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FFL: Week 2 | NFL: Week 2

RB Strength of Schedule

Tue May 28 9:03am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Robinson setup for big season


Using our rules for our money leagues, we came up with a schedule strength ranking for the running back 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 running backs last season from all of their opponents to get our fantasy points allowed number. This is a good indication of the running backs with the most favorable schedules for fantasy scoring for the coming season. Defenses obviously change from year to year, but knowing the running backs that might have the easiest schedule for fantasy is always a good idea when formulating your rankings and draft strategy.

  RB SOS  
1. Green Bay Packers 356.01
2. Houston Texans 361.46
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 361.46
4. Las Vegas Raiders 361.48
5. Seattle Seahawks 362.28
6. Buffalo Bills 363.19
7. Arizona Cardinals 363.76
8. Dallas Cowboys 363.9
9. Jacksonville Jaguars 364.51
10. Washington Commanders 364.86
11. Chicago Bears 364.89
12. Indianapolis Colts 365.41
13. San Francisco 49ers 365.86
14. New Orleans Saints 366.49
15. New York Jets 368.23
16. Detroit Lions 368.49
17. Philadelphia Eagles 369.05
18. Minnesota Vikings 369.06
19. Carolina Panthers 369.88
20. Cleveland Browns 370.34
21. Kansas City Chiefs 371.71
22. New York Giants 372.21
23. Los Angeles Chargers 373.19
24. Denver Broncos 373.32
25. Cincinnati Bengals 373.66
26. Los Angeles Rams 374.09
27. Baltimore Ravens 374.16
28. New England Patriots 375.60
29. Atlanta Falcons 376.19
30. Miami Dolphins 377.49
31. Tennessee Titans 378.2
32. Pittsburgh Steelers 378.72


The two teams with the easiest fantasy schedules for running backs are the Steelers and Titans, which is interesting because both teams could platoon running backs. The Steelers split the work between Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. And the Titans are likely to use both Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. All four backs could be setup for solid seasons with favorable schedules. It is always scary to take a back that might split work but seeing these positive schedules could make pulling the trigger on them a little easier come draft day. All four could be top flex plays for fantasy teams.

The Dolphins had huge success running the ball last year and could have similar solid production this season with the third easiest fantasy schedule for running backs. Devon Achane is really looking good in year two. He is expected to get more work and likely lead the backfield in touches. Raheem Mostert had a career season last year and a great schedule but he carries a little more risk. He is 32 years old and now has rookie Jaylen Wright pushing him for playing time. Just something to keep in mind come draft day.

The Falcons are another team with a top-five favorable running back schedule, making Bijan Robinson a very intriguing pick this year. Robinson had a bit of a disappointing rookie season, but a new coaching staff and really favorable schedule make Robinson a huge breakout candidate. He is moving up draft rankings in a hurry and is capable of finishing first overall in fantasy running back scoring because of his skill set.

Rhamondre Stevenson is a possible rebound candidate. He was slowed by injury last year but is back healthy and with the fifth easiest schedule for running backs. Stevenson has shown in the past he can be a big-time fantasy back. Things are looking up for him this year, making him a good buy-low candidate.

The Packers had the easiest fantasy schedule for quarterbacks but get the toughest for running backs. This isn’t great news for new back Josh Jacobs. It is hard to bet against the productive back, though. You just might want to temper expectations for him this coming year. Jacobs could have a few down weeks, especially for his standards.

The Texans signed Joe Mixon to shore up their running back spot, but he carries some concerns. He wasn’t highly productive the last few seasons besides all his scores and now gets the second toughest schedule for running backs. Plus, the Texans are likely to be a pass heavy team, which could limit his workload a little. Mixon could end up being a boom or bust player.

Tampa also has a unfavorable fantasy schedule for running backs. Rachaad White had a big season last year but padded his numbers because of all his work in the passing game. That might be a similar scenario for him, having a tough time to run with this schedule. The positive for White is he is very good in the passing game. You have to worry about his rushing totals, though.

The Raiders haven’t really settled on a starting running back, but Zamir White is likely to get first shot at the job. That is great news for his fantasy value but the not so great news is his tough fantasy schedule. This could limit the ceiling of White a little. He has risk to begin with because it isn’t 100 percent certain he wins the job. This makes him a bit of a scary pick for fantasy teams.

Kenneth Walker didn’t have quite the breakout second season many hoped but was fairly productive with his work. And the good news is Zach Charbonnet didn’t really put a big dent in his workload. The Seahawks seem happy with Walker as the lead back. The unfortunate news for Walker is he has the fifth toughest fantasy running back schedule. Walker might fail to reach his lofty expectations once again in year three.

We also wanted to look at playoff schedules for fantasy running backs. 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 running backs with the easiest playoff schedules doesn’t hurt by any means, especially in the big money contests.

  RB PLAYOFF SOS  
1. San Francisco 49ers 291.43
2. Washington Commanders 325.2
3. Houston Texans 327.8
4. Pittsburgh Steelers 332.03
5. New York Jets 337.57
6. Cleveland Browns 340.8
7. Las Vegas Raiders 341.1
8. Miami Dolphins 348.27
9. Chicago Bears 350.37
10. Buffalo Bills 350.53
11. Arizona Cardinals 352.8
12. Dallas Cowboys 358.87
13. Detroit Lions 359.7
14. New York Giants 365.67
15. Kansas City Chiefs 366.53
16. Green Bay Packers 368.97
17. Seattle Seahawks 370.23
18. Carolina Panthers 377.15
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 378.37
20. Los Angeles Chargers 380.73
21. Jacksonville Jaguars 381
22. Baltimore Ravens 381.43
23. Cincinnati Bengals 383.50
24. Philadelphia Eagles 391.07
25. New England Patriots 397.95
26. Indianapolis Colts 398.40
27. Denver Broncos 399.53
28. Tennessee Titans 401.63
29. Los Angeles Rams 403.92
30. New Orleans Saints 406.33
31. Minnesota Vikings 407.87
32. Atlanta Falcons 422.4

 

There are two teams with a top-five favorable schedule for fantasy running backs for both the regular season and playoffs. Those teams are the Falcons and Titans. Atlanta actually has the easiest fantasy playoff schedule for running backs. Robinson was looking good even before hearing this news but looks even better now. He is making a strong case to be the second running back off the board come draft day.

And Pollard and Spears are intriguing running back options with schedules that could produce big for both during the regular season and playoffs. You just have to worry about one back emerging to grab most of the work. If that happens, one of these backs could end up being a bust.

Minnesota has the second easiest playoff schedule for running backs. Aaron Jones has some injury concerns after the last few seasons, but he could be setup for a big workload with an unsettled quarterback situation in Minnesota. Jones has some good upside with his new team, especially during the playoffs.

One other team to mention for the playoff is New Orleans. Alvin Kamara isn’t getting any younger but remains the lead back and still productive. He still seems to have something left in the tank and could be a big fantasy factor for at least one more season, especially when it matters most in the playoffs. He could be a difference maker, having the third easiest fantasy schedule for running backs.

Houston is the lone team in both the top five for the toughest regular season and playoff fantasy running back schedules. This is an obvious concern for Mixon. He is looking more and more like a player you might to avoid come draft day. He might have some big games along the way in this great offense, but you have to wonder about his consistency and playoff performance.

So the top rated fantasy back, Christian McCaffrey, also has the toughest fantasy playoff schedule for running backs. You aren’t fading McCaffrey because of this. He is one of those rare backs that it doesn’t really matter who he plays. McCaffrey will produce. We still think he is the clear No. 1 fantasy back. He can still get it done in the playoffs.

Washington has Brian Robinson and Austin Ekekler likely splitting the work at running back, which hurts both their fantasy values. They also get the second most difficult playoff schedule for running backs. We wouldn’t reach too early for either back because of this.

The Steelers have the easiest fantasy running back schedule during the playoffs but fourth toughest for the playoffs. This is a tough one. Both backs have potential for good things, showing they can co-exist last year and produce well for fantasy teams. You just have to wonder if fading in the playoffs will make all that good work during the regular season all for nothing.

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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Fantasy Preview: Week 2

Player Notes
Deshaun Watson Sep 13 8:30pm ET
Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson turned in a disappointing outing in a Week 1 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The veteran signal-caller will look to bounce back in a road matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2. Jacksonville's defense struggled to contain opposing quarterbacks in 2023, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position and just over 18 fantasy points to Tua Tagovailoa in Week 1 this season. That being said, Watson's recent struggles don't evoke much confidence in him in fantasy, even in a favorable matchup. Treat him as a low-end QB2 heading into Week 2.

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Dallas Goedert Sep 13 8:10pm ET
Dallas Goedert

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert will take on the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football in Week 2. The veteran had a decent showing last week, catching all four of his targets for a modest 31 yards receiving. Compared to all of the other typically drafted tight ends for fantasy, that was a solid output last week. Goedert could be in for a larger workload on Monday due to star receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) popping up on the injury report this Friday as a limited practice participant. If Brown sits or is at less than 100% on Monday, Goedert has the chance to be No. 2 in the target pecking order for quarterback Jalen Hurts. The 29-year-old is a solid starting option for fantasy managers in Week 2.

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Jake Elliott Sep 13 8:10pm ET
Jake Elliott

Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott will face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2 on Monday night. The 29-year-old was perfect in the opener, nailing two short-field goals and converting all four of his extra-point attempts. While it was a good week for kickers around the league last week, Elliott remains a top-tier fantasy option going up against Atlanta, who just allowed Steelers kicker Chris Boswell to score six field goals against them in Week 1. Continue to fire up Elliott as an elite fantasy option in Week 2.

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Kirk Cousins Sep 13 8:10pm ET
Kirk Cousins

The Philadelphia Eagles defense will host the Kirk Cousins-led Atlanta Falcons in Week 2 on Monday night. The team was a mixed bag last week, flashing at times on defense in pass coverage with their new-look secondary but also failing to stop big plays from the likes of Jayden Reed in Brazil. As the unit continues to mesh, they face a much less potent Atlanta offense that struggled to put points on the board last week against the Steelers. Pittsburgh's defense looks like it will rank toward the top of the league again in 2024, but Philadelphia has a chance to capitalize against prime-time Kirk Cousins who looked shaky in his first start after having an Achilles injury last season. Consider the Eagles' defense on the streaming radar this week.

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DeVonta Smith Sep 13 8:00pm ET
DeVonta Smith

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith will take on the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night in Week 2. The 25-year-old had a solid performance in the regular season opener, nabbing seven of his eight targets and racking up 84 receiving yards. He was outdone by teammate A.J. Brown (hamstring) but may be forced into the No. 1 role with Brown being marked as a limited participant in Friday's practice. Fantasy managers should have confidence starting Smith regardless of Brown's status on Monday, but his upside could creep into WR1 territory if the star receiver is forced to sit this week out.

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Jahan Dotson Sep 13 8:00pm ET
Jahan Dotson

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jahan Dotson will take on the Atlanta Falcons in the Eagles' first true home game of the season on Monday night. The third-year receiver failed to catch his lone target last week during the team's win over the Green Bay Packers in Brazil but has the potential to see an increased role heading into Week 2. Star receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) was listed as a limited participant in Friday's practice and has the potential to either miss the game Monday or play at less than 100%. With no other real competition for targets behind him, Dotson could see an increase in snaps and routes run Monday night. He is not in serious consideration unless you are in a large league, but keep an eye on Dotson this week in case he proves that he needs to see more targets in the future.

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Jayden Daniels Sep 13 7:50pm ET
Jayden Daniels

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense was expected to do much better during the season opener against the Washington Commanders. This unit ranked 10th in terms of fantasy production last season, but had plenty of issues in the opener. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels rushed all over the field for 88 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't have too much success through the air, which is the Bucs biggest weakness on defense. The Bucs now head into a road matchup against the Detroit Lions in Week 2. Quarterback Jared Goff didn't have a great start to the season, but has enough passing weapons to do damage against the Bucs defense. This is looking like possible shootout which isn't good news for either defense. The Bucs defense will likely do the same if not worse in Week 2.

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Zach Charbonnet Sep 13 7:50pm ET
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With Seattle Seahawks starting running back Kenneth Walker III (oblique) doubtful for Sunday, Zach Charbonnet figures to see an enhanced workload. Charbonnet finished Week 1 in relief of Walker. He finished with eight carries for 12 yards and two receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown. Charbonnet was completely ineffective on the ground. If it weren't for a 30-yard reception touchdown on a defensive miscommunication, his stat line would look much worse. Even so, Charbonnet is likely going to be elevated to the starting position in Week 2. He should have an even higher workload than Walker usually does due to the lack of competition behind him. Against a tough Patriots defense, Charbonnet can be deployed as a flex play with RB2 upside.

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Jalen Hurts Sep 13 7:50pm ET
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will face the Atlanta Falcons in the team's first true home game on Monday night. The 26-year-old had a rough start to the game last weekend, but after a handful of stagnant drives that were highlighted by a few turnovers, Hurts was able to turn things around and finish with a solid fantasy performance. He will now face an Atlanta defense that held the lowly Steelers offense and Justin Fields to nothing but field goals in the regular season opener. The Eagles should not have as hard of a time finding the endzone, but there are two noteworthy things to point out. Wide receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) was limited Friday in practice and if he is not at 100%, then Hurts passing upside is capped a bit. In addition, Saquon Barkley was the one to find the endzone on the ground when in the red zone last week. The Eagles quarterback will have rushing touchdowns in 2024, but the number compared to previous years is likely to come down and it makes Hurts' upside come down with it. All that said, Hurts faced plenty of adversity last week and was a solid fantasy option, and should be considered top five at his position heading into Monday night.

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba Sep 13 7:50pm ET
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba came out hot against the Denver Broncos in Week 1 with two receptions on the same drive in the first quarter. Smith-Njigba did not draw a target from that point on and finished with two receptions for 19 yards. Smith-Njigba was on the field for 79% of the offensive snaps but that number might have been inflated because of wide receiver Tyler Lockett coming off a thigh injury. The Seahawks offense did not really click until the second half of the game. Lockett and running back Kenneth Walker III (oblique) enjoyed most of that production. Smith-Njigba will have to hope the offense is productive from the opening kickoff in Week 2. For now, wait and see how Smith-Njigba fares before deploying him in fantasy.

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D.K. Metcalf Sep 13 7:50pm ET
D.K. Metcalf

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf will draw his second tough matchup in as many weeks when the Seahawks take on the New England Patriots in Week 2. Metcalf will likely be matched up with Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Gonzalez is known to shadow opposing teams' No. 1 receiver at times. While this matchup may not be as difficult as Metcalf's Week 1 matchup against Patrick Surtain II, he will still be challenged. Additionally, the Seahawks should have a positive game script against the Patriots and Metcalf's services may not be needed. Wait for Metcalf to exit this gauntlet of talented young cornerbacks before his true ceiling is reached this season.

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Saquon Barkley Sep 13 7:50pm ET
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley will face off against the Atlanta Falcons in his first home game as an Eagle on Monday night. The star running back put any doubts that fantasy managers had to rest last week when he found the end zone three times against a solid Green Bay defense. He now faces an Atlanta defense that held the combo of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren out of the end zone last week and kept them each to just 3.5 yards per carry. There should be no reason to expect a scaled-back workload this week, especially if star receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) is ruled out or is played at less than 100%. Fire up Barkley with confidence as a high-end RB1 heading into Monday night.

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Chase McLaughlin Sep 13 7:40pm ET
Chase McLaughlin

Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin kicked off the season with a bang during the Week 1 contest against the Washington Commanders. McLaughlin connected on all three field goal attempts while hitting all four extra point attempts as well. The veteran kicker was fantastic for the Bucs last season, but a shaky preseason might've scared away some fantasy managers. The Bucs offense should once again be strong enough to give McLaughlin plenty of work on a weekly basis. He'll likely be busy again against the Detroit Lions in Week 2. Fantasy managers looking to stream a kicker might want to consider giving McLaughlin a chance.

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Christian Watson Sep 13 7:40pm ET
Christian Watson

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson will likely have his fantasy value reduced quite a bit when the Packers host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. With the likely starting quarterback being Malik Willis, it's hard to imagine the Packers' wide receivers having the same value as they do with a healthy Jordan Love (knee) under center. Watson put up a middling three-catch line in Week 1 for just 13 receiving yards but salvaged his day with a touchdown. He had the opportunity for more as he had three total red-zone targets on the night. With the Packers reeling at the quarterback position, Watson is considered a low-end flex play where you're either hoping for a big play or a touchdown to make a mark in fantasy. The volume will most likely not be there for the Packers in Week 2, so if you have better fantasy options, it's a good idea to put them in your lineup.

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Kenny McIntosh Sep 13 7:40pm ET
Kenny McIntosh

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh is in line to receive carries behind Zach Charbonnet in Week 2 against the New England Patriots. With Kenneth Walker III (oblique) unlikely to suit up, McIntosh should serve as the No. 2 back. He is unlikely to have a huge role in this game, but he is worth watching in case Walker is forced to miss extended time. For now, he is off the fantasy radar. However, McIntosh is talented enough to make some noise given the opportunity.

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Jason Myers Sep 13 7:40pm ET
Jason Myers

Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers should have another solid outing in Week 2. Myers finished with 10 fantasy points in Week 1 after connecting on all his kicks. The Patriots have a stingier defense than the Broncos, but Seattle's offense should still be able to move the ball and get into scoring positions. Insert Myers into your lineup for Week 2.

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Jacoby Brissett Sep 13 7:40pm ET
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The Seattle Seahawks defense/special teams has a chance to show some consistency in Week 2 against the New England Patriots. After spending Week 1 facing rookie quarterback Bo Nix, the Seahawks will get a veteran in Jacoby Brissett at quarterback in Week 2. The Seahawks D/ST harassed Nix all day and forced three turnovers by the Broncos offense. The Patriots offense only scored 16 points in Week 1 but Brissett had a QBR of 82.2 and the Patriots controlled the game. New Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is a defensive guru and presents a lot of optimism for this defense. Start the Seahawks D/ST with confidence in Week 2.

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Geno Smith Sep 13 7:40pm ET
Geno Smith

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is in store for his usual 15-20 fantasy points in Week 2 against the New England Patriots. Smith only threw for 171 yards in Week 1. He salvaged his fantasy day with a 34-yard touchdown run. The good news is that once Smith settled into offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's offense, he started to sling the ball like we know he can. His completion percentage was 72% and he currently sits at 10th in the league in QBR. This does not project to be a very high-scoring game so look for Smith to hover around 200 passing yards and a couple of touchdowns.

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Jordan Love Sep 13 7:30pm ET
Jordan Love

The Green Bay Packers defense/special teams unit is a middling option this week against the Indianapolis Colts and their threat of explosive plays around every corner. Anthony Richardson showed off his talents against the Texans last week with two long touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown tacked on. The Packers' defense will surely be tested against that group of receivers, not to mention Jonathan Taylor at running back. In Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Packers' defense tallied two sacks, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery while giving up 34 points. The Packers will surely need a strong defensive performance to help out likely starting quarterback Malik Willis, after Jordan Love (knee) left Week 1 in the final moments with a knee injury. For fantasy purposes, surely there are better options out there than the Packers, so putting their unit in your lineup is a risky endeavor.

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Christian McCaffrey Sep 13 7:30pm ET
Christian McCaffrey

Updating a previous report, the San Francisco 49ers may place running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, calf) on the Injured Reserve on Saturday, which would rule him out for at least the next four games. The Niners ruled McCaffrey out for Week 2 versus the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday after he was unable to practice on Friday. CMC suffered a calf strain early in training camp, but he's also dealing with Achilles tendinitis, which is why he sat out the season-opening win over the New York Jets on Monday night. This is pretty much a worst-case scenario for fantasy managers that took McCaffrey at the top of their drafts, as he's now likely to miss at least the first month of the season. CMC obviously needs to be stashed everywhere. Jordan Mason, who went off as the team's RB1 in Week 1 in place of McCaffrey, now sees his fantasy stock rise even more. He's rostered in 82% of Yahoo leagues right now.

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