WR Strength of Schedule
Fri May 31 10:52am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
Lamb could top last season
Using our rules for our money leagues, we came up with a schedule strength ranking for the receiver 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 receivers last season from all of their opponents to get our fantasy points allowed number. This is a good indication of the receivers with the most favorable schedules for fantasy scoring for the coming season. Defenses obviously change from year to year, but knowing the receivers that might have the easiest schedule for fantasy is always a good idea when formulating your rankings and draft strategy.
| WR SOS | ||
| 1. | Denver Broncos | 531.34 |
| 2. | Los Angeles Chargers | 536.08 |
| 3. | Miami Dolphins | 537.31 |
| 4. | Kansas City Chiefs | 549.96 |
| 5. | Las Vegas Raiders | 552.89 |
| 6. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 554.85 |
| 7. | New England Patriots | 555.93 |
| 8. | Buffalo Bills | 556.13 |
| 9. | Houston Texans | 561.75 |
| 10. | San Francisco 49ers | 565.73 |
| 11. | New Orleans Saints | 566.06 |
| 12. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 566.19 |
| 13. | Cincinnati Bengals | 566.32 |
| 14. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 570.07 |
| 15. | Baltimore Ravens | 571.77 |
| 16. | Seattle Seahawks | 573.41 |
| 17. | Minnesota Vikings | 573.91 |
| 18. | Philadelphia Eagles | 574.46 |
| 19. | Carolina Panthers | 575.49 |
| 20. | Los Angeles Rams | 575.79 |
| 21. | Washington Commanders | 575.91 |
| 22. | Detroit Lions | 576.36 |
| 23. | Atlanta Falcons | 577.76 |
| 24. | New York Jets | 577.99 |
| 25. | Tennessee Titans | 578.06 |
| 26. | Indianapolis Colts | 578.18 |
| 27. | Cleveland Browns | 583.5 |
| 28. | Arizona Cardinals | 586.09 |
| 29. | New York Giants | 586.93 |
| 30. | Chicago Bears | 601.21 |
| 31. | Dallas Cowboys | 608.4 |
| 32. | Green Bay Packers | 610.22 |
The Packers have the easiest fantasy schedule for receivers. Jayden Reed and Christian Watson could be setup for career best seasons with this schedule. These are guys you can get a little later come draft day and mid-round options that could be difference makers for fantasy owners.
CeeDee Lamb is considered the No. 1 overall fantasy receiver for many and his schedule helps make that claim even stronger. Lamb has the second most favorable schedule for receivers. Lamb was huge last year and could improve on that even more, especially since the Cowboys could struggle to run the ball with their current options.
The Bears, Giants and Cardinals also round out the top-five most favorable receiver schedules. Chicago has a great trio of receivers with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze. These guys could produce big as long as rookie Caleb Williams gets the job done at quarterback in year one. Moore has more to compete with for targets this year, but you still have to like his chances for a big season in year two with the Bears.
The Giants and Cardinals both have some question marks at receiver, but a couple rookies lead the way for both teams. Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison could have big rookie seasons with their new teams. These guys both have a chance to lead all rookie fantasy receivers in scoring.
On the opposite side of things, the Broncos have the most challenging schedule for receivers. The Broncos have all sorts of questions at receiver outside of Courtland Sutton. This is a unit of receivers you just might want to avoid come draft day. This schedule won’t make anything easier for this group.
The Chargers are a similar team to the Broncos, having openings and questions at receiver. So once again, it might be best to let someone else put Chargers receivers on their roster. Plus, the Chargers could be a lot more run heavy with a new coach running the show. The tough schedule and new offense make taking any Chargers receiver a bit of a risk.
There are two really good offenses on the list that have tough schedules for receivers. Both the Dolphins and Chiefs have a top-five least favorable schedule for receivers. The Dolphins have one of the best receiver duos in football, so it is tough to fade them because of this schedule. Both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle should be able to produce big numbers once again in this offense.
The Chiefs are a little more concerning. This offense is a little matchup proof, but don’t have that elite receiver on their roster. Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown lead the way. Brown hasn’t been great in recent seasons and Rice is facing a suspension. These guys will carry some risk come draft day, especially after seeing this schedule.
Davante Adams is usually another star receiver that is matchup proof, but you have to wonder a little this year. He has some question marks at quarterback, which could hurt his production when you pair it with this schedule. Adams is dealing with the fifth toughest fantasy schedule for receivers.
We also wanted to look at playoff schedules for fantasy receivers. 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 receivers with the easiest playoff schedules doesn’t hurt by any means, especially in the big money contests.
| WR PLAYOFF SOS | ||
| 1. | Los Angeles Rams | 501.93 |
| 2. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 515.53 |
| 3. | Kansas City Chiefs | 519.43 |
| 4. | New York Giants | 521.63 |
| 5. | Miami Dolphins | 532.77 |
| 6. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 534.53 |
| 7. | Houston Texans | 538 |
| 8. | Buffalo Bills | 540.87 |
| 9. | Las Vegas Raiders | 541.9 |
| 10. | Carolina Panthers | 549.33 |
| 11. | Cincinnati Bengals | 552.17 |
| 12. | Detroit Lions | 553.73 |
| 13. | Arizona Cardinals | 555.27 |
| 14. | Cleveland Browns | 555.4 |
| 15. | Minnesota Vikings | 560.93 |
| 16. | New England Patriots | 573.03 |
| 17. | Los Angeles Chargers | 573.1 |
| 18. | Tennessee Titans | 575.17 |
| 19. | Baltimore Ravens | 581.27 |
| 20. | Seattle Seahawks | 585.08 |
| 21. | New York Jets | 585.5 |
| 22. | Denver Broncos | 587.2 |
| 23. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 587.8 |
| 24. | Philadelphia Eagles | 589.73 |
| 25. | Green Bay Packers | 590.85 |
| 26. | Washington Commanders | 591.57 |
| 27. | New Orleans Saints | 604.13 |
| 28. | Dallas Cowboys | 609.73 |
| 29. | Indianapolis Colts | 614 |
| 30. | San Francisco 49ers | 641.53 |
| 31. | Atlanta Falcons | 644.93 |
| 32. | Chicago Bears | 647.98 |
The Bears and Cowboys are the teams that make both the top five easiest receiver schedules for both the regular season and playoffs. Chicago has the easiest for the entire playoffs. Once again, their top trio of receivers are looking pretty good come draft day.
Lamb continues to make his case to be the first receiver selected come draft day. He could have a monster season and finish strong as well with the fifth easiest schedule for the playoffs. Lamb might be the most surefire first-round pick come draft day.
The Falcons, 49ers and Colts also have a top-five favorable playoff schedule for receivers. Atlanta receivers were looking up to begin with, getting a legit quarterback throwing them passes this year. And this schedule makes their options look even better, especially Drake London. He could have a breakout season.
San Francisco has great options at receiver in Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. They are pretty safe picks come draft day. And they get a very favorable playoff schedule that could make them even more appealing to fantasy owners. These guys both have really solid floors come draft day in this offense.
Michael Pittman keeps getting it done as the No. 1 option for the Colts. If Anthony Richardson can become that true No. 1 at quarterback for Indy, Pittman would look even better. Pittman has produced in recent year despite having some quarterback issues. His game could go to a higher level this year if Richardson breaks out. Pittman could be a league winner if everything breaks his way in 2024.
The Chiefs and Dolphins are two of the best offenses in football but also the only two teams to make the top five most unfavorable receiver schedules for both the regular season and playoffs. This is a tad concerning for both teams, Again, it is tough to bet against Hill, but maybe you drop him down your rankings just few spots behind the other elite guys because of this. You hate to use an early round pick on a receiver to see him maybe not produce what he should come playoff time.
And as mentioned with the Chiefs, their top two receivers already face a few question marks, so maybe their tough schedules make them players to let someone else draft. Both Brown and Rice could be a little erratic.
The Rams actually have the toughest playoff schedule for receivers. They are another team with two of the best receivers in football. It is tough to bet against either Puka Nacua or Cooper Kupp, but the playoff schedule is a little scary, especially for Kupp. He seems to be trending down at this stage of his career.
The Jaguars and Giants are the two other teams with a top-five unfavorable fantasy schedule for the playoffs. The Jags have Christian Kirk and Gabriel Davis as their top two receivers. Kirk is normally pretty steady but Davis can be boom or bust. Seeing his playoff schedule should bump him down a few spots in your rankings. It could be more of the same for Davis with his new team.
And the Giants are an outlier here, having an easy schedule for receivers during the regular season but the fourth toughest for the playoffs. This makes it tough come draft day. Their receivers could be good values for the regular season but disappoint when it counts. You do have to just make the playoffs, though, so we aren’t sure we shy away from Giant receivers just because of their tough playoff schedule. You still might be able to get good value with their options that help you win during the season.
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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- Chiefs WR Rashee Rice (knee) leaves game vs. Chargers
- Broncos RB Tyler Badie injures back, out for rest of Jets game
- Packers WR Christian Watson (ankle) ruled out for rest of Vikings game
- Colts QB Anthony Richardson injures hip, out vs. Steelers
- No surgery for Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence (Lisfranc)
- Texans RB Joe Mixon (ankle) to miss game vs. Jaguars
- Packers QB Jordan Love active, CB Jaire Alexander out vs. Vikings
- Eagles RT Lane Johnson (concussion) out vs. Bucs
- Jaguars put standout LB Foyesade Oluokun (foot) on IR
- Chargers QB Justin Herbert (ankle) expected to start vs. Chiefs
- Packers QB Jordan Love to start against Vikings
- Browns place OT Trent Brown (knee) on IR, ending his season
- Dolphins QB Tyler Huntley to start Monday vs. Titans
- Chargers QB Justin Herbert (ankle) questionable vs. Chiefs
- Titans put CB Chidobe Awuzie (groin) on IR
- Eagles WR DeVonta Smith out, A.J. Brown questionable vs. Bucs
- Packers 'encouraged' QB Jordan Love on field, Sunday start uncertain
- Raiders WR Davante Adams, DE Maxx Crosby ruled out for Week 4
- Bills LB Terrel Bernard, CB Taron Johnson out vs. Ravens
- Cowboys LB Micah Parsons has high ankle sprain; DE could miss weeks
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The Paur Report
Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 4
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin caught seven of his 10 targets for 52 yards and a score as the Commanders dismantled the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. This was McLaurin's second straight game finding the end zone. The Ohio State product has put his slow start in the rearview mirror and he has begun to emerge as a solid WR2 in all formats. After catching just eight passes for 39 yards in the first two weeks, McLaurin has formed a strong connection with his rookie QB and has established himself as his go-to option. Fantasy managers should feel confident starting McLaurin in all formats next weekend against the Cleveland Browns.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus led all Washington pass catchers with 85 yards on Sunday afternoon in their victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Zaccheaus caught all six of his targets, which were only second to Terry McLaurin (10 targets). This was a nice breakout performance for the 27-year-old, as he has caught just one pass through the first three weeks of action. Last week, he did not even see a target, and ran just four routes. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Zacchaeus's performance as he outperformed Noah Brown (26 yards) and rookie Luke McCaffrey (17 yards), who have typically been deployed as the No.2 and No.3 wideouts, respectively. Zaccheaus should remain on your waiver wire for now in standard leagues, but could be worth stashing in deeper 14+ team leagues.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz had a quiet day on Sunday afternoon even though the Commanders scored 42 points. The veteran tight end finished the day with just three catches (on three targets) for 22 yards. He also caught a two-point conversion late in the game. Ertz finished fourth on the team in receiving yards behind Terry McLaurin, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Noah Brown. This was also his lowest yard total of the season. Fantasy managers should not be overly concerned with Ertz as the Washington offense continued to move down the field all afternoon. The 33-year-old remains a low-end TE1 going forward, as he should still see stable production given that he will be on the field for most of the snaps despite this underwhelming Week 4 output.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson had just two catches for 37 yards in Sunday's loss to the Bears. With Puka Nacua (knee) and Cooper Kupp (ankle) on the shelf, most assumed Robinson would benefit the most. However, that hasn't happened. Instead, Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington have gotten more involved, with the duo combining for 10 grabs for 144 yards in Week 4. With that in mind, Robinson has worked his way out of the flex conversation for Week 5 versus the Packers. That won't change beyond Week 5 unless he turns things around.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert continued his perfect streak as a Commander in Week 4 as he went 2-for-2 on attempts and 4-for-4 on extra points in Sunday's victory. Since joining the Commanders in Week 2, Seibert has hit ten field goals and nine extra points. While Seibert's leg has yet to be tested from 50+ yards out, his hot stretch makes him a favorable streaming candidate going forward. In addition, as the Washington offense continues to improve every week, Seibert should see regular attempts to put points on the board. He is shaping up to be a solid option in all formats next week as the Commanders return to the DMV to host the Cleveland Browns.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Bucs rookie running back Bucky Irving had 49 rushing yards and a touchdown in a win against the Eagles. Dynasty Analysis: He added a catch for six more yards. The big story here is obvious - Irving has created a true time-share with Rachaad White and simply looks like the better player after the first month of the season. White matched him with 49 yards on ten carries of his own, but Irving is getting some important work and is averaging more than five yards per carry on the season. This is a story to watch as Irving is starting to really make things interesting in Tampa Bay. The Bucs may have found something here and dynasty managers who took Irving in the middle rounds of rookie drafts may have themselves a steal.
Dynasty | Jags running back Tank Bigsby had 90 yards on seven carries in a loss against Houston. Dynasty Analysis: This is now getting interesting in Jacksonville. At this point, Bigsby has looked better than Travis Etienne and he actually had the first touches in the backfield today. Etienne led the team in carries today (11) but was only able to post 50 yards, while adding one catch for another ten. Dynasty managers who ignored the smoke this Summer about the Jags wanting to ease the load on Etienne have been burned as this looks like a timeshare moving forward. As a result, Etienne's dynasty arrow is sinking by the week.
Dynasty | Panthers receiver Xavier Legette had six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown in the Panthers loss against Cincinnati. Dynasty Analysis: This was a much needed solid performance for Legette who matched his season total with ten targets on the day. He narrowly missed another score and finally looked like an NFL receiver in this one. The move to Andy Dalton has clearly ignited the Panthers offense and the buy low window on Legette may have closed today. We need to see some more solid days from Legette before recommending him, but this was clearly a solid step in the right direction.
Dynasty | Bengals running back Chase Brown had 80 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a win against the Panthers. Dynasty Analysis: Brown has clearly created a timeshare situation with fellow running back Zack Moss (51 yards on 15 carries) with the Bengals. Moss ended the game with 19 touches and Brown had 17 on the day. This is going to be great for the Bengals moving forward and a total nightmare for dynasty managers. Moss had a receiving touchdown himself but Brown looks like the more explosive player. In the end, both running backs are relegating the other to RB2/3 status at the moment as their deployment is working great in reality and creating a nightmare in dynasty leagues. They both remain solid holds in leagues as things continue to progress.
Dynasty | Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson had seven catches for 83 yards and a touchdown in a loss against the Bengals. Dynasty Analysis: In two starts with Bryce Young at the helm, Johnson had five catches on 12 targets for 34 scoreless yards. In two starts with Andy Dalton, Johnson now has 15 catches on 27 targets for 205 yards and two touchdowns. It's safe to say we have a pretty significant development in Carolina as Johnson is clearly becoming the receiver many expected him to be when he moved to Carolina in the off-season. At this point, Johnson looks like a solid WR2 option as long as Dalton is at the helm.
Dynasty | Steelers quarterback Justin Fields completed 22-of-34 passes for 312 yards and a touchdown, adding 55 rushing yards and two more scores in an upset loss to the Colts. Dynasty Analysis: Fields was forced to throw more than usual in this one and did just fine. While he hasn't been spectacular this season, he has thrown for three touchdowns, added three more scores on the ground and taken care of the football for the most part, with just one interception on the season. Pittsburgh is a good football with some clear problems, but Fields just doesn't seem to be one of them. His dynasty arrow continues to be stable as it would be a shock to see Pittsburgh turn to Russell Wilson any time soon.
Dynasty | Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell had one rush for ten yards in a win against Pittsburgh. Dynasty Analysis: He was held catch-less for the second straight game. Yikes. Mitchell now has just two catches for 32 yards in his first four NFL games, a far cry from what dynasty managers were hoping for this season. While the struggles (and durability) of Anthony Richardson haven't helped, Mitchell just seems like a player who is lost at the moment. He remains far away from lineups at this point and could be a savvy buy for dynasty managers steadfast in believing this is just a slow start.
Dynasty | Packers receiver Jayden Reed had seven catches for 139 yards and a touchdown in the Packers loss to Minnesota. Dynasty Analysis: It's safe to say Reed likes playing with Jordan Love. In the two games with Love at the helm this season, Reed has 11 catches on 14 targets for 277 yards and two scores. In the two with Malik Willis, he had just six catches for 59 scoreless yards. Reed looks to be the top option in a very important passing offense for fantasy purposes and should be locked into lineups moving forward. His dynasty value will start climbing again starting this week.
Dynasty | Falcons running back Bijan Robinson had 28 rushing yards, four catches and 46 receiving yards in a win against the Saints. Dynasty Analysis: The Falcons won the game and will certainly take it. However, dynasty managers are furious as Tyler Allgeier again ate into Robinson's workload and out-carried him 8-7. Robinson had 11 touches and Allgeier had ten as the Falcons seemed content again to not use their best offensive player. The idea that Robinson was going to emerge as a RB1 early this season has seemed to evaporate before our eyes yet again as Atlanta's offense is one of the toughest to predict again this season, despite a new coaching staff. Robinson remains an elite dynasty asset and weekly starter at the moment but clearly isn't a player to build around right now as his dynasty value starts to sink.
Indianapolis Colts QB Joe Flacco completed 16-of-26 passes for 168 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in relief of the injured QB Anthony Richardson (hip).
Fantasy Spin: Flacco caught lightning in a bottle down the stretch last season for Cleveland in place of the injured Deshaun Watson. He has proven he has a little bit left in the tank. If Richardson is forced to miss time, Flacco is likely to start, but he is best used as a QB2 in most fantasy formats. With bye weeks starting in Week 5, he could be a decent replacement option if he starts against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
From TheHuddle
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell had a team-high 82 receiving yards with four grabs in Sunday's loss to the Bears. Jordan Whittington had more receptions. However, Atwell was arguably the Rams' top wideout in Week 4. It's apparent he'll remain more involved while Puka Nacua (knee) and Cooper Kupp (ankle) remain sidelined, so he has some value as a flex option when Los Angeles meets the Packers in Week 5.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels went 26-for-30 for 233 yards and a score through the air on Sunday. He added 47 rushing yards and another score on eight carries. Even though the rookie sensation took a step back from a fantasy standpoint this weekend, he continued to develop as a passer, leading the Commanders to a third straight victory. Washington leaned on their rushing attack in this one which took the ball out of Daniels' hands. However, he salvaged his fantasy day with a nine-yard TD run in the third quarter and a 10-yard TD pass to Terry McLaurin late in the fourth quarter. Fantasy managers should continue to confidently start Daniels even though he faces a tough Cleveland Browns defense next week.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. led the way on the ground on Sunday afternoon as he totaled 101 yards and a score on 21 carries. He added 12 yards on three catches through the air. The Alabama product saw the lion's share of opportunities on the ground as Austin Ekeler (concussion) could not suit up for this game. This was the first time this season Robinson saw more than 20 carries. As the Commanders began to pull away, Jeremy McNichols saw most of the fourth-quarter attempts. Fantasy managers should continue to view Robinson as a solid RB2 going forward, as the Washington offense is humming on all cylinders.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington amassed 62 receiving yards off a team-high six catches in Sunday's loss to the Bears. With Puka Nacua (knee) and Cooper Kupp (ankle) out of commission, others have gotten more involved. Demarcus Robinson has struggled to remain relevant. However, Whittington had his best showing of the season in Week 4. With that said, he has a way to go before he earns a spot in most fantasy lineups, which applies to Week 5 against the Packers. But if the 23-year-old continues to produce from a volume standpoint, that could change for PPR managers, assuming Kupp and Nacua aren't back in the lineup soon.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols served as the No.2 running back on Sunday with Austin Ekeler (concussion) sidelined and enjoyed a career game as he punched in two scores with 75 total yards. McNichols tallied 68 of those on the ground, with the other seven coming through the air. Even though Brian Robinson Jr. saw most of the attempts, McNichols shined on the eight carries he saw as he scored on an impressive 27-yard run and found the end zone again later on a seven-yard carry. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Ekeler's status throughout the weekend, as McNichols could be a low-end flex play next weekend if he reclaims this No. 2 role next week.
From RotoBaller
