WR Strength of Schedule
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.
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The Paur Report
Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 11
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt had 14 carries for 60 yards in the 21-30 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Hunt was held out of the endzone in this contest in the team's first loss this season, leading to a mediocre fantasy performance. Despite being heavily involved in the passing game last week, Hunt did not see a single target in this contest. The Bills defense was viewed as a favorable matchup for running backs going into this game, but Buffalo held Hunt to 4.3 yards per carry. The veteran running back may have seen his last game as the undisputed lead back for the Chiefs as Isiah Pacheco is expected to return to the team in Week 12. It will be interesting to see what the backfield split will look like with Pacheco involved against the Carolina Panthers next week. The Panthers rank 32nd in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season, so Hunt should be productive with the touches he gets. Fantasy managers should monitor Pacheco's involvement to determine what Hunt's value will be moving forward.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy caught four passes for 61 yards and a touchdown in the 21-30 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Worthy looked like he was in for a big game with one carry, four catches, and a touchdown early on, but he was held without another touch for the remainder of the contest. The Chiefs were handed their first loss of the season, but it was encouraging to see Worthy be an essential piece of the offense. Worthy will look to carry this momentum into next week's contest against the Carolina Panthers, who rank 14th in fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers this season. Despite this strong showing, it won't be easy to trust Worthy in starting lineups until he displays some consistency from week to week.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp finished Sunday's win over the Patriots by amassing six receptions (10 targets) for 106 yards. He also found the end zone twice, bringing his total to four during the 2024-25 campaign. Without question, the wideout has been on a roll, catching 24 passes from Matthew Stafford in the last three games. Of course, Kupp still remains a starting fantasy option in the Week 12, Sunday Night Football matchup with Philadelphia. He just may have a tougher time being as productive against a challenging Eagles defense.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson had only one catch for 19 yards in Sunday's win over the Patriots. Fortunately, it at least resulted in a trip to the end zone, with the 25-year-old bringing in one of Matthew Stafford's four touchdown throws near the end of the third quarter. With that in mind, Parkinson wasn't targeted in the Rams' previous two contests, so fantasy managers shouldn't look in his direction as a streaming option for the Week 12 clash with the Philadelphia Eagles.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 23 of 33 pass attempts (70%) for 196 yards and three touchdowns in the 21-30 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Mahomes passed for under 200 yards in this contest but made up for it with three passing scores for the second time this season. Mahomes also threw multiple interceptions for the third time this season, including a game-ending pick in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. The Chiefs quarterback also finished the game with zero rushing yards for the first time this season. Mahomes has continued to be a disappointing fantasy asset, especially in the team's last two games with tough matchups. The veteran quarterback will look to bounce back from the team's first loss next week against the Carolina Panthers, who rank 27th in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks this season. Mahomes will likely be ranked as a low-end QB1 next week, with one of the most favorable matchups for quarterbacks.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua looked great in Sunday's victory over the New England Patriots. The wideout finished Week 11 by leading his team on the receiving end, pulling in seven of his nine targets for 123 yards. He also finally found the end zone, catching a 12-yard toss from Matthew Stafford in the second quarter. With Nacua coming off his second 100-yard outing this season, he'll look to keep it going against a tough Eagles defense in a Sunday Night Football meeting between the clubs.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caught two passes for eight yards in the 21-30 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs were handed their first loss of the season, and Kelce was the target on the game-ending interception. The veteran tight end finished the game with just four targets against the stingy Buffalo defense. Despite being the focal point of the Kansas City passing attack every week, Kelce was held in check in this contest. The 35-year-old will look to bounce back in a favorable matchup against the Carolina Panthers next week. The Panthers rank 32nd in fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends this season, so Kelce should have his way against them. Despite this underwhelming performance, Kelce should still be considered a top-tier tight-end option for the rest of the season.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams had 86 yards off 15 carries in Sunday's win over the Patriots. It wasn't a horrible showing from the 24-year-old. However, after Williams found the end zone in seven consecutive games this season, he hasn't scored in any of the Rams' previous three contests. While the team leaned on him more while Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were on the shelf, fantasy managers are hoping he'll get back on track versus the Eagles in Week 12, a team that has played well against the run all year.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson put himself back on the fantasy map on Sunday, totaling three TDs, one via pass and two via rush, in a tight 28-27 win over the Jets. Coming into the game with a 44.4% completion rate, the 22-year-old completed 20 of 30 pass attempts (66.7%) for 272 yards and a touchdown. While it was an improvement for sure, especially given that he did not throw an interception, it wasn't pretty at times and the former first-round draft pick fumbled twice, losing one of them. The 6-foot-4 signal-caller added 10 rushes for 32 yards and two scores, finishing the day well within the top 10 at the position in fantasy scoring. The Colts and Richardson will have a tough matchup at home next week against the Lions, but it may be fruitful for fantasy if they are playing from behind all day.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver DJ Charkand tight end Hayden Hurst won't play in Sunday night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Both players are healthy. However, with receivers Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey, and tight end Will Dissly all active, the move was made to give Hurst and Chark the night off. But considering Hurst has only seven catches and Chark doesn't have any this season, their absences won't have much of an impact on fantasy managers.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson completed 20-of-30 passes for 272 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, adding 32 rushing yards and two more scores in a win against the Jets. Dynasty Analysis: This may have been the best game he's played in his young career. After being benched for Joe Flacco, Richardson looked energized today and also in control, something we hadn't seen much of this season. The Jets area. mess, but this was a huge step in the right direction and should put his dynasty value drop to a sudden halt.
Dynasty | Jets running back Breece Hall had 78 rushing yards, seven catches, 43 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a loss against the Colts. Dynasty Analysis: The Jets looked competitive in this one and much of the credit should go to Hall, who finally looked like a RB1 in fantasy leagues today. While this is just one game, Hall could be poised for a better second half of the year as the Jets look to get him involved since their Plan A has clearly not worked this season. His dynasty buy low window may have closed this afternoon.
Dynasty | Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy had six catches for 142 yards and a touchdown in the Browns loss to the Saints. Dynasty Analysis: Jeudy had an 89-yard touchdown, but still had a big game without it as he had a team-leading 11 targets. He came into the game with a 33/418/1 line in nine games, so you could say this came out of nowhere. Jeudy clearly has a lot of talent and is still relatively young, but we'll need to see a few more big games before recommending him in lineups moving forward.
Dynasty | Saints hybrid player Taysom Hill had 138 rushing yards, eight catches, 50 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in a win against Cleveland. Dynasty Analysis: Well, here we go again. With Dennis Allen out in New Orleans, it seems the Saints may be willing to use Hill in a variety of crazy ways again. Today certainly worked out as Hill had one of his signature epic performances. If the Saints decide to deploy him this aggressively moving forward, he's going to be a big-time player who could decide some fantasy leagues this season. Stay tuned.
Dynasty | Browns running back Nick Chubb had 50 rushing yards in a loss to the Saints. Dynasty Analysis: Chubb had a good matchup on paper and posted a healthy 4.5 yards per carry on the day. However, a negative game script put him on the bench for most of the game as Jameis Winston threw the ball 46 times on the day. Chubb has been decent since returning, but the Browns offense just isn't one to rely on at the moment. He should be on dynasty benches for the time being.
Dynasty | Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua had seven catches for 123 yards and a touchdown in a win over New England. Dynasty Analysis: Nacua has missed much of the season, but he looked like his rookie self today, making a number of contested catches. He and Cooper Kupp (6/106/2) dominated targets with 19 combined and both look like viable fantasy starters moving forward, with Nacua having both more short and long-term upside. He's a solid hold in dynasty leagues.
Dynasty | Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers had 13 catches on 16 targets for 126 yards and one touchdown in a loss against Miami. Dynasty Analysis: He's pretty good. Bowers was option 1, 2, and 3 on the day as the Raiders seem to be content just riding their rookie tight end each and every week. There are some veteran tight ends who could keep up with his production, but Bowers is quickly becoming the TE1 in dynasty leagues and it's really not close. He's nearly untouchable on rosters at this point.
Dynasty | Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith had six catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns in a win against the Raiders. Dynasty Analysis: Smith has always had a lot of talent, but it just hasn't translated to the field consistently. Today was different as Smith tied for the team lead in targets and made the most of them. He's still more TE2 than TE1, but the Dolphins are starting to roll again, making him a player with second half upside as we move through November. Smith is a decent hold in dynasty leagues.
Dynasty | Titans wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine had two catches for 117 yards and a touchdown in the Titans loss to the Vikings. Dynasty Analysis: Westbrook-Ikhine had a 98-yard touchdown reception in this one, the longest play in the NFL this season. He has now amazingly scored in five-of-six games, despite having fewer than 300 receiving yards and only 15 catches on the season. The ultimate boom or bust in dynasty leagues right now, it's hard to see this streak continuing for a player getting targeted this little. Still, it's hard to argue against his big-play ability and that should keep him on dynasty rosters for the moment.
Dynasty | Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed 24-of-29 passes for 412 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in a demolition of the Jaguars. Dynasty Analysis: Jacksonville was no match for Detroit in this one as Goff bounced back from a five-interception performance to post a four-touchdown day with no mistakes. Goff posted season highs all around and the Lions looked like one of the best teams in the NFL by far today, even if they were playing what could be the worst one. Goff looks like a solid hold in dynasty leagues and a back-end QB1 moving forward.
