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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Dynasty | Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is skipping the workout portion at the NFL Scouting Combine, Dynasty Analysis: No surprise here, really. Sanders is protecting his own interests and his Father is pulling some pretty tight strings as well. In some ways, Sanders controls his own destiny as he's one of very few players who doesn't necessarily need the NFL paycheck to lose leverage. In the end, he's likely going to be a top-five pick, but that team is also going to need some assurance that he's willing to play for them as well. Regardless, he looks like a solid first round rookie pick this Spring.
Dynasty | Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty won't do on-field workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine. Dynasty Analysis: A sure-fire first round draft pick, Jeanty really has little to gain and more to lose should he not perform as well as expected. Instead, he'll work out at his Pro Day and hope to solidify his draft stock. He's been a popular mock draft target of the Broncos and Cowboys, though anything can (and likely will) happen there. Jeanty projects as a solid rookie draft pick, perhaps even the 1.01 in traditional formats this Spring.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will only participate in medical evaluations and team interviews at the 2025 NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis this week, according to his agent. Jeanty will do on-field drill during Boise State's Pro Day. Not unlike some of this year's top prospects, the 21-year-old will not work out in front of NFL scouts this week in Indy, but it shouldn't negatively affect his draft stock at all as the likely top RB off the board this year. In his final year with the Broncos in 2024, Jeanty was extremely productive, carrying the ball 374 times for 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, adding an FBS-best 5.25 yards after contact. He also had 23 receptions for 138 yards and another score through the air. Fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues may want to be worried about the massive volume he had in college, but he should immediately be a starting back in the NFL in his rookie season.
From RotoBaller
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders will not throw at this week's NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis and will instead focus on his interviews with teams. Sanders will then throw at his Pro Day with four draftable Colorado wide receivers. Sanders and Miami QB Cam Ward are the favorites to go No. 1 overall in April's NFL draft to the Tennessee Titans, if they stay in the top spot. In his two seasons with the Buffaloes with his dad coaching him, Sanders threw for 7,364 yards, 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Although his father was one of the most athletic cornerbacks in NFL history, the 23-year-old Sanders is seen as more of a pocket passer, which could limit his fantasy upside at the next level.
From RotoBaller
The Carolina Panthers informed veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson that they will not attempt to re-sign him in free agency this offseason. Thompson, 30, has been with the team since they drafted him 25th overall in 2015 out of the University of Washington, but he has been able to play in only six games the last two years because of injuries. His 752 tackles rank fourth in franchise history, behind only Thomas Davis, Luke Kuechly and Mike Minter. Thompson had a career-high 135 tackles in 2022 but broke his ankle in Week 2 of the 2023 season and then tore his Achilles in Week 4 of 2024. He was named a captain for the Panthers in five of his seasons and recorded 470 solo tackles, 12 sacks, 54 tackles for loss, 32 QB hits, three interceptions, 26 pass breakups, four forced fumbles and four fumbles recoveries (one returned for a TD) in his 123 games (112 starts).
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons DT David Onyemata is more likely to be a salary cap casualty this offseason than DT Grady Jarrett, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
From TheHuddle
Cleveland Browns impending free-agent QB Jameis Winston said one of his goals moving forward is to limit the critical mistakes he makes during games.
From TheHuddle
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Dynasty | Free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers is reportedly looking for a good team to sign on with if he continues playing. Dynasty Analysis: Well, that seemed obvious from the start. Rodgers seems willing to keep playing but it's unclear if any competitive teams would honestly even want him. His up-and-down play combined with his off-the-field attention may just be too much for someone to stomach. However, it only takes one and a team like Pittsburgh or the Rams (should they move on from Matthew Stafford) could make sense. Regardless, Rodgers' dynasty value has pretty much cratered.
Dynasty | Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is likely to hit free agency. Dynasty Analysis: This really isn't much of a surprise. The Vikings have JJ McCarthy as their quarterback of the future and invested a lot in him. Darnold was a revelation for most of the season but faded just a touch in the last few games. While he could be back in Minnesota, it seems likely he'll land some kind of a deal elsewhere, like Las Vegas or New York. Regardless, he's certainly proved capable of being a starter and should be a solid QB2 at worst for the next few years. His dynasty value has certainly been rehabilitiated.
Free-agent S Keanu Neal (Steelers) has announced his retirement from professional football.
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Washington Commanders impending free-agent DE Dante Fowler is a player the Commanders likely will look to re-sign this offseason, but he may ask for more money than the team is willing to pay, in the opinion of CommanderWire's Bryan Manning.
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Miami Dolphins impending free-agent DT Calais Campbell likely will receive interest from Dolphins if he decides to play again next season, in the opinion of DolphinsWire's James Trefry.
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The Los Angeles Chargers may decide to keep LB Joey Bosa for the 2025 season because LB Khalil Mack is eligible for unrestricted free agency and cannot be brought back under the franchise tag. Bosa is slated to make $25.36 million during the upcoming season but nearly half of that comes from a $12.36 million roster bonus which would be due in March, so the Chargers are likely to make a decision about his fate within the next few weeks.
From TheHuddle
Philadelphia Eagles CB James Bradberry could be released during the offseason in order to create salary cap space, according to ESPN.com's Dan Graziano. The 31-year-old has one year remaining on his current contract.
From TheHuddle
ESPN's Dan Graziano writes that it's possible that Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews could be a salary cap casualty this offseason. The 29-year-old is scheduled to make $11 million in 2025 -- a $4 million roster bonus due on March 17 and $7 million in salary. Andrews' salary cap number is $16.9 million, and because none of his salary is guaranteed, the team would save $11 million if they release him before his roster bonus is due. In addition to his major gaffes in the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, there were stretches in 2024 where fellow tight end Isaiah Likely looked to have surpasses him in the passing game. However, Graziano doesn't discount that Andrews has been extremely reliable in his career with the Ravens and has plenty of chemistry with quarterback Lamar Jackson. Despite coming off a crucial lost fumble and dropped pass in the postseason, Andrews finished as the TE5 in fantasy and had a career-high 11 touchdowns.
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Houston Texans impending free-agent WR Robert Woods is interested in re-signing with the Texans this offseason.
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Free-agent DT Sheldon Rankins (Bengals) could be a possible option for the Dallas Cowboys depending on his asking price, in the opinion of CowboysWire's K.D. Drummond.
From TheHuddle
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Fantasy Spin: Stafford is being allowed to see what other teams are willing to pay him, but he is still a member of the Rams at this point. Fantasy players should monitor the situation to see where Stafford will start in 2025. He probably will be a high-end No. 2 quarterback in most fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle
