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RB Strength of Schedule

Tue May 28 9:03am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Robinson setup for big season


Using our rules for our money leagues, we came up with a schedule strength ranking for the running back 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 running backs last season from all of their opponents to get our fantasy points allowed number. This is a good indication of the running backs with the most favorable schedules for fantasy scoring for the coming season. Defenses obviously change from year to year, but knowing the running backs that might have the easiest schedule for fantasy is always a good idea when formulating your rankings and draft strategy.

  RB SOS  
1. Green Bay Packers 356.01
2. Houston Texans 361.46
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 361.46
4. Las Vegas Raiders 361.48
5. Seattle Seahawks 362.28
6. Buffalo Bills 363.19
7. Arizona Cardinals 363.76
8. Dallas Cowboys 363.9
9. Jacksonville Jaguars 364.51
10. Washington Commanders 364.86
11. Chicago Bears 364.89
12. Indianapolis Colts 365.41
13. San Francisco 49ers 365.86
14. New Orleans Saints 366.49
15. New York Jets 368.23
16. Detroit Lions 368.49
17. Philadelphia Eagles 369.05
18. Minnesota Vikings 369.06
19. Carolina Panthers 369.88
20. Cleveland Browns 370.34
21. Kansas City Chiefs 371.71
22. New York Giants 372.21
23. Los Angeles Chargers 373.19
24. Denver Broncos 373.32
25. Cincinnati Bengals 373.66
26. Los Angeles Rams 374.09
27. Baltimore Ravens 374.16
28. New England Patriots 375.60
29. Atlanta Falcons 376.19
30. Miami Dolphins 377.49
31. Tennessee Titans 378.2
32. Pittsburgh Steelers 378.72


The two teams with the easiest fantasy schedules for running backs are the Steelers and Titans, which is interesting because both teams could platoon running backs. The Steelers split the work between Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. And the Titans are likely to use both Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. All four backs could be setup for solid seasons with favorable schedules. It is always scary to take a back that might split work but seeing these positive schedules could make pulling the trigger on them a little easier come draft day. All four could be top flex plays for fantasy teams.

The Dolphins had huge success running the ball last year and could have similar solid production this season with the third easiest fantasy schedule for running backs. Devon Achane is really looking good in year two. He is expected to get more work and likely lead the backfield in touches. Raheem Mostert had a career season last year and a great schedule but he carries a little more risk. He is 32 years old and now has rookie Jaylen Wright pushing him for playing time. Just something to keep in mind come draft day.

The Falcons are another team with a top-five favorable running back schedule, making Bijan Robinson a very intriguing pick this year. Robinson had a bit of a disappointing rookie season, but a new coaching staff and really favorable schedule make Robinson a huge breakout candidate. He is moving up draft rankings in a hurry and is capable of finishing first overall in fantasy running back scoring because of his skill set.

Rhamondre Stevenson is a possible rebound candidate. He was slowed by injury last year but is back healthy and with the fifth easiest schedule for running backs. Stevenson has shown in the past he can be a big-time fantasy back. Things are looking up for him this year, making him a good buy-low candidate.

The Packers had the easiest fantasy schedule for quarterbacks but get the toughest for running backs. This isn’t great news for new back Josh Jacobs. It is hard to bet against the productive back, though. You just might want to temper expectations for him this coming year. Jacobs could have a few down weeks, especially for his standards.

The Texans signed Joe Mixon to shore up their running back spot, but he carries some concerns. He wasn’t highly productive the last few seasons besides all his scores and now gets the second toughest schedule for running backs. Plus, the Texans are likely to be a pass heavy team, which could limit his workload a little. Mixon could end up being a boom or bust player.

Tampa also has a unfavorable fantasy schedule for running backs. Rachaad White had a big season last year but padded his numbers because of all his work in the passing game. That might be a similar scenario for him, having a tough time to run with this schedule. The positive for White is he is very good in the passing game. You have to worry about his rushing totals, though.

The Raiders haven’t really settled on a starting running back, but Zamir White is likely to get first shot at the job. That is great news for his fantasy value but the not so great news is his tough fantasy schedule. This could limit the ceiling of White a little. He has risk to begin with because it isn’t 100 percent certain he wins the job. This makes him a bit of a scary pick for fantasy teams.

Kenneth Walker didn’t have quite the breakout second season many hoped but was fairly productive with his work. And the good news is Zach Charbonnet didn’t really put a big dent in his workload. The Seahawks seem happy with Walker as the lead back. The unfortunate news for Walker is he has the fifth toughest fantasy running back schedule. Walker might fail to reach his lofty expectations once again in year three.

We also wanted to look at playoff schedules for fantasy running backs. 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 running backs with the easiest playoff schedules doesn’t hurt by any means, especially in the big money contests.

  RB PLAYOFF SOS  
1. San Francisco 49ers 291.43
2. Washington Commanders 325.2
3. Houston Texans 327.8
4. Pittsburgh Steelers 332.03
5. New York Jets 337.57
6. Cleveland Browns 340.8
7. Las Vegas Raiders 341.1
8. Miami Dolphins 348.27
9. Chicago Bears 350.37
10. Buffalo Bills 350.53
11. Arizona Cardinals 352.8
12. Dallas Cowboys 358.87
13. Detroit Lions 359.7
14. New York Giants 365.67
15. Kansas City Chiefs 366.53
16. Green Bay Packers 368.97
17. Seattle Seahawks 370.23
18. Carolina Panthers 377.15
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 378.37
20. Los Angeles Chargers 380.73
21. Jacksonville Jaguars 381
22. Baltimore Ravens 381.43
23. Cincinnati Bengals 383.50
24. Philadelphia Eagles 391.07
25. New England Patriots 397.95
26. Indianapolis Colts 398.40
27. Denver Broncos 399.53
28. Tennessee Titans 401.63
29. Los Angeles Rams 403.92
30. New Orleans Saints 406.33
31. Minnesota Vikings 407.87
32. Atlanta Falcons 422.4

 

There are two teams with a top-five favorable schedule for fantasy running backs for both the regular season and playoffs. Those teams are the Falcons and Titans. Atlanta actually has the easiest fantasy playoff schedule for running backs. Robinson was looking good even before hearing this news but looks even better now. He is making a strong case to be the second running back off the board come draft day.

And Pollard and Spears are intriguing running back options with schedules that could produce big for both during the regular season and playoffs. You just have to worry about one back emerging to grab most of the work. If that happens, one of these backs could end up being a bust.

Minnesota has the second easiest playoff schedule for running backs. Aaron Jones has some injury concerns after the last few seasons, but he could be setup for a big workload with an unsettled quarterback situation in Minnesota. Jones has some good upside with his new team, especially during the playoffs.

One other team to mention for the playoff is New Orleans. Alvin Kamara isn’t getting any younger but remains the lead back and still productive. He still seems to have something left in the tank and could be a big fantasy factor for at least one more season, especially when it matters most in the playoffs. He could be a difference maker, having the third easiest fantasy schedule for running backs.

Houston is the lone team in both the top five for the toughest regular season and playoff fantasy running back schedules. This is an obvious concern for Mixon. He is looking more and more like a player you might to avoid come draft day. He might have some big games along the way in this great offense, but you have to wonder about his consistency and playoff performance.

So the top rated fantasy back, Christian McCaffrey, also has the toughest fantasy playoff schedule for running backs. You aren’t fading McCaffrey because of this. He is one of those rare backs that it doesn’t really matter who he plays. McCaffrey will produce. We still think he is the clear No. 1 fantasy back. He can still get it done in the playoffs.

Washington has Brian Robinson and Austin Ekekler likely splitting the work at running back, which hurts both their fantasy values. They also get the second most difficult playoff schedule for running backs. We wouldn’t reach too early for either back because of this.

The Steelers have the easiest fantasy running back schedule during the playoffs but fourth toughest for the playoffs. This is a tough one. Both backs have potential for good things, showing they can co-exist last year and produce well for fantasy teams. You just have to wonder if fading in the playoffs will make all that good work during the regular season all for nothing.

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.

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Player Notes
Taysom Hill Sep 29 2:10pm CT
Taysom Hill

New Orleans Saints utility player Taysom Hill (abdomen) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. He had six rushes for 24 yards and two touchdowns at the time of his departure. Hill has been able to inject an element of life into the Saints' offense numerous times throughout his career, so losing him is bad news for New Orleans. With that said, the Saints will still be able to run the ball effectively thanks to the impact of Alvin Kamara out of the backfield. Kamara and Jamaal Williams should handle all rushing duties for the Saints until Hill is healthy enough to play again.

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Cordarrelle Patterson Sep 29 2:10pm CT
Cordarrelle Patterson

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) has officially been ruled out for the rest of Sunday's contest against the Indianapolis Colts. He'll finish as the team's leading rusher so far with six carries for 43 yards as well as two receptions for 19 yards. The 12-year veteran was the lone silver lining for the Steelers before leaving, and the offense has struggled even more since then. The Steelers have only managed to score three points through two and a half quarters so far. Najee Harris continues to get the starter's workload while Aaron Shampklin is the only other healthy back on the roster. They likely won't be running the ball much more as they'll attempt a comeback win in the third and fourth quarter.

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Caleb Williams Sep 29 2:00pm CT
Caleb Williams

Chicago Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins (ribs) has officially been listed as questionable to return after picking up a rib injury in the first half of the contest against the Los Angeles Rams. Since there aren't any more left guards on the depth chart, Matt Pryor will move over to fill that vacancy while Nate Davis has come in to play right guard. The offensive line play has already been quite abysmal for the Bears, so this may spell even more trouble for Caleb Williams and the offense. Jenkins' status will be monitored as the game goes on, and he's worth monitoring going into next week to see if the Bears have to make any moves to bolster the depth of the offensive line.

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Deebo Samuel Sep 29 2:00pm CT
Deebo Samuel

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) is now considered active for the team's Week 4 contest against the New England Patriots. He was able to put in a couple of limited practices this week, so he may not receive the usual workload in this game. With Samuel back on the field, Jordan Mason and Jauan Jennings may not see the same amount of touches that they would have otherwise. The Patriots give up the 11th-most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers in half-PPR formats, so the 49ers receiver group could find plenty of open areas to operate. Samuel does present some risk to fantasy managers given how tricky calf issues can be though.

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Cordarrelle Patterson Sep 29 1:50pm CT
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) has been one of the only bright spots for the team so far, but had to leave the game with an ankle injury and has been deemed questionable to return. The veteran back posted 43 yards on six carries and two receptions for 19 yards through the air. The Steelers' offense hasn't been able to move the ball at all except for some of the plays that Patterson put together. With him sidelined, the struggle will seemingly get worse as the only healthy running backs left are Najee Harris and Aaron Shampklin. Harris registered a measly 0.8 yards per carry before halftime while Shampklin received one carry for five yards. If Patterson can get back on the field, he may be the best option for the Steelers to sneak out a win.

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C.J. Stroud Sep 29 1:40pm CT
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Houston Texans offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil (ankle) is questionable to return to Sunday's game after suffering an ankle injury in the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tunsil has been a key part of C.J. Stroud's protection, but he has also hurt them often with false start penalties. Rookie Blake Fisher is the next left tackle on the depth chart, which could be worrisome if the Jaguars decide to attack that side and test the rookie out. Tunsil's status will continue to be monitored as the game goes on, and he'll likely receive some more tests on Monday to determine if he has to miss any extended time.

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Trey Palmer Sep 29 1:30pm CT
Trey Palmer

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Trey Palmer (concussion) has been ruled out for the rest of the game against the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering a concussion in the first half. The second-year wideout caught all three targets for 26 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game. At the time, he had the fourth-most targets on the team, but the third-most yards in this contest. Palmer had just moved up the depth chart for this game with Jalen McMillan (hamstring) ruled out right before game time. After Palmer, Sterling Shepard and rookie Kameron Johnson are the next two up. Cade Otton will also likely see some more opportunities if Mike Evans and Chris Godwin don't soak up all of the remaining targets.

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Tyler Badie Sep 29 1:20pm CT
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Denver Broncos running back Tyler Badie (undisclosed) was carted off the sidelines to the locker room during the second quarter of Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Badie went to the sidelines after losing a fumble and seemingly went down on the sidelines with some sort of issue. He was then put on a backboard and carted off to the team's locker room with the problem still unknown. The sixth-round rookie had one carry for zero yards and two receptions for -4 yards before leaving the game. He delivered a quality game the week before against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers which moved him into the third-string conversation. He's listed as questionable to return right now, so his status will be monitored as the game goes on.

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Christian Watson Sep 29 1:10pm CT
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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (ankle) is questionable to return to Sunday's NFC North clash with the Vikings. The wideout injured his ankle. However, he needed to be carted off, so his day could very well be over. If that's the case, Watson will finish without a catch (one target), with Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs potentially in line to see more attention from Jordan Love for the rest of the afternoon.

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Anthony Richardson Sep 29 1:10pm CT
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Travis Etienne Sep 29 1:00pm CT
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Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (shoulder) returned to Sunday's matchup with the Texans. He exited the contest because of a shoulder injury. However, Tank Bigsby appears to be the preferred option out of the backfield in Week 4, with the 23-year-old amassing three carries for 28 yards so far. As such, this situation will be monitored by fantasy managers throughout the remainder of the contest.

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Anthony Richardson Sep 29 12:50pm CT
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (hip) is questionable to return to Sunday's meeting with the Steelers. The signal-caller took a shot and briefly exited the contest. However, after returning for a few plays, it was obvious something was wrong. If Richardson doesn't return, he will finish Week 4 with 71 yards off 3-for-4 passing, adding three carries for 26 yards. Joe Flacco is in and will likely remain under center while Richardson is out of the contest.

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Anthony Richardson Sep 29 12:40pm CT
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (undisclosed) exited Sunday's meeting with the Steelers. The signal-caller took a shot and exited the contest for a few plays before returning. However, he left the game again and headed to the locker room. With Richardson coming off a season-ending shoulder injury from 2023-24, this is concerning for fantasy managers. But there should be an update on his condition soon, although he will finish with 71 yards off 3-for-4 passing, adding three touches for 26 yards if he doesn't return. Joe Flacco will presumably remain under center while Richardson is out of the contest.

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Devaughn Vele Sep 29 12:10pm CT
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Denver Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele (coach's decision) is a healthy scratch for Week 4 versus the New York Jets. The rookie impressed with eight receptions back in Week 1 but hasn't played since then due to a combination of injury and being a healthy scratch. Going forward, it seems as though he'll need to earn his way onto the gameday roster through competition in practice. Until then, he can be left on waivers in all redraft and most dynasty leagues.

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Jordan Addison Sep 29 11:30am CT
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Diontae Johnson Sep 29 11:30am CT
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Keenan Allen Sep 29 11:20am CT
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Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen (heel) is officially active for the Week 4 tilt against the visiting Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Soldier Field. With Allen back for the first time since the season-opening win over the Tennessee Titans, Velus Jone Jr. will be a healthy scratch for Chicago. Allen was sidelined the last two games with a heel injury that dates back to late last year in his final season with the Los Angeles Chargers. The 32-year-old veteran's return is good news for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and bad news for rookie receiver Rome Odunze, who went off with Allen sidelined in the Week 3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Allen did see a healthy 11 targets in the season opener from Williams, but he caught just four of those passes for 29 yards and no scores. In a game in which Allen's snaps could be limited in his return, he figures to be a shaky WR4/flex option for fantasy managers.

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Gabriel Davis Sep 29 11:20am CT
Gabriel Davis

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis (shoulder) is officially active for Week 4 versus the Houston Texans. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's divisional contest. Davis has appeared in all three games this season, catching eight passes for 123 yards and zero touchdowns. At the moment, he's merely a bench stash in fantasy football.

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Jalen McMillan Sep 29 11:10am CT
Jalen McMillan

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan (hamstring) is officially out for Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles after he was listed as doubtful on the final injury report on Friday. McMillan tweaked his hamstring during practice on Friday and will miss the first game of his career after going for three receptions on six targets for 59 yards and one touchdown in his first three games. He has averaged 19.7 yards receiving per game and has effectively become the No. 3 behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. But for Sunday's game at Raymond James Stadium, expect Trey Palmer to take over McMillan's duties against Philly. It's unclear if McMillan will be able to return on a short week in Week 5 versus the Atlanta Falcons next Thursday. For now, McMillan is merely a deep-league stash for fantasy managers.

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Drake Maye Sep 29 11:10am CT
Drake Maye

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is still several weeks away from playing, barring an injury to Jacoby Brissett, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. While Maye did see the field in garbage time against the New York Jets last week, the No. 3 overall pick has not yet been ramped up to NFL speed and continues to see roughly 30 percent of snaps in practice. The Patriots evidently aren't ready to make a change at quarterback yet, which means the starting job still belongs to Brissett. The veteran has completed 61 percent of his passes for 368 yards and one touchdown so far. Despite the low offensive numbers, Patriots fans and fantasy managers in deep leagues have to be excited that he hasn't turned over the football through three weeks. On a less positive note, he's taken nine sacks between a porous offensive line.

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