Guest of the League
Draft and Keep Est. 2021
Dynasty $125 - FFL: Week 5 | NFL: Week 5

WR Strength of Schedule

Fri May 31 10:52am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

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.

Top Headlines
The Paur Report

Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 5

Player Notes
Jauan Jennings Oct 6 11:10pm CT
Jauan Jennings

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings came back down to earth in a 24-23 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. San Francisco's third wide receiver finished with one reception of four targets for 13 yards receiving. Jennings left briefly in the first quarter with an apparent hand injury. Although he returned quickly, he could be seen on the game broadcast in discomfort even after his return. On the bright side, three of his targets took place in the end zone just before the half and he got more attention overall from Brock Purdy than Deebo Samuel Sr. did. While Jennings has certainly broken out this year as a factor in fantasy, he'll likely be touchdown-dependent as a deep-league FLEX option if San Francisco's other pass-catchers remain healthy. Jennings gets the Seahawks at Lumen Field in a Week 6 Thursday night matchup.

From RotoBaller

Romeo Doubs Oct 6 11:10pm CT
Romeo Doubs

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (suspension) will meet with head coach Matt LaFleur on Monday and is expected to return to the team ahead of Week 6 versus the Arizona Cardinals. Doubs missed crucial practice time with a personal matter this past week and was eventually suspended one game for detrimental conduct, reportedly stemming from frustration with his current role in the Packers' offense. Through four games so far, the 24-year-old has 12 catches, 169 yards, and zero touchdowns, typically operating behind Jayden Reed but ahead of Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks. It's possible that Doubs will see limited usage over the next few weeks as a result of his conduct, so he should be left on the bench in fantasy football until his stat line is impressive enough to justify starting him.

From RotoBaller

Deebo Samuel Oct 6 11:00pm CT
Deebo Samuel

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. faded into the background during a 24-23 home upset at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Samuel Sr. saw three targets and caught just one for 11 yards. He also took three carries for nine yards rushing. The receiving total was the lowest a healthy Samuel Sr. has posted since Week 4 of his rookie year. In most games, San Francisco's passing attack is more evenly distributed, but Samuel Sr. saw receiver Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle each receive 12 targets. Samuel Sr. will likely be more involved when the 49ers face the Seahawks in Seattle on Thursday Night Football.

From RotoBaller

Brandon Aiyuk Oct 6 10:40pm CT
Brandon Aiyuk

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk finally broke out in a 24-23 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Aiyuk was involved early and often in this one, posting eight receptions on 12 targets for 147 yards. He's still looking for his first touchdown, but early in 2023, Aiyuk went six games without a score before rattling off four straight games with a touchdown. Regardless, 18.7 half-PPR points will do for fantasy managers who were patient enough to keep him locked into their lineups as a WR2. The Nevada native will look for his first trip to the end zone when the 49ers face the Seahawks in Seattle on a short turnaround Thursday night.

From RotoBaller

Chase Brown Oct 6 10:10pm CT
Chase Brown

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown finished Sunday's overtime loss to the Ravens by compiling 46 yards off 12 carries. He added three catches for eight yards and a touchdown, finding the end zone off a four-yard pass from Joe Burrow in the fourth quarter. Zack Moss suffered an ankle injury in this one, so Brown was the featured backfield option. There's a chance Moss will miss the Week 6 matchup with the New York Giants. If that happens, Brown would be a lock for all fantasy lineups.

From RotoBaller

Zack Moss Oct 6 10:00pm CT
Zack Moss

Cincinnati Bengals running back Zack Moss finished the Week 5 loss to the Ravens by amassing 24 yards off nine carries. He added three receptions for 28 yards. Moss scored a touchdown in three of the Bengals' previous four contests. Unfortunately, he suffered an ankle injury during the contest. With that in mind, the 26-year-old is in danger of missing at least the Bengals Week 6 matchup with the New York Giants. If he's not out there, Chase Brown would become an automatic must-start.

From RotoBaller

Tee Higgins Oct 6 9:50pm CT
Tee Higgins

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins finished Sunday's loss to the Ravens by catching nine of his 14 targets for 83 yards. Even better, he found the end zone twice. After missing a few games to begin the year followed up by a few subpar showings in the Bengals' last two contests, the wideout looked fantastic in this one. While some fantasy managers lost Patience, they'll need to reconsider their stance for the Bengals Week 6 showdown with the New York Giants.

From RotoBaller

George Kittle Oct 6 9:43pm CT
George Kittle

San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle ended up with eight receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Fantasy Spin: Kittle has managed at least four catches in four outings, and he has scored a touchdown in each of his past three games. He was forced to miss Week 3 due to injury, but when he is healthy, he is easily one of the best fantasy tight ends in the game.

From TheHuddle

Ja'Marr Chase Oct 6 9:40pm CT
Ja'Marr Chase

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase looked good in Sunday's overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The wideout caught 10 of his 12 targets for 193 yards. He also found the end zone twice, bringing his total to five touchdowns in the last three weeks. The former LSU Tiger has turned up the volume of late, so there's no reason to keep him out of fantasy lineups when the Bengals meet the Giants in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

Courtland Sutton Oct 6 9:33pm CT
Courtland Sutton

Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton caught two of his five targets for 32 yards in a 34-18 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5.

Fantasy Spin: Sutton was second on the team in targets and first among receivers, but the rest of his numbers continue lag behind his targets because of the Bo Nix's early struggles. Sutton is too inconsistent to be more than a flex option, but he could be a sleeper in the second half if Nix can make strides.

From TheHuddle

Jordan Mason Oct 6 9:30pm CT
Jordan Mason

San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason had his least productive fantasy day of 2024 in a 24-23 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. He finished with a season-low 14 carries for 89 yards on the ground with no touchdowns and a game-changing fourth-quarter lost fumble. He caught his only target in the passing game for nine yards. On a day that featured record-setting heat at Levi's Stadium, Mason also ceded five carries to rookie Isaac Guerendo, which matches Guerendo's season high. With no firm timetable for the return of All-Pro Christian McCaffrey (Achilles), Mason will continue to operate as San Francisco's bell cow and a fantasy RB1 in a Week 6 Thursday night matchup at the Seattle Seahawks.

From RotoBaller

Joe Burrow Oct 6 9:30pm CT
Joe Burrow

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had a big game in Week 5. Unfortunately, his efforts weren't enough to secure a win over the Ravens. But the signal-caller did all he could, throwing for 392 yards and five touchdowns (one interception) off an efficient 30-for-39 passing. After a semi-slow start to the 2024-25 campaign, Burrow has played exceptionally well of late, tossing for over 300 yards in two of his previous three contests. He's also stayed healthy, which was a significant concern for fantasy managers. At any rate, Burrow is one of the most productive fantasy quarterbacks going, so he needs to be featured in all starting lineups when the Bengals meet the Giants in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

Jake Moody Oct 6 9:20pm CT
Jake Moody

San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody (ankle) exited the team's 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals after injuring his ankle on a tackle attempt and did not return. Per Adam Schefter, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan reported that Moody picked up a high ankle sprain after the game and is expected to miss multiple weeks. "So we'll get (a kicker) in as fast as possible and get the best guy we can," Shanahan said. "I'm sure it'll have to be for a few weeks or whatever." Despite the head coach's blais attitude, it's at least a moderate blow to the team as the 24-year-old has been one of the better kickers in the league thus far. Through five weeks, the former third-round pick had drilled 11-of-12 field goal tries (91.7%) and all ten of his extra-point attempts. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky made his only attempt -- a 26-yarder -- in Moody's stead, but it appears they'd prefer to look elsewhere for help while he's on the shelf with the ankle issue. The 49ers will suit up against the Seattle Seahawks in a road matchup this coming Thursday, so expect San Francisco to make a decision quickly regarding their kicking situation.

From RotoBaller

Fred Warner Oct 6 9:13pm CT
Fred Warner

San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner had team highs with 12 total stops, seven solo tackles and a tackle for loss in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals.

From TheHuddle

Christian Gonzalez Oct 6 9:10pm CT
Christian Gonzalez

The New England Patriots' defense tallied one interception and one fumble recovery while allowing just 15 points during Sunday's Week 5 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Christian Gonzalez registered the pick while New England's special teams unit was responsible for the fumble on a blocked punt. Miami also botched a field goal attempt on a bad snap, but the Dolphins were able to pounce on top of the loose ball, effectively ending the drive without crediting New England for a fumble recovery. Elsewhere on the stat sheet, the Patriots registered three sacks, five tackles for loss, and 372 yards allowed. Their road gets much tougher heading into a Week 6 clash with C.J. Stroud's Houston Texans.

From RotoBaller

Budda Baker Oct 6 9:03pm CT
Budda Baker

Arizona Cardinals S Budda Baker ended up with 12 total stops and eight solo tackles in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers.

From TheHuddle

Brenton Strange Oct 6 9:00pm CT
Brenton Strange

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange caught one of the two passing touchdowns quarterback Trevor Lawrence had in a 37-34 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Strange finished with 24 yards on four catches. The young tight end now has two touchdowns and 120 yards on the season. It seemed like Evan Engram (hamstring) had a decent chance of returning in Week 5, but that was not the case, so the second-year pro got the start for the third straight game. This could be the last start Strange gets, so his fantasy managers should be happy with his fantasy output over the past few weeks given his status as a backup tight end. If Engram were to miss even more time, Strange would continue to be a solid streaming option. The Jaguars face off against the Chicago Bears in London in Week 6, where it will be interesting to see how involved Strange is if Engram does return.

From RotoBaller

Ja'Lynn Polk Oct 6 9:00pm CT
Ja'Lynn Polk

New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk converted six targets into just one catch for 13 yards during Sunday's Week 5 loss to the Miami Dolphins. While the rookie's fantasy output was disappointing, managers should feel optimistic about some of his underlying statistics. For starters, Polk has 13 targets over the last two weeks combined, which is the highest mark on the team during that span. He also played 100 percent of snaps on Sunday, becoming the first Patriots wide receiver to play every offensive snap in a single game this season. (No New England wide receiver previously eclipsed the 85-percent mark.) Furthermore, he came very close to catching his second career touchdown pass, missing out on the go-ahead score by mere inches as his foot barely landed out of bounds. All in all, Polk has emerged as one of Jacoby Brissett's favorite weapons as of late. While it hasn't led to noteworthy fantasy production, he's still on the radar as an up-and-coming pass-catcher in the New England offense. He's worth monitoring in deeper leagues as the season carries on. His next chance to leave an impression will come in Week 6 when the Patriots host the Houston Texans.

From RotoBaller

Chuba Hubbard Oct 6 9:00pm CT
Chuba Hubbard

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard reeled off another excellent performance in the team's 36-10 loss to the Chicago Bears. Quarterback Andy Dalton threw for just 136 scoreless yards Sunday -- and was eventually benched for second-year QB Bryce Young in the waning minutes of regulation -- but that didn't stop Hubbard from ripping off another big stat line. The 25-year-old toted the rock 13 times, churning out 97 yards and a touchdown on the ground while hauling in all four of his targets for -2 "additional" yards. It marks the fourth-year back's third-straight outing with a touchdown and four in a row with at least four catches. Additionally, he was just three yards shy of eclipsing the century mark in his third consecutive game. The former fourth-round pick has been a pleasant surprise of fantasy output over the last few weeks. However, the question arises of his role if and when quarterback Bryce Young regains control of this offense. When that happens is anyone's guess, but until then, Hubbard can be considered a high-end RB2 with upside. He'll have a harder time reaching those marks against the Falcons in Week 6, but he is a must-start option.

From RotoBaller

Hunter Henry Oct 6 9:00pm CT
Hunter Henry

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry caught two of four targets for 32 yards through the air during Sunday's Week 5 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Henry has caught just two passes in four of his five games this season, with the lone exception being a somewhat anomalous eight-catch, 109-yard outburst back in Week 2. Despite playing a season-high 93.3 percent of snaps on Sunday, the 29-year-old veteran continues to have his fantasy value limited within the Patriots' struggling offense. He remains off the fantasy radar in most leagues ahead of a Week 6 clash versus the Houston Texans.

From RotoBaller