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FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1

2022 QB Strength of Schedule

Tue May 17 10:45am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

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.

  2022 QB SOS   
1. New York Jets 331.4
2. Baltimore Ravens 335
3. Miami Dolphins 339.5
4. Kansas City Chiefs 340.8
5. Pittsburgh Steelers 342.8
6. Las Vegas Raiders 344.8
7. New England Patriots 344.9
8. Minnesota Vikings 345.1
9. Cincinnati Bengals 345.8
10. Los Angeles Rams 346
11. Arizona Cardinals  347.2
12. Tennessee Titans 349.5
13. Seattle Seahawks 349.8
14. Cleveland Browns 350.2
15. Atlanta Falcons 350.3
16. Buffalo Bills 351
17. Los Angeles Chargers 351.4
18. Detroit Lions 351.5
19. Carolina Panthers 351.8
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 352.3
21. Green Bay Packers 352.4
22. San Francisco 49ers 352.4
23. Houston Texans 352.7
24. Washington Commanders 354.8
25. New Orleans Saints 356
26. Indianapolis Colts 356.1
27. Chicago Bears 357.1
28. Denver Broncos 357.9
29. Jacksonville Jaguars 360.9
30. Philadelphia Eagles 362
31. Dallas Cowboys 362.8
32. New York Giants 365.8


The Giants have the most favorable fantasy quarterback schedule in the league this year, so maybe this is the year Daniel Jones finally puts it together. He also has a new, quarterback-friendly coach, Brian Daboll, so things are looking up for him. Jones could be a good late-round grab for teams with a good established quarterback on their roster. The Cowboys have the second easiest schedule for quarterbacks, making Dak Prescott a player with a huge season for the coming year. The Eagles, Jaguars and Broncos round out the top-five for favorable schedules for quarterbacks. Jalen Hurts just keeps lookin better and better. And Russell Wilson could be setup for a huge first season in Denver. 

On the flipside, the Jets had quarterback struggles last year and did a lot this offseason to get that position help. Unfortunately, the Jets also have the toughest fantasy schedule for quarterbacks. This doesn’t bode well for second-year starter Zach Wilson. He might have some more growing pains along the way. The Ravens are second on the list. It is hard to bet against Lamar Jackson, especially with the way he makes plays on the ground, but he could have some struggles though the air because of this schedule. The Dolphins, Chiefs and Steelers also have schedules that rank in the top five most challenging for quarterbacks. We wouldn’t worry too much about Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, but Tua Tagovailoa and whoever starts for the Steelers (Mitchell Trubisky/Kenny Pickett) have a few more red flags because of this schedule. These quarterbacks aren’t sure things to begin with, so having a very challenging schedule is a bit of a concern. 

Take a close look at this entire ranking when figuring out your fantasy rankings for the coming season.

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. 

  2022 QB PLAYOFF SOS  
1. Cincinnati Bengals 304
2. Miami Dolphins 309.7
3. Las Vegas Raiders 321.5
4. New York Jets 328.9
5. Chicago Bears 329.7
6. Kansas City Chiefs 336.9
7. Arizona Cardinals  337
8. Washington Commanders 337.4
9. Los Angeles Chargers 339.6
10. Philadelphia Eagles 340.8
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 342.2
12. New England Patriots 345.7
13. Los Angeles Rams 346.9
14. Minnesota Vikings 350.8
15. Baltimore Ravens 350.9
16. Atlanta Falcons 352.8
17. Tennessee Titans 353.6
18. Buffalo Bills 353.8
19. Green Bay Packers 354.3
20. Carolina Panthers 354.9
21. Dallas Cowboys 355.4
22. New Orleans Saints 357.9
23. Indianapolis Colts 361.4
  Seattle Seahawks 361.4
25. Jacksonville Jaguars 363.9
26. Pittsburgh Steelers 364.9
27. Houston Texans 365.4
28. Detroit Lions 366.1
29. Denver Broncos 366.3
30. San Francisco 49ers 374.9
31. Cleveland Browns 376.5
32. New York Giants 380.4


The Giants also have the most favorable playoff schedule for quarterbacks, which is another good sign for Jones. Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson and Jared Goff also have really favorable playoff schedules. These are players you might want to move up your rankings some because of their potential for big point totals in the playoffs. Just something to keep in mind. 

Joe Burrow was huge during the fantasy playoffs last year, but could have a tougher time repeating that task. Burrow gets the most difficult playoff schedule for fantasy quarterbacks. Tua Tagovailoa finds his name on both the most difficult regular and playoff season schedule, which is a little alarming. Zach Wilson also is a repeat name on the list. Derek Carr and Justin Fields also get tough playoff schedules. Carr is a player on the rise because of some offseason acquisitions, but his tough playoff schedule might make you temper your expectations for him a little. 

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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First TFC Review

Player Notes
J.J. McCarthy Apr 25 9:30pm ET
J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings traded up one spot from 11th to 10th with the New York Jets in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings wanted McCarthy all along and ended up not needing to trade into the top five to get their next franchise signal-caller. McCarthy won a national championship with the Wolverines last year but wasn't asked to do a lot with a strong running back behind him. He ran a pro-style offense in college, which should give him a high floor at the next level, and he'll be set up well for future success in Minnesota with a great one-two punch in receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The talent is there with McCarthy, but he also didn't have the big sample size that the other big-name QB prospects in this draft did. McCarthy won't necessarily start in his rookie year in 2024 with Sam Darnold also in town.

From RotoBaller

Michael Penix Jr. Apr 25 9:20pm ET
Michael Penix Jr.

The Atlanta Falcons selected Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. This is the first real surprise of this year's draft after the Falcons signed quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason. Injuries are the main concern for Penix, but besides that, he showed plenty of long-term upside in his two seasons with the Huskies, culminating in a national championship appearance earlier this year. The 23-year-old lefty will obviously enter his first season in the NFL as a clear backup in Atlanta, but this pick will give the Falcons insurance with Cousins returning from a torn Achilles in 2023. This selection will be debated for a while, especially given all of Atlanta's needs on defense.

From RotoBaller

Rome Odunze Apr 25 9:20pm ET
Rome Odunze

The Chicago Bears selected Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. Thats back-to-back picks out of Washington after quarterback Michael Penix Jr. surprisingly went eighth overall to the Atlanta Falcons. Odunze led the country in receiving yards in 2023 and is a special talent. He has length and excels at contested catches down the field. It helped that he had an excellent passer to throw him the football in Penix, but this kid is still special and should have an excellent career. The Bears have now added QB Caleb Williams and Odunze with their first two picks this year. While Odunze has plenty to like in the long-term, he'll be hard-pressed to make a huge impact in his rookie season in 2024 with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen set to be target hogs in this Bears offense.

From RotoBaller

Will Levis Apr 25 9:10pm ET
Will Levis

The Tennessee Titans selected Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. The Titans were hoping that Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt, the consensus No. 1 offensive lineman in this class, would fall to them at No. 7, but that didn't happen -- he went to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5. Latham is a solid fallback option, though, and should immediately boost the protection for young quarterback Will Levis in Tennessee. The 21-year-old is a mauler at right tackle and short start immediately in his rookie season in the NFL in 2024. He weighed in at 342 pounds, so he's a mountain of a man with long arms and huge hands. This pick is great news for Levis and running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears.

From RotoBaller

Justin Herbert Apr 25 9:00pm ET
Justin Herbert

The Los Angeles Chargers selected Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. Under new head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, the Chargers are unsurprisingly trying to build up their offensive line to help protect their ground game and quarterback Justin Herbert. Alt was the consensus best offensive-line prospect in this year's draft and should be a starter in LA from Day 1 in 2024 at right tackle across from Rashawn Slater on the left side. He stands at 6-foot-8 1/2 and 320 pounds and uses his size and strength to his advantage to climb to the second level. Despite his towering size, he's quick and nasty in the trenches. Not only will Alt help keep Herbert clean in the pocket, but he should be an asset in the run game, too.

From RotoBaller

Malik Nabers Apr 25 9:00pm ET
Malik Nabers

The New York Giants selected LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. There was plenty of noise in the days leading up to the draft that the G-Men wanted to trade up to draft either North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye or Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, but that ended up being a smokescreen despite the questions about Daniel Jones as he comes off a torn ACL. Nabers is one of the fastest and most explosive receivers in a stacked class at the position and will give Jones an elite offensive weapon as he looks to bounce back in 2024. He should become New York's immediate No. 1 wideout among a group that includes Wan'Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt and Darius Slayton. Nabers will make the Giants more explosive immediately, but can Jones get him the ball consistently behind a shaky offensive line?

From RotoBaller

Marvin Harrison Jr. Apr 25 8:50pm ET
Marvin Harrison Jr.

The Arizona Cardinals selected Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. With no other team trading up with the Cardinals to make it four straight quarterbacks in a row to start this year's draft, the Cardinals will give QB Kyler Murray a big-time new receiving weapon in Harrison. It makes sense after the team lost Marquise Brown this offseason. Harrison is an absolute stud at the position and should immediately be Arizona's best wideout in his rookie year alongside names like Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch and Chris Moore. Harrison was a unanimous two-time All-American and scored 28 total touchdowns the last two years. He's bigger than his father and has incredible body control. Harrison should be fantasy relevant in Year 1 while being peppered with targets by Murray.

From RotoBaller

Drake Maye Apr 25 8:40pm ET
Drake Maye

The New England Patriots selected North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. The Patriots will open the Jerod Mayo era with a new franchise QB in Maye after the team traded former first-rounder Mac Jones to the Jaguars this offseason. The 21-year-old has prototypical size at 6-foot-4, 223 pounds, plenty of arm strength and the intangibles that coaches like. However, he's much more of a project than Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, and may need to sit for a year behind Jacoby Brisset and Bailey Zappe before New England is comfortable naming him the unquestioned starter under center. Long-term, though, Maye has the talent to be a great QB in the NFL. The problem in New England, though, is that they're lacking in offensive weapons around him right now.

From RotoBaller

Caleb Williams Apr 25 8:30pm ET
Caleb Williams

The Chicago Bears selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, as expected, in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. Last year's draft trade with the Carolina Panthers allowed Chicago to move to the No. 1 spot this year. Williams was the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick to the Bears for the entire pre-draft process, and it became more apparent when they dealt Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers a month ago. Not only is the 22-year-old the safest QB prospect in this year's class, but he's entering a situation in Chicago that should be conducive to immediate success in real life and in fantasy. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner will be the clear top pick in rookie-only fantasy drafts this fall and should be in play in two-QB leagues in 2024 as well.

From RotoBaller

Jayden Daniels Apr 25 8:30pm ET
Jayden Daniels

The Washington Commanders selected LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. Daniels should enter Week 1 as the team's starter under center after Washington traded last year's starter, Sam Howell, to the Seahawks this offseason. The 23-year-old Heisman Trophy winner last year might be the most physically gifted QB in this draft class, although there is some concern that he might not be able to withstand the beating at the position, especially if he continues to take unnecessary hits as a runner. Like Caleb Williams, the upside is off the charts, and he'll have a strong No. 1 receiver in Terry McLaurin and a strong backfield behind him with Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr.

From RotoBaller

A.J. Brown Apr 25 8:20pm ET
A.J. Brown

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has signed a three-year, $96 million contract, which is the highest for any wide receiver in NFL history. This contract keeps him as an Eagle through 2029. Brown struggled toward the end of last season, and there were growing concerns that the All-Pro was interested in leaving Philadelphia. This massive extension puts those rumors to rest. Despite the disappointing finish, the 26-year-old tallied 1456 yards and seven touchdowns. Brown will again be considered a top-tier wide receiver in fantasy drafts this year and will serve as the primary target for Jalen Hurts.

From RotoBaller

Drake Maye Apr 25 7:40pm ET
Drake Maye

Per a league source, the current expectation is that the New England Patriots will sit tight at No. 3 overall in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night and take North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. The New York Giants (No. 6) and Minnesota Vikings (No. 11) had been linked to a potential trade up to No. 3, but the Patriots unsurprisingly have been asking for a lot in return. If the Patriots do stay in the third spot, their next challenge will be getting Maye ready after he showed plenty of inconsistencies and shaky mechanics in his final year with the Tar Heels. In an ideal world for the Pats, Maye would sit and learn behind veteran Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe in 2024 and then be ready to go as the team's starter under center in 2025. The Patriots traded former first-rounder Mac Jones to the Jaguars this offseason.

From RotoBaller

J.J. McCarthy Apr 25 7:40pm ET
J.J. McCarthy

The current expectation is that the Minnesota Vikings will stay put at pick No. 11 overall in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night, and that Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be on the board when they're on the clock. The Vikings added an extra first-round pick (No. 23) to aid a potential jump into the top five to take a franchise signal-caller, but they may not need to do that after all. The Denver Broncos have been subtly linked to McCarthy as well, and they'd only have to jump from No. 12 to No. 10 to cut in front of Minnesota. McCarthy has also been linked to the New York Giants (No. 6) in recent days, but that's believed to have been a smokescreen. The Vikings are desperate for a new QB after failing to re-sign Kirk Cousins in free agency.

From RotoBaller

Xavier Worthy Apr 25 6:40pm ET
Xavier Worthy

The Kansas City Chiefs have really been working to see if they can move up from No. 32 in the first round of Thursday night's NFL draft. The belief around the league is that the Chiefs moving up from No. 32 would be for one of the speed wide receivers in this talented draft class at the position. It makes sense given the fact that the Chiefs are expecting second-year wideout Rashee Rice to be suspended for multiple games in 2024 after his involvement in a car accident that involved injuries. Even with Rice in the fold, KC has the need to bolster their receiving corps behind Rice and aging tight end Travis Kelce. If the Chiefs do pull off a trade up in the latter portion of the first round, they could be targeting Texas receiver Xavier Worthy.

From RotoBaller

Trevor Lawrence Apr 25 6:30pm ET
Trevor Lawrence

The Jacksonville Jaguars are calling around in an effort to move up in the first round of Thursday's NFL draft, and teams taking their calls believe they are on the hunt for a specific pass-catcher, according to a source. Even though the Jaguars signed wideout Gabe Davis in free agency this offseason, it appears the Jags are looking to make a splash early in the first round this year for another weapon for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Jacksonville currently holds the No. 17 overall pick. If they were to trade into the top 10, players such as Washington receiver Rome Odunze, LSU receiver Malik Nabers, and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers could all be options as they look for extra pass-catchers after they lost Calvin Ridley in free agency. Stay tuned.

From RotoBaller

Drake Maye Apr 25 6:20pm ET
Drake Maye

ESPN's Jeff Darlington reports that the Minnesota Vikings are very tense with the first round of the 2024 NFL draft just hours away from starting on Thursday night as they look to trade up to No. 3 with the New England Patriots in an effort to take a quarterback of the future. The Vikings currently sit at the No. 11 pick and were unable to re-sign quarterback Kirk Cousins in the offseason. The player that has fascinated them throughout the pre-draft process has been North Carolina QB Drake Maye, but there is serious competition for the No. 3 pick, including the Patriots themselves. If Minnesota can't get Maye at No. 3, they'd likely need to jump the Giants at No. 6 in order to get Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy. If they whiff on Maye and McCarthy, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. could be the fallback option for the Vikes.

From RotoBaller

Brandon Aiyuk Apr 25 5:20pm ET
Brandon Aiyuk

The San Francisco 49ers have been in trade rumors regarding star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk all offseason, but NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports the team has also talked with teams about trading fellow star wideout Deebo Samuel. Russini said one of the teams the 49ers have talked with currently holds a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, so a blockbuster deal could be in the works. Aiyuk is reportedly asking for more money than the 49ers are willing to give him, while Samuel has been in the trade rumor circles for multiple seasons. With high-priced assets like George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, and Fred Warner on the roster, the organization will have to make moves in order to re-sign quarterback Brock Purdy in the near future. If one of the wideouts is traded, they should retain plenty of fantasy value with their new team.

From RotoBaller

Jim Harbaugh Apr 25 5:10pm ET
Jim Harbaugh

Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham has seemingly been a rising prospect as the 2024 NFL draft approaches, and NFL draft expert Todd McShay suggested he could be the first offensive lineman off the board on Thursday. Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt has been the popular choice to take that honor, but McShay believes the Los Angeles Chargers could draft Latham over Alt with the No. 5 overall pick. Latham played right tackle for the Crimson Tide, making him a perfect fit on the other side of stud left tackle Rashawn Slater. Los Angeles has been one of the trickiest teams to predict during this draft cycle, and new head coach Jim Harbaugh could choose to go an unconventional route.

From RotoBaller

Anthony Richardson Apr 25 5:00pm ET
Anthony Richardson

The Indianapolis Colts hold the No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz reports the team has done a ton of pre-draft work on the wide receiver position, and they are interested in Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. The organization is likely trying to surround quarterback Anthony Richardson with as much pass-catching talent as possible, so upgrading his pass-catchers behind Michael Pittman Jr. makes sense. Youngsters Alec Pierce and Josh Downs have shown flashes of upside, but they are far from stud wideouts based on their early-career results. The Colts might be able to land LSU wideout Brian Thomas Jr. with the No. 15 selection, but they could also look to trade up for Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, or Rome Odunze. Additionally, the team has not had a tight end reach the 400-yard mark since 2019, so the upside of Bowers could be intriguing.

From RotoBaller

Caleb Williams Apr 25 4:50pm ET
Caleb Williams

The Chicago Bears are expected to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, but they are willing to trade down from the No. 9 overall selection, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Chicago only has four total picks in this year's draft, so moving down to acquire more selections makes plenty of sense. The team has been linked to Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze, Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner, and UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu if they stay put, but the options become plentiful if they decide to move down the board. QB-needy teams like the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders could be potential trade partners. Quarterbacks Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr., and J.J. McCarthy could still be available at that spot.

From RotoBaller