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FFL: Week 11 | NFL: Week 11

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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Player Notes
Tyler Boyd Nov 15 1:20pm ET
Tyler Boyd

Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Nick Holz said that wide receiver Tyler Boyd (shoulder) has been limited with a shoulder injury, but now he's now as healthy as he's been in recent weeks heading into the Week 11 contest versus the Minnesota Vikings and is expected to be more of a factor on offense moving forward. Boyd's lack of production/involvement recently was more of a health issue than anything else. The 30-year-old veteran played a season-low 29% of the offensive snaps in Week 9 overtime win over the New England Patriots but bumped up to 61% in the Week 10 loss to the to the Los Angeles Chargers. Boyd wasn't targeted in either of those games while seeing one carry for three yards. He has failed to go over 43 receiving yards in any of his nine games in his first year in Tennessee in 2024 and should remain on the waiver wire in most fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

Justin Herbert Nov 15 12:40pm ET
Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has a good matchup in a Week 11 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Herbert got off to a slow start this season due in part to play calling, but also in part due to an injury he was still recovering from. Now fully healthy, Herbert has been the overall fantasy QB9 since Week 7, ranking third in yards per attempt and in passer rating. While he only had to throw 18 times last week against the Titans, he was still extremely efficient and added 32 yards and a touchdown on the ground to boost himself to a QB8 finish for Week 10. This week, on Sunday Night Football, Herbert and the Chargers will likely have to throw the ball more often. The Bengals defense hasn't been able to stop much this season, especially lately, which could lead to a high-scoring shootout on Sunday Night Football. Herbert should be a QB1 with upside this week.

From RotoBaller

Kendrick Bourne Nov 15 12:30pm ET
Kendrick Bourne

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said that wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is expected to play in Week 11 against the visiting Los Angeles Rams. The Patriots have prioritized playing time for their younger players of late, but Bourne should be on the field this Sunday. The 29-year-old was active in the Week 10 win over the Chicago Bears but didn't play a single snap on offense after catching four passes for 41 yards the previous week in the loss to the Tennessee Titans. Bourne should be more involved on offense this weekend, but it doesn't mean that he's going to suddenly be on the fantasy radar. DeMario Douglas and Kayson Boutte will still likely be quarterback Drake Maye's favorite targets, with Bourne competing for targets alongside K.J. Osborn and rookie Ja'Lynn Polk as well. Bourne got a late start to the year due to injury and has just eight catches for 70 yards in five games.

From RotoBaller

Spencer Shrader Nov 15 12:30pm ET
Spencer Shrader

The Kansas City Chiefs officially signed rookie kicker Spencer Shrader to their active 53-man roster on Friday from the New York Jets' practice squad and officially placed kicker Harrison Butker (knee) on Injured Reserve. Shrader will get the first crack at replacing Butker as KC's primary kicker moving forward. With Butker on IR, he will be required to miss at least the next four games. Shrader, an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame, has kicked in two games in his first year in the NFL -- one with the Jets and one with the Indianapolis Colts -- making both of his field-goal attempts and all three of his extra points. The 25-year-old made 68.3 percent of his field goals in college and will not be a recommended streaming option at the position in his first game with the Chiefs in a Week 11 showdown on the road against the Buffalo Bills.

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Tee Higgins Nov 15 12:20pm ET
Tee Higgins

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Friday that wide receiver Tee Higgins (quadriceps) is expected to play in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football. Higgins hasn't played since Oct. 20, though, which makes him a much riskier option for starting fantasy lineups if he is indeed active on Sunday night. The 25-year-old has a history of playing limited snaps in his first game back from injury as well, so fantasy managers will be rolling the dice with him if they put him in their starting lineups this weekend against a strong Chargers defense on the road. Higgins' return will also make Andrei Iosivas and tight ends Mike Gesicki and Tanner Hudson less attractive as streaming options in Cincy's offense. When healthy, Higgins has excelled for fantasy managers this year, averaging 10.4 half-PPR points per game, which ranks 11th among all wideouts.

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Tank Bigsby Nov 15 12:20pm ET
Tank Bigsby

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said that running back Tank Bigsby (ankle) will practice on Friday for the first time this week. "Optimistic... today will be a big day for him," Pederson said. Fantasy managers will want to check back later on Friday for the team's final injury report, where Bigsby is likely to pick up a questionable tag for Sunday's contest against the Detroit Lions. In addition to the injury, the 23-year-old's fantasy stock is down considerable heading into the weekend with quarterback Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) set to miss a second straight game. In last week's loss to the Minnesota Vikings with Mac Jones under center, Bigsby had just two carries for four yards. If he's active, he'll continue to share backfield touches with Travis Etienne Jr. against a stout Lions defensive front, making him a low-upside RB3/flex for fantasy managers.

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Dalton Kincaid Nov 15 12:10pm ET
Dalton Kincaid

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) has been ruled out for the Week 11 game against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Kincaid suffered a knee injury in the Week 10 win over the Indianapolis Colts and was unable to practice this week. The Bills have a bye next week, so hopefully the extra rest will allow Kincaid to return to face the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 1. With the 25-year-old second-year tight end out this weekend, it means that Dawson Knox will have TE1 upside for fantasy managers, especially if receiver Amari Cooper (wrist) misses a third straight game. Kincaid was expected to have a much bigger role in his sophomore season in Buffalo, but he's only caught 34 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns through 10 games in 2024. Those in need of a streamer at TE in Week 11 should look Knox's way.

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Amari Cooper Nov 15 12:10pm ET
Amari Cooper

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that wide receiver Amari Cooper (wrist) will be listed as questionable for Sunday's Week 11 game against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Cooper has missed the last two games with the injury but is optimistic he'll return this weekend. He suffered a left-wrist injury in the Week 8 win over the Seattle Seahawks and has been limited in practices ever since, but he hasn't played. "Definitely feeling better. Definitely more comfortable," Cooper said. "So, just ready to play football again." Although nothing is official, Cooper appears to be on the right side of questionable for Week 11. He said he doesn't feel pain catching the ball, but he needs to get used to catching the ball while wearing a cast. Rookie Keon Coleman (wrist) and tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) have already been ruled out, so Cooper figures to have a sizeable role on Sunday if he's active.

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Jake Elliott Nov 15 12:00pm ET
Jake Elliott

Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott went 2-for-4 on field-goal attempts Thursday and missed one of his three extra-point attempts during the team's 26-18 win over the Washington Commanders. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni finally elected to try and take the points this week instead of going for it constantly on fourth down, but Elliott continued to struggle like he has all year and missed multiple kicks. Perhaps there is a reason Sirianni has been so aggressive on fourth down in plus territory, but it is more likely that one of last season's most accurate kickers just had an off night. Regardless, he is far too risky to trust for fantasy moving forward and should be left on waivers until we see more consistent production.

From RotoBaller

Jayden Daniels Nov 15 12:00pm ET
Jayden Daniels

The Philadelphia Eagles defense allowed the Commanders to score 18 points, tallied three sacks, and intercepted Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels once in their Week 11 win. The score was closer on paper than it was in the game, as a garbage time touchdown was scored by former Eagles tight end Zach Ertz. The Eagles came into this game with their defense firing on all cylinders, but many saw this as the litmus test and they passed with flying colors. They held one of the hottest offenses in the NFL to 3.3 yards per carry and kept the sensational rookie quarterback in check, holding Daniels to fewer than 200 passing yards and just 18 rushing yards. They have entered weekly starting territory for fantasy and should be in the mix for managers next week when they take on the LA Rams.

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Dallas Goedert Nov 15 11:50am ET
Dallas Goedert

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert caught all five of his targets for 61 yards during the team's 26-18 win over the Washington Commanders on Thursday night. The veteran had a big catch and run of over 30 yards that almost turned into a costly turnover, but backup Grant Calcaterra recovered it. Goedert's 61 yards were the second-highest on the team Thursday behind only A.J. Brown. The Eagles were crushing the Commanders on the ground with Saquon Barkley, leading to another pedestrian performance for the Eagles pass catchers. With that said, by tight end standards this season, Goedert had a solid night and will be a fringe TE1 again next week against the LA Rams.

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DeVonta Smith Nov 15 11:40am ET
DeVonta Smith

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith caught four of six targets for 29 yards during the team's 26-18 win over the Washington Commanders on Thursday night. The former Heisman winner had his second straight game with fewer than 30 receiving yards as the Eagles dominated the Commanders with their rushing attack. No receiver for Philadelphia had a particularly great fantasy performance Thursday, but this is a run-first offense that limits passing to keep turnovers at a minimum, and it has led to six straight wins. Because of the massive upside Smith carries, managers need to continue to fire him up, but they also need to understand that with tight end Dallas Goedert healthy and all of the other weapons on the field, there are going to be dry spells for the 26-year-old receiver. He will be a WR2 after the Eagles mini-bye week in Week 12 against the LA Rams.

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Rico Dowdle Nov 15 10:50am ET
Rico Dowdle

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.

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Cooper Rush Nov 15 10:40am ET
Cooper Rush

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

A.J. Brown Nov 15 10:30am ET
A.J. Brown

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

Jalen Hurts Nov 15 10:20am ET
Jalen Hurts

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

Saquon Barkley Nov 15 10:00am ET
Saquon Barkley

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

Saquon Barkley Nov 15 3:13am ET
Saquon Barkley

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.

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Jayden Daniels Nov 15 3:13am ET
Jayden Daniels

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.

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Terry McLaurin Nov 15 3:13am ET
Terry McLaurin

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.

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