Fri May 31 10:52am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
Lamb could top last season
Using our rules for our money leagues, we came up with a schedule strength ranking for the receiver 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 receivers last season from all of their opponents to get our fantasy points allowed number. This is a good indication of the receivers with the most favorable schedules for fantasy scoring for the coming season. Defenses obviously change from year to year, but knowing the receivers that might have the easiest schedule for fantasy is always a good idea when formulating your rankings and draft strategy.
WR SOS | ||
1. | Denver Broncos | 531.34 |
2. | Los Angeles Chargers | 536.08 |
3. | Miami Dolphins | 537.31 |
4. | Kansas City Chiefs | 549.96 |
5. | Las Vegas Raiders | 552.89 |
6. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 554.85 |
7. | New England Patriots | 555.93 |
8. | Buffalo Bills | 556.13 |
9. | Houston Texans | 561.75 |
10. | San Francisco 49ers | 565.73 |
11. | New Orleans Saints | 566.06 |
12. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 566.19 |
13. | Cincinnati Bengals | 566.32 |
14. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 570.07 |
15. | Baltimore Ravens | 571.77 |
16. | Seattle Seahawks | 573.41 |
17. | Minnesota Vikings | 573.91 |
18. | Philadelphia Eagles | 574.46 |
19. | Carolina Panthers | 575.49 |
20. | Los Angeles Rams | 575.79 |
21. | Washington Commanders | 575.91 |
22. | Detroit Lions | 576.36 |
23. | Atlanta Falcons | 577.76 |
24. | New York Jets | 577.99 |
25. | Tennessee Titans | 578.06 |
26. | Indianapolis Colts | 578.18 |
27. | Cleveland Browns | 583.5 |
28. | Arizona Cardinals | 586.09 |
29. | New York Giants | 586.93 |
30. | Chicago Bears | 601.21 |
31. | Dallas Cowboys | 608.4 |
32. | Green Bay Packers | 610.22 |
The Packers have the easiest fantasy schedule for receivers. Jayden Reed and Christian Watson could be setup for career best seasons with this schedule. These are guys you can get a little later come draft day and mid-round options that could be difference makers for fantasy owners.
CeeDee Lamb is considered the No. 1 overall fantasy receiver for many and his schedule helps make that claim even stronger. Lamb has the second most favorable schedule for receivers. Lamb was huge last year and could improve on that even more, especially since the Cowboys could struggle to run the ball with their current options.
The Bears, Giants and Cardinals also round out the top-five most favorable receiver schedules. Chicago has a great trio of receivers with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze. These guys could produce big as long as rookie Caleb Williams gets the job done at quarterback in year one. Moore has more to compete with for targets this year, but you still have to like his chances for a big season in year two with the Bears.
The Giants and Cardinals both have some question marks at receiver, but a couple rookies lead the way for both teams. Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison could have big rookie seasons with their new teams. These guys both have a chance to lead all rookie fantasy receivers in scoring.
On the opposite side of things, the Broncos have the most challenging schedule for receivers. The Broncos have all sorts of questions at receiver outside of Courtland Sutton. This is a unit of receivers you just might want to avoid come draft day. This schedule won’t make anything easier for this group.
The Chargers are a similar team to the Broncos, having openings and questions at receiver. So once again, it might be best to let someone else put Chargers receivers on their roster. Plus, the Chargers could be a lot more run heavy with a new coach running the show. The tough schedule and new offense make taking any Chargers receiver a bit of a risk.
There are two really good offenses on the list that have tough schedules for receivers. Both the Dolphins and Chiefs have a top-five least favorable schedule for receivers. The Dolphins have one of the best receiver duos in football, so it is tough to fade them because of this schedule. Both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle should be able to produce big numbers once again in this offense.
The Chiefs are a little more concerning. This offense is a little matchup proof, but don’t have that elite receiver on their roster. Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown lead the way. Brown hasn’t been great in recent seasons and Rice is facing a suspension. These guys will carry some risk come draft day, especially after seeing this schedule.
Davante Adams is usually another star receiver that is matchup proof, but you have to wonder a little this year. He has some question marks at quarterback, which could hurt his production when you pair it with this schedule. Adams is dealing with the fifth toughest fantasy schedule for receivers.
We also wanted to look at playoff schedules for fantasy receivers. 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 receivers with the easiest playoff schedules doesn’t hurt by any means, especially in the big money contests.
WR PLAYOFF SOS | ||
1. | Los Angeles Rams | 501.93 |
2. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 515.53 |
3. | Kansas City Chiefs | 519.43 |
4. | New York Giants | 521.63 |
5. | Miami Dolphins | 532.77 |
6. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 534.53 |
7. | Houston Texans | 538 |
8. | Buffalo Bills | 540.87 |
9. | Las Vegas Raiders | 541.9 |
10. | Carolina Panthers | 549.33 |
11. | Cincinnati Bengals | 552.17 |
12. | Detroit Lions | 553.73 |
13. | Arizona Cardinals | 555.27 |
14. | Cleveland Browns | 555.4 |
15. | Minnesota Vikings | 560.93 |
16. | New England Patriots | 573.03 |
17. | Los Angeles Chargers | 573.1 |
18. | Tennessee Titans | 575.17 |
19. | Baltimore Ravens | 581.27 |
20. | Seattle Seahawks | 585.08 |
21. | New York Jets | 585.5 |
22. | Denver Broncos | 587.2 |
23. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 587.8 |
24. | Philadelphia Eagles | 589.73 |
25. | Green Bay Packers | 590.85 |
26. | Washington Commanders | 591.57 |
27. | New Orleans Saints | 604.13 |
28. | Dallas Cowboys | 609.73 |
29. | Indianapolis Colts | 614 |
30. | San Francisco 49ers | 641.53 |
31. | Atlanta Falcons | 644.93 |
32. | Chicago Bears | 647.98 |
The Bears and Cowboys are the teams that make both the top five easiest receiver schedules for both the regular season and playoffs. Chicago has the easiest for the entire playoffs. Once again, their top trio of receivers are looking pretty good come draft day.
Lamb continues to make his case to be the first receiver selected come draft day. He could have a monster season and finish strong as well with the fifth easiest schedule for the playoffs. Lamb might be the most surefire first-round pick come draft day.
The Falcons, 49ers and Colts also have a top-five favorable playoff schedule for receivers. Atlanta receivers were looking up to begin with, getting a legit quarterback throwing them passes this year. And this schedule makes their options look even better, especially Drake London. He could have a breakout season.
San Francisco has great options at receiver in Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. They are pretty safe picks come draft day. And they get a very favorable playoff schedule that could make them even more appealing to fantasy owners. These guys both have really solid floors come draft day in this offense.
Michael Pittman keeps getting it done as the No. 1 option for the Colts. If Anthony Richardson can become that true No. 1 at quarterback for Indy, Pittman would look even better. Pittman has produced in recent year despite having some quarterback issues. His game could go to a higher level this year if Richardson breaks out. Pittman could be a league winner if everything breaks his way in 2024.
The Chiefs and Dolphins are two of the best offenses in football but also the only two teams to make the top five most unfavorable receiver schedules for both the regular season and playoffs. This is a tad concerning for both teams, Again, it is tough to bet against Hill, but maybe you drop him down your rankings just few spots behind the other elite guys because of this. You hate to use an early round pick on a receiver to see him maybe not produce what he should come playoff time.
And as mentioned with the Chiefs, their top two receivers already face a few question marks, so maybe their tough schedules make them players to let someone else draft. Both Brown and Rice could be a little erratic.
The Rams actually have the toughest playoff schedule for receivers. They are another team with two of the best receivers in football. It is tough to bet against either Puka Nacua or Cooper Kupp, but the playoff schedule is a little scary, especially for Kupp. He seems to be trending down at this stage of his career.
The Jaguars and Giants are the two other teams with a top-five unfavorable fantasy schedule for the playoffs. The Jags have Christian Kirk and Gabriel Davis as their top two receivers. Kirk is normally pretty steady but Davis can be boom or bust. Seeing his playoff schedule should bump him down a few spots in your rankings. It could be more of the same for Davis with his new team.
And the Giants are an outlier here, having an easy schedule for receivers during the regular season but the fourth toughest for the playoffs. This makes it tough come draft day. Their receivers could be good values for the regular season but disappoint when it counts. You do have to just make the playoffs, though, so we aren’t sure we shy away from Giant receivers just because of their tough playoff schedule. You still might be able to get good value with their options that help you win during the season.
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.
Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 11
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) practiced in full on Thursday and Friday and has been cleared to play in Week 11 on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Smith-Schuster will return for the first time since getting injured on Oct. 20 but won't be as interesting for fantasy managers now that DeAndre Hopkins is the team's top wideout. In his last game, the 27-year-old went off for 130 receiving yards, prompting many fantasy managers to pick him up off the waiver wire given how depleted KC's receiving corps was at the time. He'll still have a role as a deep threat for quarterback Patrick Mahomes now that he's back, but at best, he'll be the No. 3 target behind Hopkins and stud tight end Travis Kelce. Smith-Schuster should be considered a boom/bust WR4/flex, at best, in his return against the Bills.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (ankle, hamstring) is dealing with appendicitis and will not be active for the team's Week 11 divisional contest against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. "It is a shame, certainly. This all happened this morning. He felt some pain his abdomen this morning. Not sure if he's had surgery," head coach Matt LaFleur said. Lloyd was designated to return from Injured Reserve at the start of the week and had a shot to make his return to the field this weekend, but that won't happen now. The 23-year-old has been very injury-prone since joining the Packers and has played in just one game in his first season in the NFL. He suffered a high-ankle sprain earlier this year and will now miss an eighth straight game. Lloyd has explosive rushing ability as a backup to Josh Jacobs and is worth a stash in deeper leagues, but it's now unclear if he'll be able to return in Week 12 against the 49ers.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson (neck, personal) will not travel with the rest of the team to Los Angeles for personal reasons but is expected to fly on his own and play on Sunday night against the Chargers in Week 11. Hendrickson is officially listed as questionable on the final injury report, but fantasy managers in IDP leagues should leave the 29-year-old in their starting lineups this weekend. He has been dealing with a neck injury off and on this year, but it hasn't slowed him down, as he heads into Week 11 action as the NFL's sack leader with 11 through 10 weeks. Hendrickson was limited in Wednesday's practice before not practicing on Thursday and Friday. He has not missed a game all year and should be active for Sunday Night Football.
From RotoBaller
As expected, Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (leg) has officially been ruled out for the Week 11 game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Pacheco had his 21-day practice window opened this week in order to return from Injured Reserve, but the 25-year-old isn't expected to return to action until later this month as he continues to recover from a fractured fibula that he suffered way back in Week 2. Fantasy managers must continue to stash him in an IR spot for the time being and hope he returns to his pre-injury form in time for the fantasy playoffs. Meanwhile, Kareem Hunt will continue to be a must-start for fantasy managers as KC's primary back, with Samaje Perine and rookie Carson Steele spelling him. Pacheco was limited in his return to the practice field this week.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London has been a consistent fantasy producer through 10 weeks, catching at least six passes in seven of those games and finding the end zone six times, putting him well within the top 10 in fantasy scoring at the position. However, it is going to be tough to replicate those numbers in Week 11 against a strong Denver pass defense that has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to wideouts thus far. The silver lining is that they have been a bit more beatable in recent weeks, allowing five TDs to receivers over the last four weeks compared to just one in the season's first six weeks. With a 25.5% target share and 32.9% of the team's air yards, his role is secure in this offense and figures to be a back-end WR1 in Week 11.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that kicker Harrison Butker (knee) injured his left knee in practice this week and underwent surgery on Friday morning. Reid did not have an official timeline for Butker's return yet, but the club placed him on Injured Reserve, meaning he'll have to miss at least the next four games. The earliest Butker will be able to return will be on Dec. 15 against the Cleveland Browns in Week 15. The 29-year-old veteran had a repair of his meniscus. If fantasy managers have the room on IR, they could consider stashing Butker, as he could be back for the first week of the fantasy playoffs in most leagues. In the meantime, the Chiefs will roll with rookie undrafted kicker Spencer Shrader, who they signed off the New York Jets' practice squad this week. We'd recommend avoiding Shrader as a fantasy streamer this Sunday against Buffalo.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (ribs) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. Jones has been limited in practice this week due to a ribs issue. Despite that, Jones has been cleared to play, so he should be feeling better. Jones has seen a fairly heavy workload with 14 carries or more in each of the last four games. He'll get a tough matchup against the Titans defense, but remains a RB2 for this weekend.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (Achilles) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Denver Broncos. There was some concern over Mooney's status after he was a limited participant in practice on Thursday. Although, Mooney doesn't appear to be dealing with anything serious as he has already been removed from the injury report. Mooney has been a solid fantasy option this season. He has five receptions for over 80 yards in each of the last two games. He does draw a tough matchup against the Broncos secondary, but fantasy managers should still be able to trust Mooney to produce as a WR3.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (hand) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. Darnold has been limited in practice this week, but appears ready to play this weekend. He's coming off a rough performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars where he threw three interceptions in the win. The hope is that Darnold will rebound this weekend now that the hand issue is hopefully behind him. Fantasy managers should be able to count on Darnold to play better in Week 11.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (quad) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Higgins appears to be ready to play for the first time since Week 7. He missed three games due to a quad issue, but the fact he was removed from the injury report means that he'll play this weekend. Before going down, Higgins was a significant part of the offense with seven of more targets in four of his five games this season. It's worth noting that the Chargers defense has been tough to pass against this season. That being said, Higgins falls more into the low-end WR2 conversation for Week 11.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins defensive back Kendall Fuller (concussion) is likely to miss some time after suffering his second concussion during last week's win over the Los Angeles Rams. Head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that Fuller is currently considered week-to-week. They haven't placed him on the injured reserve, which is a good sign. Fuller won't suit up this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders. That means, Cam Smith is likely to serve as the opposite corner to Jalen Ramsey for at least one game. The loss of Fuller hurts the Dolphins secondary, but they should still have streaming appeal against the struggling Raiders offense.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams (illness, wrist) is expected to play in Week 11 on Sunday versus the Indianapolis Colts, according to interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich. In addition to an illness that caused him to miss practice on Wednesday and Thursday, Adams is dealing with a minor wrist issue. He was able to get back on the practice field on Friday, though, and should be active on Sunday as the Jets look to turn things around. Although fantasy managers may have been expecting more from the All-Pro wideout after being traded to the Jets, Adams should remain a must-start in fantasy lineups as long as he's active. The 31-year-old veteran has 20 catches on 39 targets for 206 yards and a touchdown in his four games with the Jets and gets a nice matchup against a Colts defense that has allowed the 10th-most half-PPR points per game to receivers this year.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley (neck) and left tackle Tyron Smith (neck) have both been ruled out for the Week 11 game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Jets will re-evaluate Mosley after the Week 12 bye, and the team is still gathering more information on Smith's injury, according to interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich. Meanwhile, safety Chuck Clark (ankle) is being activated from Injured Reserve. Mosley is missing his fourth straight game but hopefully will have a shot to return when the team returns from their bye to take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13. With the 32-year-old out again, it will mean more opportunities for both linebackers Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood. The 33-year-old Smith suffered a neck injury in the Week 10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals and may not be ready coming out of next week's bye.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he's optimistic that All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton (ankle) will be able to suit up in Week 11 to face the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Hamilton was injured in last Thursday night's one-point win over the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals but was able to practice on Wednesday and Thursday. It's excellent news for IDP fantasy managers and Baltimore's secondary with a tough matchup against an improving Steelers offense under quarterback Russell Wilson. Hamilton sprained his right ankle last Thursday but is trending in the right direction to play this weekend. If he's active, he should be in starting lineups in the defensive back spot in IDP formats. The 23-year-old is currently the No. 4 fantasy DB with 50 total tackles, two sacks, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 10 games played.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) will play in Week 11 on Sunday against the New York Jets after missing the Week 10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Pittman has been dealing with a back injury for a while now, but it finally caused him to miss a game last week. The writing was on the wall for him to return this weekend, though, after he returned to a full practice on Wednesday. It's good news for the Colts' offense, but the 27-year-old pass-catcher will still be a shaky fantasy play with quarterback Anthony Richardson and his accuracy issues returning to the starting job. Additionally, the Jets defense has allowed the fewest half-PPR points per game to opposing receivers in 2024. Pittman has been outside the top-50 receivers in terms of average PPR points scored per game this season.
From RotoBaller
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
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
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
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.
From RotoBaller
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.
From RotoBaller