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.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown in the team's 34-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. His score came on a screen pass from 11 yards out late in the third quarter to give the Bills the lead for good. The touchdown saved what was a low-volume, mediocre stat line. Shakir earned three targets, two fewer than rookie Keon Coleman and the same number as running back James Cook. Nine different receivers recorded a catch on Sunday as Josh Allen spread his 23 completions throughout the offense. The target distribution will prevent Shakir from being much more than a WR4 when the Bills travel to Miami for Thursday Night Football in Week 2.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks scored a touchdown in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. Cooks was targeted seven times, making four catches for 40 yards. His touchdown came in the first quarter on a 21-yard pass from quarterback Dak Prescott. Cooks mostly played a support role in the passing game last season, but he did occasionally play a larger role like he did in this one. He's a tough fantasy asset to roster because of his up-and-down performances, but he could certainly develop into an asset behind alpha WR1 CeeDee Lamb.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield made easy work of the Washington Commanders defense on Sunday. He was able to escape pressure and looked at ease in the pocket throughout most of the game. He completed 24-of-30 passing attempts for 289 yards and four touchdowns in the 37-20 victory. Mayfield spread around the love with two touchdowns to Mike Evans, one to Chris Godwin, and his final touchdown to Jalen McMillan. This Bucs offense appears to have multiple capable scoring options which is a great thing for this team. To be fair, the Commanders defense is awful, but Mayfield capitalized and did what he was supposed to. Fantasy managers should consider Mayfield a possible low-end QB1 for the Week 2 matchup against the Detroit Lions.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel logged two catches on two targets for 15 yards in the team's 34-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Samuel appears to be the odd man out of the Buffalo wide receiver rotation. Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, and Mack Hollins were the three receivers on the field the most. Samuel, meanwhile, played a handful of snaps and ran just 9 routes, according to Pro Football Focus. If Samuel continues to be the backup slot receiver to Shakir, he won't be worth a roster spot in standard-sized fantasy football leagues. Fantasy managers should keep him on the bench for another week to confirm his spot in the Buffalo pecking order. The Bills travel to Miami for a divisional tilt on Thursday Night Football in Week 2.
From RotoBaller
ynasty | Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers had five catches for 66 yards in his NFL debut. Dynasty Analysis: Based on the way Daniel Jones played, this has to be considered a minor miracle. It's clear Nabers has some next-level talent but this offense already looks putrid. New York plays at Washington next week in a game that feels pretty important in terms of what we can expect in terms of fantasy value for Nabers moving forward. He remains a solid hold in dynasty leagues but he could have some ups and downs this year playing in what looks to be one of the worst offenses in the NFL already.
Dynasty | Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby had 12 carries for 73 yards in Jacksonville's week one loss to the Dolphins. Dynasty Analysis: More importantly, Bigsby's 12 carries matched those of Travis Etienne. As we heard all off-season, it certainly does seem the Jaguars have no desire to have Etienne simply carry the mail week after week. This is a big development in dynasty leagues as it could vault Bigsby into relevance and knock Etienne down to RB2 territory. We'll see what happens next week but Bigsby's 6.1 yards per carry outshined Etienne's 3.7 on the day, making this a huge dynasty story. Stay tuned.
Dynasty | Colts rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell had just one catch for two yards in the Colts opening day loss to the Texans. Dynasty Analysis: Mitchell clearly didn't do much in terms of points on the day but the big story is the fact Anthony Richardson missed him on what would have been two long touchdowns. While the line is a disappointment, anyone who watched the game can see Mitchell has real talent. It certainly looks like better days are coming, so Mitchell remains a solid hold or even buy low at the moment.
Dynasty | Panthers rookie receiver Xavier Legette had four catches for 35 yards in his NFL debut. Dynasty Analysis: Legette did all he could on a day where Bryce Young struggled mightily. For what it's worth, his 7.5 fantasy points look like a win based on how inept the offense looked for the Panthers. Better days should be ahead but Legette should be firmly on benches until we see Bryce Young play at a level much, much higher.
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz caught three passes for 28 yards in their Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ertz tied a team-high with four targets Sunday afternoon. In his regular-season debut, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels struggled to find consistency in the passing game, which affected Ertz's fantasy output. Ertz was typically found in short range in the middle of the field as a safety valve. As Daniels gets accustomed to the professional level, Ertz should continue to see an uptick in targets. However, rookie tight end Ben Sinnott did not see a target on Sunday, solidifying Ertz's starting role in the offense. Fantasy managers looking for another value play in DFS next weekend should consider selecting Ertz, as he will face a New York Giants defense that allowed 42 yards to the Minnesota tight ends in Week 1.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman secured four out of his five targets for 51 yards in his NFL debut against Arizona. Those marks led all Buffalo receivers. The rookie second-round pick also led the Bills' wideouts in snaps and routes. It's an encouraging first effort from Coleman, who should continue to improve as his rookie season progresses. Still, Josh Allen will spread the ball around without an alpha wide receiver on the roster. Nine different receivers recorded a catch on Sunday. Coleman shouldn't crack fantasy football starting lineups when the Bills face the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football, but his stock is trending in the right direction.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton was a non-factor in Sunday's 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, finishing with 26 receiving yards on three receptions and no touchdowns. Slayton also muffed a punt as a last-minute replacement as the punt returner when Gunner Olszewski was injured in pre-game warmups. Slayton's role as a receiver looks to be diminishing with the limited targets, as Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson will see the lion's share of the work this season. Fantasy managers are better off leaving Slayton on the bench unless injuries move him up the depth chart.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott led the Cowboys backfield in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. "Zeke" ran the ball 10 times, gaining 40 yards and scoring a touchdown. He added nine yards on two receptions, catching both of his targets. It was a mostly even split in the backfield between Elliott and Rico Dowdle, who ran eight times. This pattern will likely continue, but will get even more crowded once Dalvin Cook is up to speed and joins the backfield as well. It could be tough to choose what Cowboys running back will be fantasy relevant each week, but Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints could be more illuminating.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb led the team in targets, catches, and yards in a Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. Lamb missed the entire preseason while holding out for a contract extension, and at points it was unclear if he'd even play in Week 1. He did, of course, and saw 10 targets, making five catches for 61 yards. Lamb was the top overall fantasy pass catcher last season and has a good chance to do it again this season. He'll only heat up more and once he gets more up to speed he should distance himself from the rest of the Cowboys pass catchers. He'll be a weekly WR1 regardless of matchups.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Bears rookie receiver Rome Odunze had one catch for11 yards in his NFL debut. Dynasty Analysis: It's hardly an indictment on Odunze as Caleb Williams threw for just 93 yards in his first NFL game. Odunze has obvious talent but currently finds himself in a distant third on the depth chart as his four targets trailed both DJ Moore (8) and Keenan Allen (11) by a large margin on the day. Odunze's future is bright but today illustrated a simple fact we've known all along - any dynasty manager with Odunze is going to have to be very, very patient.
Dynasty | Bears running back D'Andre Swift had 30 rushing yards and failed to record a catch in Chicago's comeback win against Tennessee. Dynasty Analysis: On the plus front, Swift did have ten carries compared to two for Khalil Herbert. It's not much of a silver lining for anyone who started Swift but it's at least something positive. The Bears offense looked pretty anemic under rookie Caleb Williams and it seems clear it's going to take some time to click here. Swift likely belongs on fantasy benches moving forward until we see some semblance of rhythm to this unit.
Dynasty | Steelers quarterback Justin Fields completed 17-of-23 passes for 156 yards, adding 57 rushing yards in Pittsburgh's opening day win against Atlanta. Dynasty Analysis: It was a decent day for Fields, who quite honestly wasn't asked to do too much. He was able to find George Pickens for a few chunk gains but otherwise took what the defense gave him. Fields didn't do enough to make Russell Wilson irrelevant, so we'll see what this week brings us. At this point, Fields remains a decent hold in dynasty leagues until he can wrestle the job away from Wilson officially.
Dynasty | Falcons receiver Drake London had just two catches for 15 yards in Atlanta's season-opening loss against Pittsburgh. Dynasty Analysis: This was one of the most disappointing stat lines of the day as many expected London to have a breakout season with Kirk Cousins at the helm. Instead, London was a non-factor today as Cousins favored the likes of Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson more. Even Ray-Ray McCloud ended with more targets (7) than London (3). This shouldn't hold up but London is going to be a tough start next week. He remains a solid hold but his dynasty star is starting to fade a bit.
Dynasty | Chargers running back JK Dobbins had 135 yards rushing and a touchdown in an opening day win against the Raiders. Dynasty Analysis: It's hard not to smile after this performance as the oft-injured Dobbins looked as explosive as ever for the Chargers. He had a 61-yard gain at one point but still had around 70 yards on his other nine carries, making that far from a fluke. He's going to be part of what could be a frustrating timeshare with Gus Edwards but all the talk about Dobbins returning to form seem to be pretty accurate. Dobbins' dynasty arrow is pointing straight up.
Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams caught five of his six targets for 59 yards in a 22-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1.
From TheHuddle
The Los Angeles Chargers defense did well in a Week 1 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. They limited the Raiders to just 10 points while recording one interception, two fumble recoveries, and four sacks. That was good for 15 fantasy points in standard scoring leagues. The Chargers looked strong on defense, with Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack wreaking havoc in the Raiders backfield all afternoon long. This defensive unit hasn't gotten much buzz, but a strong performance here plus a fairly good schedule coming up could make them a sneaky good fantasy pick going forward.
From RotoBaller