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 [email protected]. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.
Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 4
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 28 yards on seven carries during Sunday's Week 4 win over the New Orleans Saints. He was even more productive in the passing game, hauling in all four of his targets for an additional 46 yards through the air. Fantasy managers would have liked to see more rushing yards or a touchdown, but you can't ignore Robinson's receiving contributions, especially in PPR leagues. The former first-round pick has produced double-digit fantasy points (PPR) in all four games this season despite scoring just one touchdown. One would imagine his scoring one touchdown through four games is an anomaly, so he should find the end zone more often (and, as a result, score more fantasy points) going forward. Continue to deploy him as an RB1 heading into Week 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts was unable to haul in any of his three targets during Sunday's Week 4 win over the New Orleans Saints. This was Pitts' first career game with zero receptions, and it's a result that fantasy managers hope was merely an anomaly. He hadn't been incredibly productive by any means over the first few weeks of the season, but he was still averaging over eight fantasy points per game in PPR leagues, good enough to rank among the top 12 fantasy tight ends. His average and ranking will both drop after Sunday's goose egg, though. He remains a frustrating low-end TE1 ahead of a Week 5 clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who just surrendered seven catches and 62 yards to Dallas Goedert.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. grabbed six of his nine targets for 113 yards in the team's 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittman had, far and away, his best game of the season so far, coming against an opponent that has severely limited No. 1 WRs through the first three weeks. Despite the change in QB after the injury to Anthony Richardson (hip), Pittman saw a pretty even split in production once QB Joe Flacco relieved him. Pittman got 60 yards from Richardson and the other 53 from Flacco. Pittman was tied with WR Josh Downs for the most targets among all pass-catchers, both finishing with nine. The 26-year-old is showing flashes from last season, where he could provide fantasy managers with an incredibly safe floor week in and week out with his high target share. Reports suggest that Richardson isn't likely to miss extended time with his injury, but either way, fantasy managers can put him back into the WR2 range in a favorable Week 5 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 21 of 35 passes for 238 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 4 win over the New Orleans Saints. He took just one sack in the contest. Although Cousins didn't register a touchdown and did throw an interception, he still managed to lead four scoring drives en route to a big divisional victory over the Saints. Equally important was the rapport that Cousins seemed to have with Drake London, who has suddenly totaled 18 catches and two touchdowns over the last three games after some initial panic about his lack of involvement back in Week 1. Cousins may no longer have the low-end QB1 appeal he possessed in Minnesota, but he's still a modest QB2 who can support fantasy-relevant performances from the Atlanta playmakers while keeping the Falcons in contention for the NFC South title.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier rushed for 60 yards on eight carries during Sunday's Week 4 win over the New Orleans Saints. He also got involved as a pass-catcher, hauling in each of his two targets for a total of 20 yards through the air. Allgeier finished with more rushes and more rushing yards than teammate Bijan Robinson, but he was slightly less productive than his backfield-mate in the passing game. Regardless of how the two running backs compared on Sunday, Allgeier showcased that he is capable of having standalone value in fantasy football even when Robinson is healthy. Allgeier should be viewed as a low-end RB3/FLEX play going forward, starting with Week 5 against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that has surrendered big gains to Saquon Barkley, Tyler Badie, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Austin Ekeler, and Brian Robinson Jr. so far this year.
From RotoBaller
On a day in which Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw for 60 yards, the Broncos still got a win over the New York Jets by a score of 10-9 on Sunday in Week 4 because of another stellar effort from the defense/special teams unit. Denver's D held QB Aaron Rodgers and the Jets to 248 total yards and zero TDs while sacking the future Hall of Famer five times and recovering a fumble early in the first half. It helped that offense in general was hard to come by on a dreary and slippery rain-soaked day in the Big Apple, but it doesn't take away from the fact that the Broncos' defense has been much better than expected through the first four weeks of 2024. Through Sunday's games this week, the Broncos D/ST has been a top-10 unit and is now firmly on the rise in fantasy as at least a streaming option with a Week 5 matchup against the division-rival Raiders upcoming.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton had a career-high 10 touchdowns in 2023, but it took him until Week 4 of 2024 to visit paydirt for the first time. Sutton finished the 10-9 upset win over the New York Jets on Sunday with three catches on nine targets for 60 yards and his first touchdown of the year, which also happened to be rookie quarterback Bo Nix's first TD pass of his career. Sutton's three receptions, nine targets and 60 receiving yards all led the team on a rain-soaked day in which Nix threw for a total of 60 yards. The good news is that the 28-year-old is the clear leader in targets and receiving yards on this team. The bad news is that Nix and this Broncos offense have been highly inconsistent and low-scoring so far in 2024, leaving Sutton as a low-ceiling, low-floor WR4/flex most weeks in fantasy. In an appealing matchup in Week 5 against the division-rival Raiders in Denver, Sutton could have a good shot at making it two straight weeks with a touchdown.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (abdomen) suffered a new rib injury in Week 4 versus the Atlanta Falcons. Head coach Dennis Allen emphasized that while this injury is in a similar location as the chest injury that sidelined him in Week 3, this is a new issue unrelated to his previous ailment. It's unfortunate that Hill has struggled to stay healthy early in the year given the element of excitement and versatility he brings to the offense. The 34-year-old ultimately rushed for 24 yards and two touchdowns before exiting Sunday's game, showcasing his impressive ability to find the end zone and deliver major production to fantasy managers deploying him at the tight end position. If Hill is healthy going forward, he'll rank as a low-end TE1 based on his rushing and touchdown upside.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams looked the best he has all year in the 10-9 upset win over the New York Jets on Sunday on the road. However, things could have been different had Tyler Badie (back) not been injured early on in the contest. Williams finished with a team-high 16 carries for a season-high 77 yards (4.81 yards per carry), also catching two of his three targets for three yards. He out-touched Jaleel McLaughlin 18 to 10 and out-gained him 80 to 49. It was the most effective Denver's ground game has been and the most explosive Williams has looked in the first four weeks. However, the 24-year-old had only 21 yards in the first half and will continue to have a low ceiling and floor in this offense with rookie QB Bo Nix going through plenty of growing pains. The good news is that Williams has a very nice matchup against the division-rival Raiders in Week 5 with bye weeks starting around the league.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain following Sunday's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The team expects to know more about the severity of the injury tomorrow, but for now, they're optimistic that it's just a mild sprain and Taylor will be okay. The Colts' star running back totaled 108 yards and one touchdown in Week 4, bringing him to over 425 total yards and four touchdowns on the year. He'll look to continue his impressive stretch of games against the Jacksonville Jaguars next week, assuming he's healthy enough to play. In the event that he's held out of the divisional contest, Trey Sermon would step up as the Colts' lead back.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix led his second straight upset road win over the New York Jets on Sunday on a rain-soaked afternoon by the score of 10-9. After his best game of his young NFL career in Week 3 against the Bucs, Nix unsurprisingly took a step back against a tough defense in adverse conditions, going 12-for-25 for just 60 yards, although he did throw the first touchdown of his career and avoided turnovers for the second straight week. His lone TD pass was a hook-up with receiver Courtland Sutton in the back of the end zone. He added five carries for three yards. The 24-year-old led the Broncos to just 186 total yards on the day and has thrown for one touchdown through his first four games in his rookie campaign. Nix has intriguing rushing ability and a strong arm, but he's inexperienced and doesn't have a great supporting cast. There's just very little fantasy upside right now, although he's heading into a much better matchup against Vegas in Week 5.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason pulled his weight for fantasy players in a 30-13 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday. He finished with 24 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown, plus two catches on three targets for 37 yards receiving. He also had a 38-yard touchdown catch-and-run nullified by a questionable holding call in the second quarter. Fantasy managers using Mason as an RB1 have to be happy that rookie running back Isaac Guerendo only took one carry on Sunday after cutting slightly into Mason's workload for five carries in Week 4. In retrospect, it seems Guerendo's increased involvement in Week 3 was a function of receiver Deebo Samuel Sr.'s absence. Mason's been one of the great values for shrewd fantasy players in 2024 who took him late in drafts as a stash or snapped him up on waivers after Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) was ruled out before Week 1. Mason will once again be a bell-cow RB1 in CMC's extended absence next Sunday at home against the Arizona Cardinals.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had a decent fantasy day in a 30-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Santa Clara. He finished with 15 completions of 27 attempts for 288 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He added 11 yards on five scrambles and fumbled twice, but lost neither. Purdy's touchdown came on a gutsy back corner throw to tight end George Kittle who had two defenders draped on him but high-pointed the catch. His interception was a long pass thrown into double coverage to receiver Brandon Aiyuk in the endzone. Sunday's game script limited Purdy's fantasy day, leading to a season-low 27 pass attempts. San Francisco tallied the first points, jumped to a 20-0 lead, and maintained control of the scoreboard throughout the game. In Week 5, Purdy and the 49ers will look to climb above .500 when they host the Arizona Cardinals.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice may have a torn ACL. Dynasty Analysis: This would be a significant blow to the title hopes of the Cheifs as Rice hasn't just been the best receiver on their team, but one of the best in the league. With 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns, Rice had been electric though three games. Unfortunately, it looks like a freak collision with Patrick Mahomes is going to end his season. We'll wait to see the diagnosis tomorrow but it seems clear his knee injury is significant. Stay tuned.
Dynasty | Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt had 69 rushing yards on 14 carries in a win against the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: He added two catches for 16 yards. Hunt surprisingly led the Kansas City running backs with 16 touches, while Carson Steele (three touches and a lost fumble), and Samaje Perine (five carries) were afterthoughts. This could be a big development in Kansas City after the Chiefs potentially lost Rashee Rice for the season. Hunt will need to show more next week to be trusted in lineups but he should be on dynasty rosters everywhere after today's surprise workload.
Arizona Cardinals S Budda Baker finished with 14 tackles, including 10 solo stops, in a 42-14 loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 4.
From TheHuddle
Dynasty | Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had seven catches for 89 yards in a win against the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: Kelce had been famously quiet over the first three weeks but Kansas City got him much more involved today. Unfortunately for the Chiefs (but fortunately for dynasty managers), Kelce is likely going to be much more of a necessity than a luxury moving forward if Rashee Rice has indeed suffered a season-ending injury. Kelce remains a solid option and possible buy low candidate for contending teams.
Dynasty | 49ers running back Jordan Mason had 123 rushing yards, two catches, 37 receiving yards and a touchdown in a win against New England. Dynasty Analysis: Mason has been fantastic each and every week as he continues to keep the seat warm for Christian McCaffrey. While his short-term value is great, his long-term value is going to be in question when McCaffrey comes back. Still, Mason managers won't complain too much as he looks like the easy starter for at least another month. Mason is a locked and loaded RB1 until CMC makes his return.
Dynasty | 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings had three catches for 88 yards in a win against New England. Dynasty Analysis: Another week, another solid game for Jennings. While this was a far cry from his 11/175/3 blow-up last game, he still led the 49ers in receiving yards for a second straight week and his six targets led the team. At this point, it's clear the 49ers don't really have an alpha receiver and Brock Purdy may just be good enough to keep Jennings, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk all valuable this season.
Arizona Cardinals RB James Conner rushed 18 times for 104 yards and a touchdown and caught a nine-yard pass in a 42-14 loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 4.
Fantasy Spin: Outside of his dud against Detroit, Conner has been a reliable option for the Arizona offense and for fantasy owners. He has scored in three of the four games, topping 100 yards twice.
From TheHuddle