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FFL: Week 2 | NFL: Week 2

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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The Paur Report

Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 2

Player Notes
Brandon Aiyuk Sep 15 11:40pm ET
Brandon Aiyuk

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk disappointed again in a 23-17 loss to the Vikings in Minneapolis on Sunday. He finished with four receptions for 43 yards on five targets and no touchdowns. Minted with a four-year $120 million extension recently, it appears that Aiyuk is still working his way back into football shape after skipping nearly all of the 49ers preseason games and team practices. On the bright side, today was an improvement from Week 1's two-catch, 28-yard performance. As Aiyuk continues to sharpen physically and regain his rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy, it's almost certain that he'll get back to 2023 form, but it could still take another week or two. In Week 3, Aiyuk and the 49ers will head south to play the Rams in Los Angeles.

From RotoBaller

Xavier Worthy Sep 15 11:31pm ET
Xavier Worthy

Dynasty | Chiefs rookie receiver Xavier Worthy had two catches for 17 yards in a win against the Bengals. Dynasty Analysis: Worthy added five rushing yards on the day. Patrick Mahomes was bottled up for just 151 passing yards on the day, so dynasty managers don't need to panic. Still, this goes to show what we though - Worthy is going to be a "boom or bust" option early on in his career until he establishes solid trust and rapport with Mahomes. Worthy won't be a strong consideration next week but he's clearly a strong dynasty asset who has more than justified his rookie draft slot thus far.

Rashee Rice Sep 15 11:31pm ET
Rashee Rice

Dynasty | Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice had five catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs win against the Bengals. Dynasty Analysis: On a day where Patrick Mahomes was quiet, Rice showed he's becoming matchup-proof with another big game, highlighted by a 44-yard touchdown. Rice is a clear WR2 who is likely going to post some WR1 games moving forward. While his maturity (and possible looming suspension) are in question, his talent clearly is not.

Zack Moss Sep 15 11:31pm ET
Zack Moss

Dynasty | Bengals running back Zack Moss had 34 rushing yards, one catch, and 13 receiving yards in a loss against Kansas City. Dynasty Analysis: Moss (13 touches) looks to be the clear top dog in the offense as Chase Brown (four touches) looked like more of an afterthought. Still, Brown was more effective today and neither of these two is looking like an option in dynasty leagues at the moment. It's early, but it also looks like Cincinnati is going to live and die on the arm of Joe Burrow and their running backs should be nowhere near fantasy lineups at the moment as neither has taken advantage of a golden opportunity to emerge as a real fantasy factor this season (or possibly beyond) yet.

Justin Fields Sep 15 11:30pm ET
Justin Fields

Dynasty | Steelers quarterback Justin Fields completed 13-of-20 passes for 117 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in Pittsburgh's win against Denver. Dynasty Analysis: This game was as ugly as the 13-6 score indicates but Fields again did what Pittsburgh asked him to do - manage the offense and not make mistakes. His 27 rushing yards all come at big times and Fields has now gone two straight weeks without turning the ball over. Pittsburgh is winning with an elite-level defense and Fields still has work to do to hold off Russell Wilson, but it's hard to see Wilson starting a game before Fields loses one. He'll remain a QB2 moving forward but things are looking up for Fields as he looks like he's matured under Mike Tomlin (who somehow continues to win despite sub-par talent).

Demarcus Robinson Sep 15 11:23pm ET
Demarcus Robinson

Los Angeles Rams WR Demarcus Robinson caught two passes for a team-high 50 yards in a 41-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2.

Fantasy Spin: A week after Puka Nacua left with an injury, Cooper Kupp exited the Week 2, leaving Robinson as one of top receiving options. If Nacua and Kupp aren't ready for Week 3, Robinson will be worth a look in deeper leagues.

From TheHuddle

Evan McPherson Sep 15 11:10pm ET
Evan McPherson

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson had a productive game for fantasy managers in the Week 2 meeting against the Chiefs. After making one kick in the Week 1 loss to the Patriots, the 25-year-old had four on Sunday, including a 53-yarder in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, a missed extra-point attempt would prove costly, with the Chiefs winning the contest by one, thanks to a field goal from Harrison Butker as time expired. At any rate, McPherson is one of the best kickers in the National Football League, meaning he deserves starting consideration in all fantasy lineups when the Bengals meet the Commanders in the Week 3 Monday Night Football matchup.

From RotoBaller

Zach Ertz Sep 15 11:03pm ET
Zach Ertz

Washington Commanders TE Zach Ertz registered four receptions for a team-high 62 yards on four targets in Week 2 against the New York Giants.

Fantasy Spin: Ertz was productive like the old days in Philadelphia, but he still has a ways to go before he is a regular TE1 again. For now, he remains a TE2, and a streaming option for when your primary option has an injury or a bye.

From TheHuddle

Noah Brown Sep 15 11:03pm ET
Noah Brown

Washington Commanders WR Noah Brown registered three receptions for 56 yards on three targets in Week 2 against the New York Giants.

From TheHuddle

Joe Mixon Sep 15 11:03pm ET
Joe Mixon

Updating a previous report, Houston Texans RB Joe Mixon (ankle) was able to return to the lineup in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears late in the third quarter.

Fantasy Spin: Mixon missed a good chunk of the third quarter after what looked like a possible hip-drop tackle, sending the talented back to the locker room. We'll see if he can finish out, and finish up strong. The good news is that he is back.

From TheHuddle

Joe Mixon Sep 15 11:00pm ET
Joe Mixon

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle) is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Bears. The former Bengal had a stellar Week 1 showing against the Colts. While he hasn't been as potent in Week 2, he still amassed 20 yards off seven carries, adding three grabs for 25 yards. The Texans were already thin at the running back spot heading into Sunday night, with Dameon Pierce (hamstring) inactive. But if Mixon is ruled out, Houston will rely on Dare Ogunbowale and Cam Akers to carry the backfield for the remainder of the contest.

From RotoBaller

Deebo Samuel Sep 15 11:00pm ET
Deebo Samuel

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. was impressive in a 23-17 loss to the Vikings in Minneapolis on Sunday. He caught eight of 10 targets for 110 yards receiving -- all team-high figures. Samuel Sr.'s hands were particularly sticky in this one, with multiple difficult receptions coming on contested passes. In a bit of a departure from his usual style, relatively few of his yards came after the catch. Although it didn't matter in the end, Samuel made a great hustle play in the 49ers' final possession near the goal line when linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel jumped a backward wide receiver screen pass intended for Samuel, who got back to secure the ball when Van Ginkel bobbled it. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, it counted as a carry for a loss of nine yards. He would finish with two carries for minus-10 yards. Samuel will look to keep it going in a road tilt against the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

From RotoBaller

Austin Ekeler Sep 15 10:53pm ET
Austin Ekeler

Washington Commanders RB Austin Ekeler rushed eight times for 38 yards in Week 2 against the New York Giants, while adding three catches for 47 yards on his three targets. He also had one kickoff return for 35 yards.

Fantasy Spin: Ekeler has gone from RB1 in fantasy leagues for years with the Chargers, to a RB3 or flex option in leagues of 12 or more teams. As long as Brian Robinson Jr. remains healthy, Ekeler's fantasy ceiling is rather limited.

From TheHuddle

Matthew Stafford Sep 15 10:53pm ET
Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford completed 19 of his 27 passes for 216 yards in a 41-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2.

From TheHuddle

Taysom Hill Sep 15 10:50pm ET
Taysom Hill

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill was seldom used in Sunday's 44-19 blowout win over Dallas. The gadget player rushed the ball three times for 18 yards. He also caught his lone target for an additional yard. The showing was disappointing from a fantasy perspective, but there was no need to mix Hill into the game plan in a game that the Saints controlled from the jump. Hill will look to get more involved in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

From RotoBaller

Demarcus Robinson Sep 15 10:50pm ET
Demarcus Robinson

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson was the leading receiver in the team's 41-10 loss to Arizona on Sunday afternoon. Robinson caught two of his four targets for 50 yards with 42 of those yards coming on one big completion. The veteran receiver flashed a big play but did little else in a day to forget in the desert. Cooper Kupp (ankle) exited the game early and the team is already without Puka Nacua (knee) who is on the IR. The opportunity is there now for a receiver to step up in a big way but who that receiver will be has yet to reveal itself. Robinson, Tutu Atwell, Tyler Johnson, and Jordan Whittington are all in the mix for more targets but the foursome might just eat into each other's potential production. Until one or two from the group separate from the pack, it will be a tough fantasy situation to sort out.

From RotoBaller

Jamaal Williams Sep 15 10:50pm ET
Jamaal Williams

New Orleans Saints running back Jamaal Williams rushed eight times for 39 yards in the win over Dallas. The veteran saw most of his work on the final two drives as the Saints ran the clock to finalize the blowout victory. Williams should be rostered by Alvin Kamara owners as a handcuff, but he holds no standalone value given his lack of usage prior to the game being out of control. The veteran is now over two seasons removed from his NFL-leading rushing touchdown season. He should not be considered for lineups next week against Philadelphia.

From RotoBaller

Mike Gesicki Sep 15 10:50pm ET
Mike Gesicki

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki was solid in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. The veteran had three catches for 18 yards in Week 1 against the Pats. He also nearly had a touchdown, although it was overturned. However, Gesicki made up for that performance by amassing a game-high seven grabs for 91 yards in Week 2. Without question, nobody expects him to be a top fantasy tight end. But with Tee Higgins (hamstring) sidelined, Gesicki could remain more involved. Yet, even when Higgins returns, it appears Gesicki has caught the attention of Joe Burrow, giving him value for Week 3 against the Commanders for fantasy managers looking to fill a void at the position.

From RotoBaller

Joe Mixon Sep 15 10:43pm ET
Joe Mixon

Houston Texans RB Joe Mixon (ankle) suffered an apparent right ankle injury in the third quarter of the Week 2 game against the Chicago Bears, and he initially headed to the blue medical tent before eventually heading to the locker room.

Fantasy Spin: With Mixon off, and Dameon Pierce already inactive, journeyman Cam Akers is in the backfield for Houston, with Dare Ogunbowale is also up for the team. If Mixon is out, it appears Akers is next in line.

From TheHuddle

Rashid Shaheed Sep 15 10:40pm ET
Rashid Shaheed

New Orleans Saints third-year receiver Rashid Shaheed has been all "boom" so far this season, as he has now scored long touchdowns in back-to-back weeks. The explosive playmaker caught all four of his targets for 96 yards and a touchdown in the Week 2 win over the Dallas Cowboys. He also rushed the ball three times for 13 yards. Shaheed's 25% target share was promising, especially after tying for the team lead in targets a week ago. If the speedster continues to see a consistent target share, he will become a more reliable week-to-week starter in fantasy. Shaheed will look to continue his hot streak next week against Philadelphia.

From RotoBaller