RB Strength of Schedule
Tue May 28 9:03am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
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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The Paur Report
Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 6
Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (hamstring) is now listed as questionable to return to Sunday's game with a hamstring injury. The 23-year-old saw six carries out of the backfield before leaving the game. He was able to get 27 yards out of those carries. Tony Pollard has dominated a lot of the touches in this game, and Julius Chestnut will step up to take on the backup duties until Spears can get back in the game.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (shoulder) has officially been ruled out of the rest of the game against the Arizona Cardinals. Wicks saw three targets and registered one reception for nine yards before exiting the game. Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, and Jayden Reed should all see more opportunities while they have a touchdown each so far in this one. The severity of Wicks' injury will likely be known when they can run some more tests on Monday.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (hamstring) left Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns in the first half with a hamstring injury. The team has since ruled him out for the rest of the contest, so Grant Calcaterra will be the next man up. Jack Stoll could also see some snaps with Goedert out. The 29-year-old has suffered a few injuries in the past that have kept him out for an extended period of time, so his status next week could be up in the air. He finishes this contest with one target and no receptions.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (ankle) has officially been named inactive for the team's Week 6 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Davante Adams (hamstring) has also been ruled out so the team will roll with a very thin receiver group. Tre Tucker and DJ Turner will likely be the top two receivers while Brock Bowers is going to get all the snaps he can handle. This also comes at the time of Aidan O'Connell's first start of the year.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (hamstring) has been ruled out of the rest of Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Ford appeared to have tweaked his hamstring in the first half and went back to the locker room. Now that he's officially listed out, Pierre Strong Jr. and D'Onta Foreman will split carries in the backfield. With hamstring injuries usually becoming a tricky injury, Ford's status will need to be monitored throughout the week to determine the severity. Nick Chubb (knee) could also return next week, so the backfield may look a lot different. Ford finished this contest with 14 yards on two carries.
From RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (head) suffered a head injury in the second quarter when he went head-first into the defender's leg while being tackled. He left the game to be evaluated for a concussion and is currently questionable to return. The rookie only saw two targets before leaving the game. Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, and Zach Pascal will take over as the top three receivers unless Harrison is able to come back into the game against the Green Bay Packers. His status will be something to monitor if it is confirmed to be a concussion since he could miss Week 7's game.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (shoulder) has exited Sunday's game with a shoulder issue and the team has tagged him as questionable to return. The 23-year-old was among the hottest waiver wire pickups over the last couple of weeks while the receiver corps had some injuries and suspensions. Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Romeo Doubs will be the top three receivers with Bo Melton seeing some extra action while Wicks is sidelined in this game.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | The Lions have signed David Montgomery to a two-year contract extension. Dynasty Analysis: The contract makes Montgomery the seventh-highest paid running back in the league and keeps him under team control through the 2027 season. This is a big development in dynasty leagues as it not only keeps Montgomery very relevant, but also takes any chance of Jahmyr Gibbs being a featured runner in the future and throws it out the window. At this point, both running backs are going to be very lineup worthy, but far from elite without an injury occurring. Montgomery's value should rise a touch while Gibbs is sure to fall as a result.
Dynasty | Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is the emergency quarterback today, despite practicing all week. Dynasty Analysis: Joe Flacco has given the Colts a spark off the bench as he has done for seemingly 58 other teams over the last six decades. Richardson practiced all week but the Colts have decided he wasn't ready to start. This seems to be a bit of an indictment on Richardson's early season struggles and the Colts may simply feel they need to determine if they can contend for a playoff spot with Flacco starting today. A win would put the Colts at 3-3 and in the thick of things while a loss would leave them at 2-4. The fact Richardson isn't starting in a critical game despite practicing all week is a bad sign for his dynasty value at the moment.
Dynasty | Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 23-of-35 passes for 234 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in a loss to Chicago. Dynasty Analysis: Lawrence has been put in some awful situations during his four seasons in the NFL as the Jaguars have churned through their roster and coaching staff repeatedly. However, he's also looked consistently like an average to above average starter and not nearly the elite player many once thought he could be. After another inconsistent performance, dynasty managers need to really re-evaluate building around him as a QB1. Lawrence's dynasty value is starting to sink.
Dynasty | Jaguars running back Travis Etienne had three carries for -1 yard in the Jags loss to Chicago. Dynasty Analysis: Etienne failed to catch his lone target, though he was lucky that one wasn't called a catch and a fumble. Meanwhile , D'Ernest Johnson (6 carries) and Tank Bigsby (7) both played more in the game. At this point, Etienne is unplayable in fantasy leagues and looks like the biggest disappointment of the year. The Jags will stay in London and could be looking for yet another new Head Coach after next week if they get dismantled again. Etienne is going to plummet down the rankings at this point.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (concussion) won't return to Sunday's NFC South meeting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The wideout didn't last long in this one, getting hit early in the contest after bringing in a catch for five yards, his only reception of the day. But now, Olave will join Derek Carr (oblique) and Taysom Hill (ribs) on the sidelines. Fantasy managers could see Rashid Shaheed, Juwan Johnson, and Foster Moreau get more targets from Spencer Rattler, with Alvin Kamara also in line to get more looks out of the backfield.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (hamstring) is questionable to return to Sunday's clash with the Browns. Philly just got DeVonta Smith (concussion) and A.J. Brown (hamstring) back in the lineup. However, the team could be without one of this season's top fantasy tight ends for at least the remainder of Week 6. If Goedert can't return, he'll finish without a catch (one target), with Grant Calcaterra and Jack Stoll in line to see more looks.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (hamstring) is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Ford tweaked his hamstring early in the contest, forcing his abrupt exit to the locker room. If he doesn't return, he'll finish the day with two carries for 14 yards. If that's the case, Pierre Strong Jr. and D'Onta Foreman would likely split carries for the remainder of the contest.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (head) exited Sunday's divisional clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Olave made his first catch of the day, which was for five yards. However, the wideout took a hard hit, resulting in a Bucs scoop and score. Even worse, Olave was forced to undergo a concussion evaluation. With Derek Carr (oblique) and Taysom Hill (ribs) sidelined, the Saints can't afford another injury. With that in mind, Rashid Shaheed, Juwan Johnson, and Foster Moreau could see more targets from Spencer Rattler if Olave doesn't return. Alvin Kamara would also presumably see more attention as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. For now, fantasy managers should consider Olave as questionable to return.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger (ankle) is officially active for Week 6 against the Houston Texans. He had been listed as questionable after logging a limited practice on Friday. The 28-year-old remains productive despite the Patriots' 1-4 record, registering 18 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. His presence will be key as the Patriots look to slow down C.J. Stroud and the Texans in Drake Maye's first career start.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward (hamstring) is officially active for Week 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He had been listed as questionable after logging a limited practice on Friday. The 27-year-old defender has contributed eight tackles and zero turnovers through five games this season. He'll be tasked with slowing down a Philadelphia passing attack featuring A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith on Sunday.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots wide receivers Kendrick Bourne (knee) and K.J. Osborn (shoulder) are active for Week 6 against the Houston Texans. Both players were listed as questionable after being limited in practice all week long. Bourne made his season debut last weekend, turning his lone target into a six-yard catch. He played just 27 percent of the offensive snaps, but that could have been a product of him playing in his first game of the year. He's likely headed for extra snaps in Week 6. Meanwhile, Osborn has seen his workload scaled back with the emergence of rookie Ja'Lynn Polk. He caught one pass on five targets when last active in Week 4. Even with Drake Maye taking over as the Patriots' quarterback, neither Bourne nor Osborn can be trusted in fantasy football given their respective roles behind Polk and Demario Douglas.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots wide receiver Javon Baker (coach's decision) and Tyquan Thornton (coach's decision) are inactive for Week 6 against the Houston Texans. Both players are healthy scratches. Baker has repeatedly been inactive, failing to log an offensive snap since Week 2. He's still searching for his first NFL target and will have to wait at least one more week. Thornton, meanwhile, has been the subject of trade rumors lately but lacks significant fantasy appeal; he hasn't registered a reception since catching two passes back in the season opener. Both players can be dropped in all redraft and most dynasty leagues.
From RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals PK Matt Prater (knee) is not active for Week 6's game against the Green Bay Packers. PK Chad Ryland, who was elevated from the practice squad Saturday, Oct. 12, will serve as the team's kicker.
Fantasy Spin: Prater had been listed as questionable on the injury report after being a limited participant in all three of the team's practice sessions during the week but will miss his second consecutive game. Fantasy owners should be able to find more reliable placekicking options for their lineups elsewhere.
From TheHuddle
