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
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle tallied a season-high 46 yards on 11 carries and added 15 yards and a score on one catch in Thursday's victory over the New York Giants. Dowdle found the end zone for the first time this season on a screen pass just inside the red zone. Dowdle was also given a majority of the running back snaps on Thursday as he saw 24 compared to Ezekiel Elliott's nine. Elliott saw only five attempts and tallied just 19 yards. Both running backs typically split opportunities over the opening games of the season, but it looks like Dowdle is beginning to establish himself as the leader of this backfield. Despite his modest output on the ground, fantasy managers should still view Dowdle as an RB3/flex play with upside heading into Week 5.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb caught seven of his eight targets for 98 yards and a score on Thursday evening against the New York Giants. Lamb once again led the Dallas receiving room in total yards and targets but tied Jake Ferguson with a team-high in receptions. The 25-year-old broke free for an impressive 55-yard score in the second quarter. After catching just four passes last week, Lamb got himself back on track with a strong outing on Thursday. Fantasy managers should continue to view the Oklahoma product as a high-end WR1 who has the chance to finish at the top of the position for the second straight season. Next week, he faces a tough Pittsburgh Steelers defense that has allowed the fourth-lowest point totals to opposing wideouts but should remain locked into all starting lineups.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott went 22-for-27 with 221 passing yards and two scores on Thursday evening en route to defeating the New York Giants. The 31-year-old's longest pass of the night came on a 55-yard TD pass to CeeDee Lamb. His other score came off a 15-yard pass to running back Rico Dowdle on a screen. Prescott locked onto his top two targets all game as both Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson caught seven passes each. After throwing for an impressive 379 yards last weekend, Prescott was more of a game manager on Thursday night and did not have to push the ball downfield too often. Fantasy managers should feel confident starting Prescott as a QB1 going forward, even though he will face a tough Pittsburgh defense next weekend.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (hamstring) is considered doubtful for Sunday's game, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Engram injured his hamstring during warmups prior to their Week 2 matchup and has been sidelined since. The 30-year-old has not logged a practice yet this week which is not a promising sign for his status this weekend. Fantasy managers should closely monitor Friday's injury report as it should provide clarity on his status heading into the weekend. Engram caught a career-high 114 receptions last season and remains a safe TE1 when he is on the field. If Engram misses his third-straight game on Sunday, fantasy managers should expect Brenton Strange to get the starting nod again. Strange has seen at least five targets in each of the past two games and could be a viable replacement option in deeper formats.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (ankle) will miss his third straight game as he will not suit up this weekend when the Browns face the Las Vegas Raiders. The tight end suffered a high-ankle sprain in the season-opener against the Dallas Cowboys and has remained sidelined since. However, the 28-year-old returned to practice in a limited capacity on Thursday but is still not cleared to return to game action. Fantasy managers should monitor Njoku's status before their Week 5 match against the Washington Commanders. Fantasy managers should expect Jordan Akins to serve as the lead tight end again on Sunday. He could be a viable play in deeper formats, as he caught four of his seven targets last week.
From RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (concussion) will not play on Sunday due to a concussion, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. McBride entered concussion protocol following last weekend's game after he took a hard helmet-to-helmet hit. The Colorado State product did not practice this week and will now set his sights on returning in Week 5 when the Cardinals face their division rival, the San Francisco 49ers. McBride has seen at least six targets in each of the first three games this season, with a high of nine in Week 2. Fantasy managers should closely monitor McBride's status next week. Elijah Higgins will now serve as the No.1 tight end in Arizona this weekend and could be a sneaky play in DFS and deeper formats as he faces the Washington Commanders who have one of the worst pass defenses in the sport.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson was heavily involved (once again) in Thursday night's 20-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, hauling in 11 of 14 targets for 71 yards. Despite the high reception total, Robinson averaged just 6.5 yards per catch, with his longest reception going for 11 yards. While he was a reliable short-yardage option for Daniel Jones, Robinson couldn't find the end zone, limiting his fantasy ceiling. Fantasy managers will appreciate the volume, but his low yardage per reception and lack of scoring suggest he'll need more explosive plays to become a consistent fantasy starter.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (hamstring) is expected to make his return to the field this week against the New England Patriots according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Kittle says he is "very excited to play football" and is "feeling fantastic" according to Wagoner's report. In two games this season, the talented tight end has 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown and missed the 49ers' loss to the Rams in Week 4. Kittle remains one of the top tight ends in a relatively limited tight-end landscape for fantasy. If he is back this week, he should be started with confidence against New England.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble is sharing time with Ja'Tavion Sanders but emerged as the primary tight end on the team in Week 3 seeing more snaps and out-targeting Sanders. Tremble finished Week 3's win over the Raiders with three catches for 29 yards on three targets. The Notre Dame product is fully recovered from a hamstring injury that caused him to miss Week 1. However, with Chuba Hubbard garnering a large workload in the backfield and Diontae Johnson commanding a big target share, Tremble isn't a big piece of the offensive pie at the moment. That makes him touchdown-dependent for fantasy purposes and thus a risky play in Week 4 at the position. Until he shows more, Tremble should be left on the waiver wire.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (groin) popped up on Thursday's injury report after not practicing but he is expected to return to Friday's practice. Barring a setback with the groin injury, Johnson looks like a great fantasy play in Week 4 against the Bengals. The Toledo product had a resurgent performance with Andy Dalton under center in Week 3 with eight catches for 122 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets against the Raiders. Expect more of the same this week from Johnson and the Panthers offense. Adam Thielen (hamstring) is on the IR, further solidifying Johnson as the top option and he should be peppered with targets again against a beatable Bengals' secondary.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette should be more involved in the offense this week with Adam Thielen (hamstring) on IR. The rookie out of South Carolina has 10 targets on the season but is expected to slot into the No. 2 receiver role with Thielen sidelined. The talented receiver should be a nice secondary target for Dalton this week against the Bengals with Diontae Johnson (groin) serving as the top option. Johnson missed practice Thursday and is questionable but is expected to practice Friday. If he is out, Legette would have a much larger role in the offense. The Panthers offense suddenly looks viable for fantasy purposes with Dalton as the QB and Legette could benefit from that in Week 4.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (concussion) took to Instagram to reassure fans that he was alright after suffering a concussion on Thursday night against the Cowboys. Nabers wrote "All Good. Thanks for all the prayers" in his Instagram story. He had a huge game with 12 catches for 115 yards on 15 targets before getting the concussion in the fourth quarter. It's a good sign that Nabers is feeling good after the injury and hopefully, for fantasy managers, he can have a quick recovery. He is looking like a budding fantasy superstar in his rookie season.
From RotoBaller
Updating an earlier report, Dallas Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) had X-rays on his foot on Thursday, Sept. 26, that came back negative. Lawrence said after the game that he would 'be back in no time.'
From TheHuddle
Dallas Cowboys LB Eric Kendricks posted a game-high 13 tackles, including six solo, against the New York Giants in Week 4.
From TheHuddle
New York Giants kicker Greg Joseph was the team's lone source of offense in Thursday night's 20-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, nailing all five of his field goal attempts. Joseph was perfect on the night, including a 52-yard strike, accounting for all 15 of the Giants' points. While the Giants' offense struggled to find the end zone, Joseph's consistency kept them within striking distance throughout the game. Fantasy managers relying on Joseph were rewarded with a strong performance, but the lack of offense from the Giants and the eventual return of Graham Gano may limit his opportunities in future matchups.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton provided a few big plays in Thursday's 20-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, catching three of five targets for 56 yards. Slayton averaged an impressive 18.7 yards per reception, with his longest catch going for 28 yards, but he was unable to find the end zone. He was also open deep on one of his missed targets, but Daniel Jones underthrew him, thwarting a potential big gain. While his downfield ability added some spark to the Giants' passing game, the limited volume kept his fantasy output modest, making Slayton a boom-or-bust option reliant on big plays for fantasy value.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks caught one pass for 16 yards on Thursday, Sept. 26, versus the New York Giants. He was targeted four times.
Fantasy Spin: Make it three straight weeks with fewer than 20 yards receiving for Cooks. There was some belief, fueled by encouraging training camp reports, that Cooks and Dak Prescott were developing more chemistry with a full offseason together, and that the veteran wideout was in line for a bounce back season. Thus far, that looks like no more than wishful thinking. Those in deeper leagues can continue rostering Cooks, but owners in standard formats can safely drop him in search of someone with more upside.
From TheHuddle
New York Giants running back Devin Singletary had a quiet night in Thursday's 20-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, managing just 24 rushing yards on 14 carries for a lackluster 1.7 yards per attempt. Singletary's longest run of the evening went for just five yards, as he struggled to find running lanes against a tough Cowboys defense. He was also a non-factor in the passing game, catching just one pass for 14 yards and failing to score a touchdown. With such limited production, Singletary's fantasy outlook remains concerning, as his volume isn't translating into meaningful fantasy points heading into Week 5, especially against a strong Seattle Seahawks defense.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones put up another efficient performance in Thursday night's 20-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but failed to throw a touchdown while completing 29 of 40 passes for 203 yards. Jones averaged seven yards per attempt but couldn't find the end zone, and his late interception with 23 seconds left ended the Giants' final chance at a comeback. He added only three rushing yards on the ground and was sacked once, offering little in the way of his usual dual-threat upside. Fantasy managers expecting a bounce-back will need to see improvement from Jones in Week 5, as his (and the Giants) lack of scoring is a concern, especially with a late-game injury to Malik Nabers.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott posted five carries for 19 yards against the New York Giants on Thursday, Sept. 26. He added one reception (on one target) for five yards.
Fantasy Spin: In three games since posting 49 yards and a tuddy in Week 1, Elliott has totaled 32, 12, and 24 total yards, respectively. He's logged fewer touches than backfield mate Rico Dowdle in each of those three contests as well. While Elliott wasn't viewed as more than a low-end RB3 or flex candidate coming into the season, the veteran is currently falling well short of that designation. He should be kept on the bench for the time being, and those in standard formats could even consider him expendable if a roster spot is needed.
From TheHuddle
