Guest of the League
Northspoon Est. 2003
FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1

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.

Top Headlines
The Paur Report

The Invitational Live Stream

Player Notes
Russell Wilson Aug 18 3:00pm ET
Russell Wilson

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson has the "edge" to win the No. 1 spot on the depth chart for Week 1. While Fowler added Justin Fields has at least done enough to make things "interesting," head coach Mike Tomlin appreciates Wilson's "command of the offense." The 35-year-old is coming off two miserable seasons in Denver. He also battled a calf injury during training camp. With that said, Tomlin will likely wait a bit longer before announcing the team's starting signal-caller. Although Wilson may have always been the favorite to start in Week 1, Fields could enter the equation if things don't go as planned for the veteran.

From RotoBaller

Bo Nix Aug 18 2:50pm ET
Bo Nix

According to ESPN's Jeff Legwold, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is the favorite to be named the team's starter. The rookie has been working with the first team over Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham during practices and will begin Sunday's preseason matchup with the Packers. In addition, he will also play all the snaps with the offensive starters. At any rate, the latest update improves Nix's standing with fantasy managers moving toward Week 1. However, he has a long way to go before being considered a reliable fantasy signal-caller.

From RotoBaller

Gardner Minshew II Aug 18 2:40pm ET
Gardner Minshew II

According to Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce, quarterback Gardner Minshew II will start in Week 1 versus the Chargers. Aidan O'Connell was the presumed starter at one point. Yet, Minshew did enough throughout camp and the preseason to claim the top spot on the depth chart. The 28-year-old has had mixed results from a production standpoint over the years, throwing for 9,937 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 24 picks with the Jaguars, Eagles, and Colts. This could be Minshew's last chance to earn a starting job, with O'Connell potentially entering the equation if things get out of hand. However, neither signal-caller should be considered a top fantasy quarterback entering the 2024-25 campaign, despite having Davante Adams in their arsenal.

From RotoBaller

Dillon Johnson Aug 18 2:40pm ET
Dillon Johnson

Carolina Panthers running back Dillon Johnson ran the ball 18 times for 83 yards and a touchdown in the team's loss to the New York Jets, leading all ball carriers in all three categories. Johnson also reeled in two catches for zero additional yards through the air. The former Washington Husky saw increased usage with Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, and Jonathan Brooks all inactive for Saturday's matchup. Johnson was picked up the Panthers earlier this offseason and will continue to fight for a role on the practice squad or 53-man roster.

From RotoBaller

Ja'Tavion Sanders Aug 18 2:40pm ET
Ja'Tavion Sanders

Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders caught both of his targets 22 yards in the team's loss to the New York Jets, leading the team in yards on the day. The former Texas Longhorn was picked up in the fourth round of this year's draft and stands a chance to take over as the TE1 in Carolina this upcoming season. Current depth charts slate him as the TE3 behind Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas, but he is a name to keep an eye on as he continues to be mixed into the offense. He'll look to climb further up the depth chart on Saturday when the Panthers take on the Bills in their final preseason game.

From RotoBaller

Tre Tucker Aug 18 2:30pm ET
Tre Tucker

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker made a strong impression in the Raiders' preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, hauling in three passes for 66 yards and demonstrating his versatility with two punt returns for 48 yards. The highlight of his night was a 48-yard reception from quarterback Gardner Minshew II, which was a key play that led to one of the Raiders' few scoring drives. Tucker's explosiveness was on full display, with another notable punt return unfortunately negated by a penalty. Tucker's performance in this game continues to build on the momentum he generated in the preseason opener, signaling that he could be primed for a breakout sophomore season. His knack for making big plays not only as a receiver, but also as a return specialist, makes him a valuable asset for the Raiders. Tucker could be on the verge of securing a significant role in the Raiders' offense this season. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on Tucker as a high-ranking sleeper pick, especially if he continues to showcase this level of playmaking ability as the regular season approaches.

From RotoBaller

Marquez Valdes-Scantling Aug 18 2:30pm ET
Marquez Valdes-Scantling

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, X-rays on Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (neck) came back negative. The wideout was injured during Saturday's preseason matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers and required a cart to the locker room for further evaluation. While the latest news regarding MVS' injury is encouraging, his status moving ahead is unknown, meaning he is in danger of missing time. The 29-year-old, who agreed to a deal with Buffalo this offseason, is coming off the worst season of his career, totaling 42 catches for 315 yards and one touchdown in 16 games with the Chiefs. However, the Bills no longer have Stefon Diggs on the roster, so Valdes-Scantling could turn things around, assuming he gets healthy.

From RotoBaller

Jack Plummer Aug 18 2:30pm ET
Jack Plummer

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jack Plummer completed 11 of his 18 passes for 42 yards in the team's loss to the New York Jets. Plummer served as the starting QB for Carolina, with Bryce Young and Andy Dalton inactive, indicating the rookie may have solidified the QB3 role for the Panthers this season. Plummer will look to hold onto the spot when the Bills take on the Panthers on Saturday for their final preseason game.

From RotoBaller

Zamir White Aug 18 2:20pm ET
Zamir White

Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White's preseason performance on Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys showed promise, highlighted by a 17-yard run that boosted his nightly total to 23 yards on four carries. While the stat line looks promising, it's important to note that most of his production came from a single play. As the Raiders' projected lead back, White has potential for fantasy managers. He could emerge as a solid RB2 with upside, especially if the Raiders' offensive line performs well. However, the presence of Alexander Mattison adds competition to the backfield. Fantasy managers should monitor this situation closely. White has the opportunity to solidify his role, but Mattison's talent could lead to a timeshare if White doesn't perform consistently. Keep an eye on early-season usage and efficiency to gauge White's long-term value in your fantasy lineups. His success will likely depend on maintaining his lead role and capitalizing on his opportunities in the Raiders' offense. Don't sleep on either back and be ready to pivot if the winds change in Vegas.

From RotoBaller

Brandon Aiyuk Aug 18 2:20pm ET
Brandon Aiyuk

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, speaking on Sunday's episode of SportsCenter, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (back) is "one call away" from being traded to the Steelers. Pittsburgh is willing to pay the wideout. However, the 49ers are hoping to keep him on the roster. While both parties have agreed to portions of a new contract, the remaining parts of the deal need to be ironed out. Aiyuk is currently labeled as a "hold-in," although head coach Kyle Shanahan reported that the receiver is also dealing with a "back issue." But the clock is ticking, with Aiyuk potentially in line to miss time if things continue to be delayed.

From RotoBaller

DeAndre Hopkins Aug 18 2:10pm ET
DeAndre Hopkins

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan said that wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (knee) should be back soon and is expected to be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener. Hopkins suffered a strained knee early in training camp at the start of August and was expected to be out for four to six weeks. It appears that the 32-year-old veteran pass-catcher is making good progress, though, and should be ready to go in early September. However, Hopkins' fantasy stock is down because of all the missed time in camp and due to the offseason addition of Calvin Ridley, who will no doubt take valuable targets away. The Titans offense should be much more pass-happy under Callahan, but Hopkins is going to need to be far more efficient deep down the field to pay off for fantasy managers. He's become more of a high-end WR4/flex target in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Goodson Aug 18 2:00pm ET
Tyler Goodson

Indianapolis Colts running back Tyler Goodson ran the ball six times for 35 yards and a touchdown in the team's win against the Cardinals on Saturday. Goodson has now scored in both the Colts' preseason games and played as the RB2 behind Jonathan Taylor in both games. With Trey Sermon's (hamstring) injury keeping him off the field, Goodson is looking to lock up the RB2 role behind Taylor. Depending on Sermon's injury status, Goodson does provide fantasy relevancy as the potential handcuff to Taylor this season.

From RotoBaller

Dustin Hopkins Aug 18 1:50pm ET
Dustin Hopkins

Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins (undisclosed) is dealing with a minor injury but will be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski. With Hopkins sidelined, Cade York again handled the kicking duties in Saturday's preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. The Browns are trying to showcase York this summer for a potential trade suitor, but York was told to kick the ball into the end zone for touchbacks on Saturday. Stefanski felt the kickoff return and kickoff cover teams got enough work in joint practices last week with Minnesota. The 33-year-old Hopkins will be Cleveland's starter going into 2024 after a career-best year with the Browns last year, and the return of a healthy Deshaun Watson to lead the offense should put Hopkins on the radar as a low-end starting fantasy booter in 12-team leagues.

From RotoBaller

Laquon Treadwell Aug 18 1:40pm ET
Laquon Treadwell

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Laquon Treadwell caught all seven of his targets for 72 yards in the team's win against the Cardinals. Treadwell led all pass-catchers in targets, receptions, and yards in yesterday's matchup. The 29-year-old signed with the Colts this offseason and hopes to make a spot on the 53-man roster, currently slated as a WR4 on the team's depth chart. Treadwell will look to build off of an impressive outing when the Colts face off against the Bengals in their final preseason game on Thursday.

From RotoBaller

Davante Adams Aug 18 1:30pm ET
Davante Adams

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said that wide receiver Davante Adams (undisclosed) tweaked something in training camp practice on Wednesday, which is why he didn't suit up for the team's preseason game on Saturday versus the Dallas Cowboys. Adams is expected to return to practice on Tuesday, though, so it doesn't appear to be an injury that is serious enough to put his availability for the Week 1 regular-season opener in question. The 31-year-old pass-catcher is unlikely to play in the preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers next Friday, and the team's starters won't even play in that contest. In his first year without quarterback Derek Carr in 2023, Adams still had over 1,000 receiving yards, but his 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns were both his fewest marks since 2019. He's likely to struggle for big explosive plays down the field again in 2024, making him more of a low-end WR1 than a high-end one.

From RotoBaller

Brock Bowers Aug 18 1:30pm ET
Brock Bowers

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said that rookie first-round tight end Brock Bowers (foot) was held out of Saturday's preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys due to a sore foot. It remains to be seen how serious Bowers' foot injury is, but he's unlikely to play in the preseason finale on Friday against the Atlanta Falcons. There are still several weeks to go until the start of the 2024 regular season in early September, but missed practice time now for the 21-year-old could cause him to get off to a slow start in his rookie campaign. Fantasy managers targeting him in upcoming drafts as a low-end TE1 will want to keep a close eye on his status this upcoming week. When healthy, the former Georgia Bulldog is expected to immediately become Vegas' top pass-catching tight end in 2024 over Michael Mayer. It's possible that Bowers will be the team's No. 2 target behind receiver Davante Adams.

From RotoBaller

Braelon Allen Aug 18 1:20pm ET
Braelon Allen

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh had more good things to say about rookie running back Braelon Allen after Saturday's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. "We picked him for a lot of reasons, because he's actually really good out of the backfield and route-running, he's really good in protection, too. We think he's an all-around good back and he's a very powerful runner, too, and he's displaying that, down in and down out," Saleh said. The 20-year-old saw eight carries on Saturday and gained 27 yards while also catching two of his four targets for 12 yards. With just one preseason game remaining, it seems pretty clear that Allen is the team's preferred RB2 behind workhorse Breece Hall heading into his first year in the NFL. He's probably going to go undrafted in standard 12-team fantasy leagues, but in deeper formats, Allen is worth taking as a handcuff to Hall.

From RotoBaller

Stephon Gilmore Aug 18 1:10pm ET
Stephon Gilmore

Former Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore (shoulder) signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, according to a source. The former Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots defensive back will reunite with defensive coordinator Brian Flores in Minnesota. The Vikings had long been in the market for a big-name cornerback, and Gilmore was being patient and biding his time. Gilmore is fully healthy and demonstrated it during his visit with the Vikes before signing. The 33-year-old veteran had offseason surgery on his shoulder after starting in all 17 regular-season games for Dallas in 2023, registering a career-high 68 tackles (54 solo), two interceptions, 13 pass breakups and a forced fumble. Gilmore will be a starter for the Vikings and will be a big-time upgrade to their secondary as long as he's healthy.

From RotoBaller

C.J. Beathard Aug 18 1:10pm ET
C.J. Beathard

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback C.J. Beathard (groin) suffered a groin injury in Saturday's preseason contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was ruled out for the rest of the game. Beathard played the entire third quarter after following Mac Jones in the exhibition contest and finished 5-for-7 for 40 yards with 10 rushing yards on two carries. The 30-year-old veteran could lose out on the competition for the backup job behind Trevor Lawrence if his groin injury is serious enough to sideline him for the preseason finale next week against the Atlanta Falcons. In Saturday's game, Jones, the former New England Patriots signal-caller, went 16-for-23 for 210 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 14 yards on six carries. Given Beathard's injury, Jones appears to be in a good spot to win the backup job in his first year in Jacksonville.

From RotoBaller

Jha'Quan Jackson Aug 18 11:50am ET
Jha'Quan Jackson

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Jha'Quan Jackson caught all four targets for 57 yards in the preseason win over Seattle. While the rookie didn't find the end zone like teammate Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, he still led all receivers in yards on the night. Jackson, the No. 182 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, has reportedly looked good in training camp. However, Tennessee has plenty of depth at the wide receiver spot, so he'll have an uphill climb to get targets during his inaugural campaign. The Titans will end the preseason with a trip to New Orleans to meet the Saints.

From RotoBaller