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.
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that tight end Luke Musgrave (ankle) underwent ankle surgery. "He will hopefully be back later this season," LaFleur said. Musgrave was placed on Injured Reserve on Oct. 11 due to his ankle injury, but barring a setback in his recovery, he'll have a chance to return to the team later this season. The 24-year-old quickly took a back seat to fellow TE Tucker Kraft as a pass-catcher in the early portion of 2024 before injuring his ankle. The second-round pick in 2023 out of Oregon State had five catches for 22 yards in four games before getting hurt after putting up a 34-352-1 line in 11 regular-season games in his rookie campaign. When Musgrave returns later this season, he'll most likely go back to playing second fiddle to Kraft. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues can continue to ignore him.
From RotoBaller
The Denver Broncos signed emerging pass-rusher Jonathon Cooper to a four-year, $60 million contract extension over the weekend, according to a source. Cooper has accumulated 5.5 sacks in the first nine games for the Broncos this year, so the team has decided to lock him up for the long term while also adding a sixth-round draft pick from the Arizona Cardinals on Monday in the trade for linebacker Baron Browning. The 26-year-old Cooper, a seventh-round selection in 2021 out of Ohio State, was in the final year of his rookie deal in 2024. In addition to his 5.5 sacks through nine contests, he has 35 tackles (19 solo), six tackles for loss, 11 QB hits and a pass breakup for a strong Denver defense. Cooper had a career-high 8.5 sacks, career-high 72 tackles (44 solo), an interception and two fumble recoveries (one returned for a TD) in 2023.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (rib) suffered a bruised rib in the Week 9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but it sounds like he'll be OK for the Thursday night game in Week 10 against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, Zack Moss (neck) is out indefinitely with a neck injury, which will open up a bigger backup role for Trayveon Williams behind Brown moving forward. Brown has been trending up in fantasy in recent weeks and went off for a season-high 27 carries for a season-high 120 rushing yards while catching a season-high five passes for a season-high 37 yards and a touchdown in the blowout win over the Raiders in an excellent matchup on Sunday. He'll be a must-start on Thursday versus Baltimore. In Week 5 against the Ravens, Brown had 12 carries for 46 yards and caught all three of his targets for eight yards and a touchdown.
From RotoBaller
The Cleveland Browns have received interest on tight end David Njoku but they are "highly unlikely" to trade him by Tuesday's deadline, according to sources. The Browns view Njoku as part of their long-term future. Njoku wasn't as impressive in the Week 9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers as he was in quarterback Jameis Winston's first start in the Week 8 win over the division-rival Baltimore Ravens, but the 28-year-old tight end should maintain a higher fantasy ceiling and floor the rest of the way in 2024 with receiver Amari Cooper now in Buffalo. Njoku has had at least five catches in four straight games and has caught 10 of his 14 targets for 90 yards and a touchdown the last two games with Winston starting. Consider Njoku to be on the TE1 radar for a much better matchup in Week 11 against the floundering New Orleans Saints after Cleveland's Week 10 bye.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (quadriceps) would have been a non-participant on Monday had the team practiced. Higgins injured his quad muscle two weeks ago and has missed the last two games as a result. With a quick turnaround in Week 10 on Thursday night against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens, there's a good chance the 25-year-old is looking at a third straight missed contest unless he improves on Tuesday and Wednesday. In Higgins' absence this past Sunday in the Week 9 blowout win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Cincy's offense didn't really miss him, as quarterback Joe Burrow tossed five touchdowns to tight end Mike Gesicki (two), running back Chase Brown, tight end Drew Sample and receiver Andrei Iosivas. Gesicki hit the 100-yard mark and will be the biggest beneficiary from a fantasy perspective if Higgins is out again on Thursday.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (back) experienced some back tightness in the Week 9 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, according to an NFL source. However, Barkley said that he will be ready for Sunday's Week 9 divisional clash against the Dallas Cowboys. Barkley had a monstrous day against Jacksonville but was seen for a bit on the sidelines wincing before eventually re-entering the game. He appears to be on track to play in Week 10, but it's something that fantasy managers should monitor throughout the week. Don't be surprised if Barkley misses some practice time but ultimately plays against Dallas, where he'll be a no-doubt, must-start, high-end RB1 in fantasy. Barkley had 27 carries for 159 yards and a touchdown and added three catches for 40 yards and another TD against the Jags and is the RB2 in overall fantasy points in 2024, behind only Derrick Henry.
From RotoBaller
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams' two-game suspension has been lifted and he has officially been reinstated by the NFL heading into a Week 10 game against the Houston Texans. In his absence, the Lions won both of their games. Williams was suspended two games for a violation of the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. The 23-year-old will give the Lions another speedy field-stretching weapon for an offense that has been humming of late. In six games before his suspension, Williams was in the midst of a breakout season, catching 17 of his 30 targets for 361 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. He's currently tied for 29th among all wideouts with 11.0 half-PPR points per game and will return to being a boom/bust WR4/flex option for fantasy managers in what could easily be a shootout against Houston in primetime on Sunday night.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee) is considered "day-to-day" after undergoing an MRI exam on Monday after he injured his knee in the Week 9 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Brown's injury was never expected to be serious, but now the Eagles and fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief that he won't miss extended time. He could even be ready to roll for a Week 10 divisional showdown against the Dallas Cowboys. We'll know more on the 27-year-old's status for this upcoming Sunday once the team releases practice reports from Wednesday through Friday. If Brown doesn't make enough progress later this week to get the green light to face Dallas, DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson and rookie Johnny Wilson would start in three-wide sets for Philly. Brown is a high-end, must-start WR1 in fantasy when he's active.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (toe) is officially active for Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. Irving has been playing through a toe injury that he's going to have to manage for the rest of the season, but despite his questionable tag in Week 9, the 22-year-old was expected to play as part of Tampa's ongoing three-man committee backfield that also involves Rachaad White and Sean Tucker. Irving has been the team's most explosive ball-carrier this year and had 18 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown while adding 10 receptions for 94 yards in the last two games. His fantasy ceiling will remain capped because of the presence of White and Tucker, but he's proven to be an intriguing RB3/flex in fantasy lineups as the Bucs' most effective backfield weapon this year.
From RotoBaller
The Kansas City Chiefs elevated wide receiver Justyn Ross from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster on Monday night for the Week 9 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will be Ross' first game of 2024 on the team's active roster with JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) missing his second straight game. KC is also without Rashee Rice (knee) and Marquise Brown (shoulder) for the rest of the year, which led them to trade for veteran DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins should have a bigger role on Monday alongside rookie Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson and Mecole Hardman, with tight end Travis Kelce also having a higher ceiling and floor in fantasy. The 24-year-old Ross had six catches for 53 yards in his 10 regular-season games for the Chiefs a season ago. Fantasy managers should continue to ignore Ross.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (hamstring) is active for the Monday night game against the Kansas City Chiefs, while Jalen McMillan (hamstring) has been ruled out. Both wideouts came into the Week 9 game listed as questionable to play. With Mike Evans (hamstring) previously ruled out and with Chris Godwin (ankle) out for the year, Tampa's receiving corps is much thinner for this matchup against the reigning two-time Super Bowl-champion Chiefs. McMillan tested his hammy during pre-game workouts and wasn't feeling great. On Monday night, Shepard and Trey Palmer are expected to be quarterback Baker Mayfield's top targets, as well as tight end Cade Otton, who could easily lead the Bucs in targets. Additionally, Ryan Miller, Rakim Jarrett and Marquez Callaway could have bigger roles against KC.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Mostert called both wide receiver Drake London (hip) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (Achilles) as day-to-day on Monday. London suffered a hip-pointer injury while coming down hard on his hip on a touchdown catch early in Sunday's Week 9 win over the Dallas Cowboys. It will be a pain-tolerance issue for the 23-year-old as far as his status is concerned for Week 10 versus the division-rival New Orleans Saints. Fantasy managers should at least be happy that London avoided a long-term injury, but his status for this weekend may be up in the air and could come down to how much he's able to do in practice. For now, consider him questionable for Week 10. If London is out against the Saints, Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud III figure to serve as Atlanta's top two pass-catchers.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Nick Wagoner reports that it appeared that San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody (ankle) was back at practice on Monday coming out of the bye week. Nothing is official this early in the week, but if Moody continues to make progress in practices throughout the week, he could have a real chance to return for Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Moody, one of the best fantasy kickers when healthy, hasn't played since Week 5 due to a right-ankle sprain. In the meantime, the Niners have been rolling with second-year man Anders Carlson as their field-goal specialist. Before his injury, Moody made 13 of 14 field-goal tries and all 12 of his extra points in five contests. If he's on your league's waiver wire and you are in need at the kicking position, Moody is a no-brainer pickup if he gets the green light to return this weekend.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Nick Wagoner reports that it appeared as though San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (hip) returned to practice on Monday as the team comes off their bye week and into a Week 10 battle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said last Monday that Jennings was expected to return after the bye week after missing Weeks 7 and 8. With Brandon Aiyuk (knee) out for the season and Chris Conley (hamstring) also banged up, Jennings should return to a prominent role in San Fran's passing attack. Deebo Samuel (oblique, rib) is also banged up. We'll have a better idea of the 27-year-old's Week 10 status once the Niners start releasing official practice reports on Wednesday, but Jennings appears to be on track to play. If he's available on your league's waiver wire, pick him up immediately.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said he's very optimistic that rookie second-round running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) will be ready for Week 10 against the New York Giants in Germany. Canales said a "critical" decision will have to be made on Wednesday as to whether to officially activate Brooks. The 21-year-old rookie has had the start of his first NFL season delayed in 2024 as he recovers from a torn ACL in his right knee last November while playing at Texas. He was able to practice in full all three days last week and appears primed to be activated in order to make his NFL debut this Sunday in Europe. Brooks should be rostered in all fantasy leagues for his upside potential, but there's a very good chance he's eased in behind Chuba Hubbard and alongside Miles Sanders initially. His impending return has made Sanders a trade candidate.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said on Monday that he still hasn't made a decision on who will start at quarterback for the team in Week 10 in Germany against the New York Giants. The head coach wants to make sure everyone is on the same page and also admitted that gamesmanship is part of the decision to wait to announce the starter between either second-year man Bryce Young or veteran Andy Dalton. Dalton injured his thumb in a car accident several weeks ago, leading to Young starting each of the last two games. Young went 40-for-63 for 395 yards, three TDs and three picks while also leading the team to their second win over the division-rival Saints in Week 9. Our best guess is that Carolina will stick with Young again in a Week 10 tilt in Germany against the New York Giants, where Young will be a low-end QB2 for fantasy purposes.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi said that "Derek Carr is going to be the quarterback this Sunday as far as I'm concerned." Carr returned in the Week 9 loss to the division-rival Carolina Panthers after missing three games with an oblique injury. The 33-year-old veteran went 18-for-31 for 236 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions while mostly utilizing running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Taysom Hill to move the ball with top wideout Chris Olave (concussion) out for most of the game. It shouldn't come as a big surprise that the Saints are sticking with Carr after the firing of head coach Dennis Allen, as the alternative is rookie Spencer Rattler, who was very shaky in place of the injured Carr. He'll be firmly in QB2 territory in fantasy in Week 10 against the division-rival Atlanta Falcons, especially if Olave isn't cleared to play.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Ben Baby reports that Cincinnati Bengals rookie tight end Erick All Jr. (knee) tore the ACL in his right knee, and he'll now miss the remainder of the season. It's a crushing blow for the rookie, as it is the same knee he injured in October 2023. Cincinnati feared that this was the case, and now it is confirmed. The rookie tight end had reportedly earned the trust of quarterback Joe Burrow, but he'll now begin the long road to recovery. In his absence, teammates Mike Gesicki and Tanner Hudson will pick up the slack in the Bengals' tight end room, with the former likely to benefit most from the rookie's absence. Gesicki has come on in recent weeks with wide receiver Tee Higgins (quad) listed as inactive, racking up 12 catches, 173 yards, and two touchdowns over the team's prior two contests.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring), who is eligible to be designated to return from Injured Reserve this week, is recovering and running 20 mph in training sessions, according to a source. However, head coach DeMeco Ryans sounded non-committal on Collins' status for Week 10 against the Detroit Lions, saying, "We'll continue to evaluate Nico throughout the week and see where he is." The 25-year-old hasn't had any setbacks with the right-hamstring injury he suffered on Oct. 6, but it's unclear if he'll actually be available to play this weekend versus Detroit. If Collins is active in Week 10, there's the risk for fantasy managers that he won't play his typical amount of snaps. Before his injury, Collins was a must-start WR1 and he should be the clear WR1 in Houston eventually now that Stefon Diggs (knee) is out for the year.
From RotoBaller
Per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is "optimistic" that wide receiver DK Metcalf (knee) will return for the team's Week 11 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Metcalf has missed Seattle's prior two contests with a knee injury he picked up in the 34-14 Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons, and with the team on bye in Week 10, he could be ready to roll coming out of it. The 26-year-old was initially dubbed as week-to-week, and it appears that designation was accurate. It's worth noting that Macdonald stopped "short of saying he for sure will be" back, but with another week of rest on tap, Metcalf should have a good chance of doing so. If not, fellow wideouts Tyler, Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will continue to operate as the Seahawks' top two pass catchers in the divisional tilt.
From RotoBaller