was the leading Rams tight end in the preseason contest on Sunday. As Tyler Higbee works back from a torn ACL, Forristall is behind Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen on the current unofficial depth chart. This performance should help him but he still has work to do to earn regular season reps.
From RotoBaller