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WR Strength of Schedule

Fri May 31 10:52am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

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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Player Notes
Brandon Aiyuk Oct 20 8:00pm ET
Brandon Aiyuk

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) exited Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after taking a hit to the knee in the first half. He was carted off the field before eventually being ruled out. Unfortunately, head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated that there is concern the wideout suffered an ACL tear. Aiyuk will likely undergo further testing, but it will take a miracle for him to be on the field for Sunday night's clash with the Dallas Cowboys. With Deebo Samuel Sr. (illness) and Jauan Jennings (hip) also uncertain for that one, George Kittle, Jacob Cowing, and Ricky Pearsall could see an uptick in attention from Brock Purdy.

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Austin Seibert Oct 20 7:50pm ET
Austin Seibert

Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert had a busy evening as he went 4-for-4 on attempts and 4-for-4 on extra-point attempts in their Week 7 blowout victory over the Carolina Panthers. After missing his first attempt last week, Siebert bounced back this weekend and continued his excellent campaign. The 27-year-old's longest attempt of the evening was from 49 yards out. Even though rookie sensation Jayden Daniels (ribs) left the game in the opening frame, the Washington offense looked just as potent, providing Seibert with ample scoring opportunities. Seibert remains a high-end kicker heading into a Week 8 tilt against the Chicago Bears.

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Ray Davis Oct 20 7:50pm ET
Ray Davis

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis ran the football five times for 41 yards and a touchdown in the team's 34-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans. The rookie also caught one pass for six yards. Davis' touchdown came on Buffalo's final drive with under two minutes remaining. The fourth-round pick took the carry for 16 yards into paydirt. Most of Davis' production happened in the second half. James Cook returned to the lineup and dominated touches and snaps in the first half. Following his great stat line against the Jets, Davis cemented himself as one of the top handcuffs in fantasy football. Unless Cook suffers another injury, Davis should stay on fantasy football benches.

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Dante Fowler Oct 20 7:50pm ET
Dante Fowler

The Washington Commanders defense enjoyed their best performance of the season against the Carolina Panthers. They held the Panthers to just seven points, their lowest total of the campaign. In addition, linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. got on the board early with a pick-six in the opening quarter off Andy Dalton. Fowler would also tally one of the two sacks, with linebacker Frankie Luvu registering the other. After struggling against Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry last weekend, the Commanders defense enjoyed a dominant performance this weekend. The Commanders remain a risky streaming option as they have been unable to find consistency through extended periods of the season. Next week, they will face rookie Caleb Williams, who has averaged 265.0 passing yards per game with six total scores in his past two games.

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Roman Wilson Oct 20 7:50pm ET
Roman Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (hamstring) is inactive for Sunday's meeting with the New York Jets. The 23-year-old made his debut against the Raiders, although he didn't do anything on the statistical end. But Wilson is now battling a hamstring injury, so he'll be back on the shelf for Week 7. He wasn't a vital component of the offense during his debut. But Wilson's absence could mean and extra target or two for George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, and Calvin Austin III.

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Keon Coleman Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Keon Coleman

Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman caught four of his seven targets for 125 yards in the team's 34-10 win over the Tennessee Titans. The rookie more than doubled his previous career-high mark for receiving yards. Most of his yardage came on two plays: a 44-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter and a 57-yard gain in the fourth. He nearly scored a touchdown on another play but was it overturned to incomplete after a review. The presence of Amari Cooper may have eased the defensive attention on Coleman, but the veteran will eventually eat into his snaps as well. The rookie will be a boom-or-bust wide receiver for fantasy football managers again in Week 8.

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Tyler Conklin Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Tyler Conklin

New York Jets tight end Tyler Conklin (hip) will play on Sunday night against the Steelers. The veteran was questionable for this one because of a hip injury. However, he carried the same designation ahead of the Week 6 matchup with the Bills, so this update isn't surprising. With that said, Conklin has only 19 catches this season, so he's not a viable fantasy option. The arrival of Davante Adams also means he will see less attention from Aaron Rodgers moving ahead.

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Zach Ertz Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Zach Ertz

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz caught four of his five targets for 40 yards and a score in their victory over the Carolina Panthers. This was the first time Ertz found the end zone in the DMV. The veteran tight end became a key part of the Washington offense once Marcus Mariota replaced Jayden Daniels (ribs). Even though Ertz was productive with Daniels, he seemed to have a strong connection with Mariota, as he finished with the third-most targets and second-most yards on the team. The 33-year-old has now tallied double-digit PPR points in back-to-back games and remains a solid low-end TE1 heading into Week 8.

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Ben Sinnott Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Ben Sinnott

Washington Commanders rookie tight end Ben Sinnott caught his first two passes in the NFL and found the end zone in their Week 7 victory over the Carolina Panthers. The Kansas State product found the end zone in the third quarter on a three-yard pass from Marcus Mariota, which extended their lead to an impressive five scores. The second-round selection in this year's draft has been held off the scoresheet through the first six weeks but was finally able to make an impact. For now, fantasy managers in redraft formats should leave Sinnott on the waiver wire, but if he continues to see an increasing role in the offense, he could be worth a speculative stash in deeper formats.

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Dalton Kincaid Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Dalton Kincaid

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid caught three of his six targets for 52 yards in the team's 34-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans. The pedestrian total was actually Kincaid's season-high mark for receiving yards, which says a lot about his production so far this season. Kincaid was about a yard away from scoring a touchdown in the third quarter. Josh Allen found Ty Johnson two plays later for the score. With Amari Cooper now on the roster, Kincaid drops to the third option in the passing game. He'll be a low-end TE1 against the Seattle Seahawks next weekend.

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Marcus Mariota Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Marcus Mariota

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota went 18-for-23 with 205 yards and two passing scores in relief of Jayden Daniels (ribs), who left the game in the first quarter. Mariota added 34 yards on 11 rushing attempts. The veteran QB did not face much trouble in relief as the Commanders were overpowering Carolina the entire evening. The former Oregon product found both tight ends, Zach Ertz and Ben Sinnott, in the end zone. He connected with Terry McLaurin all evening as he finished with a team-high 98 yards on six catches. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Daniels' status during the week, as Mariota could be in line to start next weekend against the Chicago Bears.

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Andy Dalton Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Andy Dalton

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 93 yards and two interceptions off 11-for-16 passing in Sunday's blowout to the Washington Commanders. Nothing was going right for the Panthers offense in Week 7, resulting in Bryce Young entering late when the game was out of reach. As a result, many wondered if Young would be back under center moving ahead. However, that doesn't appear to be the case, with head coach Dave Canales stating postgame that the team is "committed" to Dalton moving ahead. The veteran signal-caller has played better than expected since taking over for Young, so fantasy managers in multi-QB formats can consider him a starting option in Week 8 against the Broncos.

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Brian Robinson Jr. Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Brian Robinson Jr.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. had a productive day in his return as he tallied 71 yards on the ground off 12 attempts and found the end zone for the sixth time this season. He did not see a target in the passing game. The Commanders got ahead of Carolina quite early and gave their rusher a limited workload in the second half as the game was out of hand. However, the 25-year-old looked healthy after his Week 6 absence due to a knee injury as he reclaimed his typical short-yardage role. Robinson should be locked into all lineups as an RB2 next weekend against the Chicago Bears.

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Austin Ekeler Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Austin Ekeler

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler had a quiet showing in their Week 7 dismantling of the Carolina Panthers. Ekeler ran the ball just four times for a mere 17 yards. In the passing game, he brought in both of his targets just three yards. This was his lowest output of the season, both on the ground and through the air. However, the game script for the pass-catching back was not too positive, as the Commanders were up by multiple scores all evening. Fantasy managers in PPR leagues should continue to view Ekeler as a low-end flex option heading into their Week 8 tilt against the Chicago Bears.

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Terry McLaurin Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Terry McLaurin

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin led all Washington pass-catchers with 98 yards in their victory over the Carolina Panthers. He brought in all six of his targets, which tied for a team-high. Even though he was without his QB1 through most of the game, the 29-year-old has continued his impressive stretch as he has tallied at least 15.0 PPR points in every game since Week 3. During this span, McLaurin found the end zone four times and has been the clear lead option in the Washington air attack. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring Jayden Daniels' status (ribs) throughout the week, but McLaurin remains a safe, high-end WR2 facing the Chicago Bears next weekend.

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Dorian Thompson-Robinson Oct 20 7:20pm ET
Dorian Thompson-Robinson

According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (finger) may have avoided a severe injury. However, his availability moving forward will be determined based on "how he responds to treatment and how he can grip a football." With Deshaun Watson (Achilles) going down in the Week 7 meeting with the Bengals, DTR took over under center, throwing for 82 yards off 11-for-24 passing, adding 44 yards off three carries. But after he was injured, Jameis Winston entered the contest. Cleveland will next meet the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8. Still, no matter who is throwing the ball, fantasy managers will have a tough time trusting any Browns quarterback until the offense shows signs of life.

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Amari Cooper Oct 20 7:20pm ET
Amari Cooper

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper caught four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown in his first game with the team. Cooper, acquired via trade last week, scored on his first reception of the game in the third quarter. The 30-year-old wasn't deployed as often as other Buffalo wide receivers as he was still learning the playbook. On his touchdown, he appeared to ask rookie Keon Coleman what the play was before the ball was snapped. His involvement will only increase moving forward and should take snaps from Coleman and Mack Hollins. He'll be a WR2 when the Bills travel to Seattle next weekend.

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Khalil Shakir Oct 20 7:20pm ET
Khalil Shakir

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir caught all seven of his targets for 65 yards in the team's victory over the Tennessee Titans. Shakir was well on his way to a dud performance until Buffalo's first drive of the fourth quarter. Josh Allen threw three straight passes to the slot receiver for 24 yards. Amari Cooper caught one pass, and then Allen went right back to Shakir for two more catches for 26 yards. Cooper's arrival in Buffalo won't impact Shakir's playing time. He operates almost exclusively from the slot and does not often see the field in two-receiver sets. He'll be in the flex conversation next week against the Seattle Seahawks.

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Kayshon Boutte Oct 20 7:10pm ET
Kayshon Boutte

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte caught one of his two targets for 33 yards during Sunday's Week 7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The second-year receiver wasn't able to replicate his impressive Week 6 stat line that included a touchdown, but he was still heavily involved. He finished Sunday's contest with 50 snaps (most among Patriots wide receivers) and 37 routes run (most among all Patriots players). Boutte is off the redraft radar going forward but remains an intriguing dynasty stash as he continues to earn meaningful offensive snaps.

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Josh Allen Oct 20 7:10pm ET
Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen completed 21 of 33 pass attempts for 323 yards and two touchdowns in the team's 34-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans. He rushed three times for one yard. Allen was on his way to a respectable, but not great, stat line until the fourth quarter. He tossed his second touchdown to running back Ty Johnson and added 125 passing yards to his total on the two subsequent drives. Allen's first score was a red zone strike to the newly acquired Amari Cooper. He and the healthy return of Khalil Shakir give Allen reliable options in the passing game. Allen and the Bills will travel to Seattle for their Week 8 matchup.

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