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.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers continued to express his frustration in early training camp practices last week, but it's too early to sound any alarms. Rodgers and Wilson opened camp firing on all cylinders, but over the first few days of padded practices last week, they've hit a bit of a rough patch. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett admitted that the offense has been "inconsistent." Head coach Robert Saleh said he's not really worried about the offense this early in camp, although it could be something to worry about if the offense is still struggling after their first preseason game. The Rodgers-Wilson connection is certainly something to keep an eye on after they didn't get to work together at all last year due to Rodgers' Achilles tear. Fantasy managers thinking of taking Wilson as their WR1 should take this news with a grain of salt for now.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts running back Trey Sermon seems to be enjoying a strong start to training camp. According to Joel Erickson of the Indy Star, the fourth-year back looks like the frontrunner to be Jonathan Taylor's backup. So far in Sermon's career, he hasn't seen more than 41 attempts on the ground in a season. He appeared in 14 games for the Colts last season and posted 160 yards on 35 carries with three receptions for 13 yards through the air. Sermon isn't a viable option in most fantasy leagues right now because it's unclear how much work he'll receive. If he continues to impress in training camp, however, he will be primed to get the most work he's seen in his young career.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy returned to practice on Sunday after being limited with a knee injury over the last week or so. He has been participating in individual drills and workouts since Friday. Jeudy was brought in via trade to be the complement to Amari Cooper. Last year, Cooper was far and away the top target out of all of the receivers and the next best pass-catcher was tight end David Njoku. Jeudy hauled in 54 receptions for 758 yards and two touchdowns in a lackluster offense on the Denver Broncos last season. There's still some chemistry to build with Deshaun Watson, but Jeudy is being drafted in the later rounds of re-draft leagues right now.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton returned to practice on Sunday after being out for a couple of practices last week due to an ankle injury. At the time, the team was calling it an ankle tweak and it seems like that's how it ended up playing out. The rookie receiver is expected to take over the spot left by Tyler Boyd which should translate into a steady diet of targets from Joe Burrow. There are still some unknowns surrounding Tee Higgins, so Burton's value could fluctuate through training camp. Either way, Burton has been a good value selection in dynasty formats and is ranked as the 71st receiver in Rotoballer's half-PPR draft rankings.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore (head) hasn't yet been confirmed to sustain a concussion but has entered the protocol. Head coach Kevin Stefanski would not confirm the concussion part but told reporters that Moore was working through the protocol on Sunday. Entering his fourth season in the league, Moore is competing against newly added Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and David Bell for snaps and targets. Amari Cooper remains the number-one receiver, so Moore's workload could be thinner than it was last season when he posted 59 receptions for 640 yards and two scores. As of right now, he's the 85th-ranked receiver in Rotoabller's half-PPR draft rankings.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young had a rough go of it in his rookie year while surrounded by a lackluster roster. According to Ian Rapoport the former first-overall pick appears primed to have a bounce-back year. After an off-season of addressing some weaknesses, Young will have a couple more pass-catchers to work with and a new offensive system. In fantasy terms, Young is in the later half of quarterbacks to go in re-draft leagues. This year will be an indicator of his fantasy relevance moving forward and it could vault him into a competitive are for superflex managers.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (knee) suffered a knee injury this past weekend and is considered week-to-week. According to Adam Schefter, one of his sources said that the injury is "not serious." Fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief that the first description of it came as not one to worry about, but it will be something to monitor as training camp rolls along. The second-year wideout is ranked as the 12th player overall in Rotoballer's fantasy rankings in half-PPR leagues and has an ADP of 11.8. He'll still have to compete with Cooper Kupp for targets, but Matthew Stafford has proven there's more than enough to get Nacua plenty of fantasy points.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave is 'going to give out problems' in the team's new offense, according to DE Cameron Jordan.
ardinals outside linebacker BJ Ojulari (knee) suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during practice on Friday. The 2023 second-round pick had a solid finish to his rookie season with four sacks and was projected to be a top pass rusher for Arizona this year. In Ojulari's absence, Dennis Gardeck is expected to assume a more significant role, and Victor Dimukeje is likely to see increased playing time at outside linebacker. Injuries have been a persistent challenge for Ojulari since his draft year; he had a knee procedure between the combine and the draft and dealt with a hamstring issue the previous spring. He began the last training camp on the PUP list but was activated by early August. With the defense weakened, Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride, and James Conner will likely need to score more points to keep the team competitive. All of these players could see a boost in value if Arizona becomes a high-scoring team, similar to last year.
Dynasty | Bears quarterback Brett Rypien went 11-for-15 for 166 yards and three touchdowns in the 2024 NFL Preseason Hall of Fame opener. Dynasty Analysis: The stats are a little empty based on the competition level but Rypien certainly did all he could to give Tyson Bagent a run as the QB2 behind Caleb Williams on the roster. Bagent will have his tine in the sun later this preseason as well but for now, file this away in deep 2QB leagues.
Dynasty | Bears receiver Collin Johnson had three catches for 56 yards and two touchdowns in this year's Hall of Fame game. Dynasty Analysis: Johnson is somehow 26 already and has bounced around the league with stops in Jacksonville, New York and Chicago. He only has 30 career catches to his name but has always been a bit of a sleeper. Suddenly buried on a depth chart behind DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze and others, any dynasty manager still hoping for a breakout will likely need him to be released and sign elsewhere. Regardless, this performance was something to at least make note of as Johnson has always had some talent but never been given much of an opportunity in meaningful games.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs has looked good during training camp, with JJ Stankevitz of the team's website reporting that the wideout has received plenty of looks from quarterback Anthony Richardson. The 22-year-old had a decent rookie season, finishing with 68 catches for 771 yards and two touchdowns. He also ranked first on the team in missed tackles forced and yards after catch. With that in mind, Michael Pittman Jr. is the team's No. 1 wideout. However, Downs can climb the depth chart if he continues to build chemistry with Richardson heading into Week 1, making him an ideal late-round draft choice for fantasy managers looking to roll the dice.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (ankle) is no longer in a walking boot after being carted off the field nearly a week ago. Even better, he isn't favoring his ankle while walking. The rookie was taken in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft after finishing his final collegiate season by amassing 789 yards and 12 touchdowns off 48 receptions. Hopefully, he'll be back on the field soon. While the injury could delay Wilson's progression, he has a chance to eventually overtake others on the depth chart and emerge as one of the team's top wideouts, giving him long-term appeal for dynasty participants.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown continues to turn heads at training camp, with the sophomore amassing an impressive score during a recent practice. He finished his first season in the league by compiling 179 yards off 44 carries, adding 14 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown. While fantasy managers have heard this before regarding Brown's potential, he has a chance to climb the depth chart and overtake Zack Moss for touches at some point during the 2024-25 campaign. If anything, the 24-year-old should be considered for insurance purposes for those selecting Moss in fantasy drafts ahead of Week 1.
From RotoBaller
According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, free agent safety Quandre Diggs agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Titans. He's also eligible to earn up to $2 million in incentives based on performance and time on the field. The Seahawks cut the 31-year-old in March after suiting up for the team since 2019. He was productive in Seattle, totaling 18 interceptions while earning a trip to the Pro Bowl three times. With that said, Diggs will compete for the right to start. However, he won't see attention from IDP managers even if he earns a spot in the starting lineup.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa (hand, wrist) left practice on Sunday. The 29-year-old, who was having a solid session, was injured during drills. While details are scarce, he appeared to have hurt his hand or wrist. Bosa, the No. 3 pick in 2016, is a dominant pass rusher, amassing 67 sacks since entering the league. However, he's appeared in only 14 games in the last two seasons due to injury. IDP managers should get an update on his condition by Monday at the latest.
From RotoBaller
Free-agent S Quandre Diggs agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million with the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Aug. 4, per sources. The deal includes a base salary of $3 million and $1 million in incentives for both playing time and performance.
From TheHuddle
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (hamstring) sat out his second straight practice on Sunday. The assumption was that Shaheed would return on Sunday after sitting out on Saturday for a rest day. Possibly, Shaheed is dealing with more serious of an issue then first reported. Once healthy, Shaheed is expected to fill the No. 2 wide receiver role behind Chris Olave on this offense. That should lead to increased targets and usage for Shaheed for this upcoming season. Fantasy managers will have to check back on his status in a few days.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (knee) was forced to exit early during Sunday's practice session. The second-year wideout reportedly left with a knee injury after about an hour into drills. Nacua was seen with a bag of ice wrapped around his right knee. Head coach Sean McVay said he wasn't sure what happened to Nacua. It wouldn't be shocking to see Nacua sit out of practice for a few days. Fantasy managers should stay tuned for more information on his situation.
From RotoBaller
Free-agent TE Jacob Hollister (Raiders) signed an undisclosed contract with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Aug. 4. In addition, WR Devin Carter (undisclosed) was waived with an injury designation.
From TheHuddle