QB Strength of Schedule
Thu May 23 11:12am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
Prescott setup for big success
Using our rules for our money leagues, we came up with a schedule strength ranking for the quarterback 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 quarterbacks last season from all of their opponents to get our fantasy points allowed number. This is a good indication of the quarterbacks with the most favorable schedules for fantasy scoring for the coming season. Defenses obviously change from year to year, but knowing the quarterbacks that might have the easiest schedule for fantasy is always a good idea when formulating your rankings and draft strategy.
| QB SOS | ||
| 1. | Miami Dolphins | 313.6 |
| 2. | Cincinnati Bengals | 314.77 |
| 3. | Los Angeles Chargers | 317.32 |
| 4. | Denver Broncos | 317.38 |
| 5. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 320.33 |
| 6. | Houston Texans | 320.74 |
| 7. | Buffalo Bills | 321.01 |
| 8. | Philadelphia Eagles | 323.71 |
| 9. | Kansas City Chiefs | 325.08 |
| 10. | Washington Commanders | 325.12 |
| 11. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 326.4 |
| 12. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 328.45 |
| 13. | New York Jets | 329.06 |
| 14. | New England Patriots | 329.64 |
| 15. | Cleveland Browns | 330.31 |
| 16. | Los Angeles Rams | 330.72 |
| 17. | Arizona Cardinals | 331.54 |
| 18. | Indianapolis Colts | 331.69 |
| 19. | Seattle Seahawks | 332 |
| 20. | Atlanta Falcons | 332.73 |
| 21. | Baltimore Ravens | 333.05 |
| 22. | San Francisco 49ers | 333.05 |
| 23. | Detroit Lions | 334.13 |
| 24. | Las Vegas Raiders | 334.38 |
| 25. | New York Giants | 334.72 |
| 26. | New Orleans Saints | 336.27 |
| 27. | Minnesota Vikings | 337.2 |
| 28. | Dallas Cowboys | 339.64 |
| 29. | Chicago Bears | 340.70 |
| 30. | Tennessee Titans | 343.69 |
| 31. | Carolina Panthers | 345.54 |
| 32. | Green Bay Packers | 349.53 |
The Packers have the easiest fantasy schedule for quarterbacks. Jordan Love already had a breakout season last year and could take his game to an even higher level this season. Love is shaping up to be a really intriguing QB1 this season. He is a player on the rise and seems setup for even more success this year.
A couple second-year quarterbacks have really favorable schedules, Will Levis and Bryce Young. Both seem like good No. 2 fantasy quarterbacks to take a chance. Their teams did well in upgrading the talent around them this offseason and a favorable schedule bodes well for them to take some steps forward this year.
Caleb Williams was the No.1 overall pick and the Bears gave him plenty of firepower to work with in year one. Williams has a lot of good going for him this year and could be the C.J. Stroud of this year’s rookie class. And having a favorable fantasy schedule helps Williams even more.
A couple veterans with favorable schedules are Dak Prescott and Derek Carr. Prescott is the one that stands out the most. The Cowboys are lacking top options at the running back spot, so it would not surprise if the Cowboys are really pass-heavy offensively. Prescott could really rack up the numbers this year.
There are some big-name quarterbacks on the opposite side of things, having very tough fantasy schedules. Tua Tagovalioa has the toughest schedule of all. He struggled a little down the stretch last year and now has the most unfavorable schedule for any fantasy quarterback. This is a little concerning.
Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and whoever is starting in Pittsburgh, likely Russell Wilson, are other veteran quarterbacks that have a top-five unfavorable schedule for fantasy quarterbacks. Burrow is not a huge concern for us because we think they will still have success throwing the ball and he has a ton of talent around him at receiver. Herbert is a concern. The Chargers lost their top two receivers and could be a lot more run-heavy with a new coach in place. Herbert has some red flags for him this coming year, making him a bit of a risky pick for fantasy teams. Wilson is another veteran with a tough schedule. He also has Justin Fields pushing him to play, so Wilson is going to be a boom or bust fantasy pick.
We also wanted to look at playoff schedules for fantasy quarterbacks. 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 quarterbacks with the easiest playoff schedules doesn’t hurt by any means, especially in the big money contests.
| QB PLAYOFF SOS | ||
| 1. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 292.02 |
| 2. | Houston Texans | 299.33 |
| 3. | New York Giants | 301.93 |
| 4. | Miami Dolphins | 307.48 |
| 5. | Los Angeles Rams | 308.45 |
| 6. | Detroit Lions | 312.4 |
| 7. | Arizona Cardinals | 313.15 |
| 8. | Kansas City Chiefs | 313.45 |
| 9. | Buffalo Bills | 313.6 |
| 10. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 317.53 |
| 11. | Cincinnati Bengals | 318.03 |
| 12. | Baltimore Ravens | 318.25 |
| 13. | Green Bay Packers | 322.48 |
| 14. | Indianapolis Colts | 322.83 |
| 15. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 328.78 |
| 16. | Philadelphia Eagles | 331.23 |
| 17. | Cleveland Browns | 331.95 |
| 18. | Minnesota Vikings | 334.68 |
| 19. | Atlanta Falcons | 336.18 |
| 20. | Carolina Panthers | 338.62 |
| 21. | Seattle Seahawks | 338.65 |
| 22. | Las Vegas Raiders | 341.18 |
| 23. | Los Angeles Chargers | 341.22 |
| 24. | New York Jets | 344.3 |
| 25. | New Orleans Saints | 346.68 |
| 26. | Chicago Bears | 347.07 |
| 27. | Tennessee Titans | 348.42 |
| 28. | New England Patriots | 355.23 |
| 29. | Denver Broncos | 355.35 |
| 30. | Dallas Cowboys | 359.62 |
| 31. | Washington Commanders | 359.92 |
| 32. | San Francisco 49ers | 363.47 |
There is just a team that makes both the top-five favorable quarterback schedule for the regular season and playoffs. That team is the Cowboys. So Dak Prescott has the third easiest playoff schedule in addition to having the fifth easiest regular season schedule. Prescott was a player looking pretty good even before seeing these schedules, so you might want to bump him up a few spots in your rankings after seeing this. Prescott could be a league winner in 2024.
The 49ers actually have the easiest fantasy quarterback schedule for the playoffs. So Brock Purdy could have a great run during the fantasy playoffs. He always has a high weekly ceiling, so things are looking great for him this postseason.
Now some rookie quarterbacks round out the team of having top-five fantasy quarterback playoff schedules. Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Drake Maye are all likely starting for their teams later in the season, so they should help fantasy teams during the playoffs. They all have some question marks surrounding them but could be worth the gamble, especially if you have a dependable starter already on your roster. These rookies could make some noise late in the season.
On the opposite side of things, the Dolphins are the only team to have both a top-five unfavorable fantasy quarterback schedule for the regular season and playoffs. We already had a few concerns for Tagovalioa even before these schedules were released. And now seeing he has very challenging schedules for both the regular season and playoffs make him a player you might want to avoid come draft day.
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars have the toughest schedule for the playoffs. Lawrence has not lived up to expectations to date. He could have his best season to date this year, but his schedule during the playoffs is concerning. Lawrence could struggle when it matters most.
C.J. Stroud is the biggest name of any quarterback with a top-five unfavorable playoff schedule. We aren’t too concerned about this because some players can rise above the challenge. Stroud is one of those players. Things will be tougher for him in year two, but he will also progress and get better. Plus, he has Stefon Diggs added to the mix, which should improve that passing game even more.
Daniel Jones is another quarterback with a challenging playoff schedule. He is another fringe draft pick to begin with, so seeing him possibly have struggles down the stretch causes more trepidation when it comes to possibly drafting him. He might be another player to just steer clear of come draft day.
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
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) could return to practice as early as next week, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. The 27-year-old suffered a torn ACL and MCL last season and has been on the PUP list since the beginning of the 2024 season. Earlier this afternoon, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that the team is loosely targeting a Week 7 return for the Iowa product. Seeing that he could return to practice next week is a great sign and suggests a Week 7 return could be possible. Before the season-ending injury, Hockenson was on pace to smash previous career highs in 2023 and could be in store for a strong second half, given how potent the Minnesota offense has looked early into the season.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker is a safe option in Week 4 fantasy lineups. Dicker was extremely accurate in his rookie season last year and has remained that way three weeks into his sophomore season. The only downside to Dicker's fantasy prospects is a slow moving Chargers offense going against a strong Kansas City Chiefs team this week. Dicker has one of the higher floors among fantasy kickers, but his ceiling is somewhat limited. He's made six field goals and four extra points through the first three weeks of the season.
From RotoBaller
Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze (hip) was limited during Thursday's practice due to a hip injury, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS. The Washington product was not on Wednesday's initial injury report, but seeing that he was only limited suggests it might not be a serious injury. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to Friday's injury report as it should provide clarity on the 22-year-old's status heading into the weekend. After two quiet outings in his first two professional games, the ninth-overall pick enjoyed a nice breakout last weekend as he caught six passes for 112 yards and a score. Odunze should be considered a WR3 with upside if he is a "full-go" against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
From RotoBaller
Chicago Bears S Kevin Byard (back), TE Marcedes Lewis (rest), DL Zacch Pickens (groin), DB Terell Smith (hip), DL Darrell Taylor (knee, illness) and DL Andrew Billings (knee) did not practice on Thursday, Sept. 26. OT Darnell Wright (back), WR Keenan Allen (heel), FB Khari Blasingame (hand, knee), OT Braxton Jones (knee) and WR Rome Odunze (hip) were limited. OG Nate Davis (groin) and DE Montez Sweat (elbow) practiced in full.
From TheHuddle
Chicago Bears WR Keenan Allen (heel) was limited during practice Thursday, Sept. 26.
Fantasy Spin: Allen appears to have a decent chance to play this week after sitting out the Week 3 game. He should see a decent amount of targets if he is active and could be at least a flex option in fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle
Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta (ankle), S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle), C Frank Ragnow (pectoral) and OT Dan Skipper (ribs) did not practice on Thursday, Sept. 26. Also, DB Brian Branch (concussion), DL Alim McNeill (shoulder), DL Levi Onwuzurike (knee) and CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (hamstring) were limited and LB Alex Anzalone (concussion) practiced in full.
From TheHuddle
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (groin) did not practice on Thursday due to a groin injury, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. Meirov further reported that Carolina expects Johnson to return to practice tomorrow. As a result, fantasy managers should see this as a precautionary measure as it does not look too serious. However, Friday's injury report will clarify any potential designation the former Steeler might have heading into the weekend. After catching just five passes across the first two weeks of the season, Johnson enjoyed a breakout game last weekend as he caught eight passes for 122 yards and a score. Much of this was credited to Andy Dalton stepping into the starting QB role in favor of Bryce Young. If Johnson sees his expected workload on Sunday, he should be considered a high-end WR3 in PPR formats.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos S JL Skinner (ankle) did not practice on Thursday, Sept. 26. TE Nate Adkins (shoulder) was limited. WR Josh Reynolds (Achilles) practiced in full.
From TheHuddle
Denver Broncos WR Josh Reynolds (Achilles) fully participated in practice Thursday, Sept. 26.
Fantasy Spin: Reynolds has been a good option in the passing game for the Broncos this season and should see a few targets this week against the New York Jets. He can be a possible flex option in deeper leagues.
From TheHuddle
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From RotoBaller
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From TheHuddle
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson (calf) was limited during practice Thursday, Sept. 26.
Fantasy Spin: The Steelers continue to be cautious with Wilson because Justin Fields is playing well as the starting quarterback. Wilson probably will not be cleared to play until Fields struggles in a game or two, so fantasy players can continue to avoid Wilson.
From TheHuddle
Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey could end up with a good game in Week 4 despite a tough matchup against a strong Kansas City Chiefs defense. McConkey has been the top receiving option for the Chargers offense, logging a 25.8% target share and a 30.7% air yard share, both leading the team. He's also second on the squad in first read share at 28.9%. The Chiefs secondary has limited most opposing receivers, but they have been somewhat exploited by slot routes, with Kansas City allowing the fourth most receptions to slot receivers so far this season. With quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) likely to be limited if he even plays, all Chargers pass catchers should be downgraded somewhat, but McConkey is the safest bet to still produce a high floor, and he has some clear upside this week as well.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins will look to bounce back in a Week 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Dobbins was outstanding in Weeks 1 and 2, averaging 20.5 fantasy points per game before slowing down to a 6.9 point performance in Week 3. He still played on 65% of the team's offensive snaps in Week 3, it was just a down week in general for the Chargers offense. Dobbins is having an excellent start to the season, ranking fourth in explosive run rate and sixth in missed tackles per attempt. He's involved as a runner and as a pass catcher, and is firmly in the RB2 conversation despite a tough Chiefs run defense in Week 4.
From RotoBaller
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From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) is trending toward playing in a Week 4 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. Herbert said the team had considered resting him until the Week 5 bye, but he got in a limited practice early in the week and implied that he would at least try to play. Herbert may very well play, but he likely won't be much of a fantasy asset. His injury combined with the Chargers offensive game plan this year plus a tough matchup against the Chiefs defense leaves Herbert as a lower end QB2 for Week 4 fantasy lineups. If he is unable to play, Taylor Heinicke would likely be under center for the Bolts.
From RotoBaller
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From TheHuddle
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen (hand) fully participated in practice Thursday, Sept. 26.
Fantasy Spin: Allen has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL over the first three games and is a must-start option in all fantasy leagues no matter the opponent.
From TheHuddle
Buffalo Bills OL Tylan Grable (groin) and CB Taron Johnson (forearm) did not practice on Thursday, Sept. 26. CB Kaiir Elam (neck) and LB Terrel Bernard (pectoral) were limited. QB Josh Allen (hand), TE Quintin Morris (shoulder) and QB Mitchell Trubisky (knee) practiced in full.
From TheHuddle
Carolina Panthers QB Andy Dalton (ankle) fully participated in practice Thursday, Sept. 26.
Fantasy Spin: Dalton will receive another start after playing very well last week. He probably will see his numbers drop some this week but could be a possible starting option in two-quarterback leagues.
From TheHuddle
