RB Strength of Schedule
Tue May 28 9:03am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
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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The Paur Report
Los Angeles Chargers running back Gus Edwards (ankle) and defensive end Joey Bosa (hip) were both sidelined during Wednesday's practice. Edwards opened the summer as the favorite to lead Los Angeles' backfield, but he quickly lost his role to J.K. Dobbins. Edwards now has just 113 rushing yards, two receiving yards, and zero touchdowns this year, so even if he makes significant progress and manages to play in Week 6, he'd be off the fantasy radar. Bosa, on the other hand, is off to an impactful start in 2024. The 29-year-old registered seven tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble back in Week 1. However, injuries have sidelined him for almost every snap since then, and he's still banged up on the other side of Los Angeles' Week 6 bye. His status should be closely monitored this week, but he's trending in the wrong direction.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (knee) was a limited participant during practice on Wednesday. While seeing the 26-year-old on the injury report in any capacity is not ideal, fantasy managers should find some relief in the fact that he did manage to get on the field for portions of practice to open Week 6. Mooney is coming off a big game in which he caught nine of 16 targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns. While that type of production isn't sustainable given that Kirk Cousins won't eclipse 500 passing yards every week, there's no denying that Mooney's role is growing within the Atlanta offense. He should be treated as a WR3/FLEX option going forward.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) was limited during practice on Wednesday. While a limited status on the first practice of the week isn't anything to panic about, it's a bit unexpected that Herbert is still dealing with his ankle injury on the other side of the Chargers' Week 5 bye. The 26-year-old has been somewhat underwhelming from a fantasy perspective this year, completing 59 of 91 passes for 578 yards, five touchdowns, and two turnovers. As of now, he's trending toward playing against the Denver Broncos in Week 6 and should be treated as a mid-to-low QB2 for the time being.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings will face the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Thursday night. In Week 5, Jennings fell back into his expected role after a huge fantasy performance in Week 3 as a replacement for an injured Deebo Samuel Sr. and securing the team lead in targets in Week 4. Against Arizona last week, Jennings posted one reception on four targets. On the bright side, three of those targets came while he was in the end zone. As exciting as Jennings has been, it was never realistic to think that Jennings would usurp a healthy Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel Sr., and George Kittle to maintain consistent fantasy relevance. Jennings will probably still mix in a touchdown here and there, but with the whole squad healthy, he should be kept on benches or in the free-agent pool outside of the deepest leagues in Week 6.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. will try to rebound from a weak performance when the team takes on the Seahawks in Seattle on Thursday night. In Week 5 Samuel Sr. was very quiet, finishing with one catch on three targets for 11 yards. He also took three carries for just nine yards. Samuel Sr. is on a bit of a cold streak. After opening the season with two strong games -- producing 16.2 and 14 half-PPR points -- he missed one game due to a calf injury. In the two games since his return, Samuel Sr. is averaging 34.5 yards per game and no touchdowns while his combined 8 targets are fewer than he garnered in either of the aforementioned productive contests. Seattle will be missing a few pieces on defense, most notably starting CB Riq Woolen (ankle), but they have given up the 10th-fewest points to opposing fantasy receivers in Yahoo default scoring. Samuel Sr. will be in the thick of the WR2 landscape when he laces up on Thursday night.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will look to maintain momentum in Seattle where the team faces the Seahawks on Thursday. After four consecutive sub-par performances, Aiyuk finally broke out in Week 5 at home against Arizona by snagging eight of 12 targets for 147 yards. Seattle has been relatively stingy this year against opposing wide receivers in fantasy, ranking 10th-toughest in the league, however, the Seahawks' defense is banged up this week with starters ruled out and three more contributors questionable. Most importantly for Aiyuk, they'll be without starting CB Riq Woolen (ankle). Aiyuk will look for his first touchdown of the season as he checks in as a back-end WR1 in Week 6.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason is in Seattle for a Week 6 matchup against the Seahawks on Thursday night. Last week, Mason disappointed as an RB1 by compiling 89 yards on 14 carries, no touchdowns, one reception for nine yards, and a catastrophic fourth-quarter red-zone fumble. He comes into this matchup as the RB5 overall in Yahoo default points per game. Seattle has been middle-of-the-road in stopping opposing running backs, allowing 20.3 PPG -- most recently allowing 133 yards to New York Giants backs Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Eric Gray. 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo matched his modest season-high five carries last week versus Arizona, which preserves Mason's bell cow status but this might be the week that Guerendo gets more involved given the short turnaround of a Thursday game after Mason's season-long heavy workload. Nevertheless, Mason remains a high-end RB1 in this one.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White (groin) was again a non-participant at practice on Wednesday. White has yet to log even a limited session after picking up a groin injury in practice a week ago. Las Vegas was down a few notable offensive players today, with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (ankle) popping up as a DNP, too. The 25-year-old has begun the year on the wrong foot despite being given the opportunity to lead this backfield on the ground. Head coach Antonio Pierce had already been on record last week stating that Alexander Mattison had earned more work, and he will likely garner most of the backfield touches for the second week in a row if White can't play. Running back Ameer Abdullah mixed in for five carries and 42 yards -- including a score and a long gain of 40 yards -- while adding nine yards and three catches on three targets and projects to mix in behind Mattison yet again. The team will face off against a stout Pittsburgh Steelers defense in Week 6.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (ankle) received a DNP tag for his first practice opportunity of the week, but "seems fine," per Vic Tafur of The Athletic. It's a new injury for Meyers, but evidently, fantasy managers have nothing to worry about for now. Star wideout Davante Adams (hamstring) also remained a non-participant, and DJ Turner (hamstring) and Tyreik McAllister (shoulder) were both limited. Tre Tucker is currently the only Las Vegas wideout without a designation. If Meyers can play, he'll resume his role as the de facto WR1 for the team in stead of Adams. If he can't, Tucker will be an upside mid-to-low-end WR3, with he and rookie tight end sensation Brock Bowers in line for elevated usage. The Raiders will get a difficult matchup when they host the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (ribs) did not practice Wednesday in the team's first session of the week. It's another day spent on the sidelines for him after being diagnosed with a fractured rib a week ago. It's a good sign for the 34-year-old that his injury has not required a trip to the injured reserve, but it appears he still needs some time to recover after sustaining the injury early in the Saints' Week 4 contest against the Falcons. Teammate Juwan Johnson should continue to see an uptick in snaps while Hill is sidelined, with Foster Moreau also mixing in. The duo could be in store for a busy day in a potential shootout against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad that's put up 30 or more points in 3-of-5 outings. However, the Bucs allow just the tenth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends per game (4.8) in the league thus far, making them one of the less favorable matchups.
From RotoBaller
Free-agent S Adrian Amos (Jaguars), free-agent DB Terrell Burgess (Bills), free-agent Zachary Carter (Bengals), free-agent DT Jaleel Johnson (Titans) and free-agent CB Daryl Worley (Ravens) worked out for the San Francisco 49ers Wednesday, Oct. 9.
From TheHuddle
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy faces the division-rival Seahawks in Seattle for a Week 6 matchup on Thursday night. In a surprising one-point home loss to the Arizona Cardinals last week, Purdy left something to be desired with a 19-for-35, 244-yard effort, including a touchdown, two interceptions, and 33 yards rushing. Seattle is 11th-best in the NFL at limiting fantasy quarterbacks in Yahoo default scoring. However, the Seahawks are dealing with significant injuries on defense, which boosts Purdy's outlook. Starting defenders CB Riq Woolen, DT Byron Murphy II, and LB Uchenna Nwosu have all been ruled out, plus two linebackers and a safety have been tagged questionable. Running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles/calf) remains on Injured Reserve, but Purdy is otherwise equipped with a fully healthy offense. He'll look to beat projections for just the second time this year as a mid/low QB1.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White (foot) was listed as limited in the team's first practice of the week. The third-year back was efficient in the Buccaneers' 36-30 loss to the Falcons last Thursday night, averaging 7.2 yards per carry over his ten rush attempts. However, he appeared to be bent awkwardly while being taken to the ground by an Atlanta defender. White returned to the contest after leaving the field but did not look to be 100%. It's an encouraging sign that he could practice in at least a limited fashion, but fantasy managers will want to monitor his status over the coming days. Rookie running back Bucky Irving will handle most of the running back touches if White can't play. The 25-year-old has improved his efficiency on the ground over the last two weeks and still leads this backfield in snaps. However, the former fourth-round pick has closed the snap-share gap since Week 3. Atlanta gets a formidable opponent in Week 6 when they take on the New Orleans Saints on the road.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Trey Palmer (concussion) was listed as a non-participant for the team's first practice of the week. The 23-year-old has been on the shelf since Tampa Bay's Week 4 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles when he picked up a concussion. Palmer will have two more opportunities to upgrade his practice participation ahead of a Week 6 road tilt against the New Orleans Saints. If he can't, he'll be at risk of missing his second-straight contest. Wideouts Jalen McMillan (hamstring) and Kameron Johnson (ankle) were each able to get in limited sessions on Wednesday. If Palmer can't play on Sunday, that duo would be in line to pick up more snaps behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Sterling Shepherd. Shepherd has the third-most WR snaps for the team over the last two weeks.
From RotoBaller
Free-agent QB C.J. Beathard (Jaguars) and free-agent QB Nate Sudfeld (Lions) worked out for the Tennessee Titans Wednesday, Oct. 9.
From TheHuddle
Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams (hamstring) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Oct. 9.
Fantasy Spin: Adams is not expected to play this week, but fantasy players can keep an eye on the situation to see if anything changes. Brock Bowers may be the only Raiders pass catcher that is a must-start option in fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle
Cleveland Browns S Grant Delpit (concussion), DE Myles Garrett (Achilles), S Ronnie Hickman (ankle), OT James Hudson (shoulder), C Ethan Pocic (knee) and CB Denzel Ward (hamstring) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Oct. 9. OT Jack Conklin (hamstring), LB Mohamoud Diabate (hip), LB Jordan Hicks (elbow, triceps), RB Nyheim Hines (knee), DT Maurice Hurst (ankle), RB Pierre Strong (hamstring), OT Jedrick Wills (knee) and OG Zak Zinter (knee) were limited during practice. DE Ogbo Okoronkwo (illness) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
Cleveland Browns RB D'onta Foreman (ankle) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Oct. 9.
Fantasy Spin: Foreman has been sharing playing time with Jerome Ford, so fantasy players should keep an eye on the situation to see if Foreman will be available. He could be a possible flex option in leagues if he plays.
From TheHuddle
Cleveland Browns WR Amari Cooper (non-injury) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Oct. 9.
Fantasy Spin: Cooper has been targeted at least eight times in every game so far this season and should continue to see a good amount of targets. The Browns passing game has not had a lot of success, but he can still be at least a flex option in leagues.
From TheHuddle
Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb (knee) was limited during practice Wednesday, Oct. 9.
Fantasy Spin: It is not known when Chubb will be added to the 53-man roster, so fantasy players should continue to monitor the situation. He may not receive a normal workload when he returns but likely will take over the starting job at some point. He should be a starting fantasy option in the near future.
From TheHuddle
