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.
The Invitational Live Stream
The Pittsburgh Steelers were reportedly a call away from landing wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers. However, new details about the situation have shed light on the hold-up of the talks. The Steelers offered Aiyuk less than $28 million annually for a new contract. The offer has pushed Aiyuk back to the contract negotiation table with the 49ers. It appears that Aiyuk may not be able to get the top-of-market contract he seeks after all. Aiyuk is coming off a career year in which he caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He is due for a new contract as he enters the fifth year of his rookie deal. Aiyuk has not participated in training camp or the preseason while he seeks a new contract. For now, fantasy managers will need to monitor whether the Steelers will increase their offer or if Aiyuk will come to terms with the 49ers.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Broncos quarterback Bo Nix compoleted 8-of-9 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown in Denver's preseason game against the Packers. Dynasty Analysis: Simply put, Nix has done nothing to make Sean Payton think of starting anyone else week one. This was the latest positive sign as he looked poised in the pocket and again took care of the football. Nix looks like a player with five years of college experience and ready to take on his new challenge. At this point, he's looked competent enough to keep the fantasy values of Courtland Sutton, Javonte Williams, and others afloat, though there will clearly be some bumps in the road. He remains a second round rookie pick in conventional drafts and creeping higher in 2QB leagues as we await official confirmation of him starting.
Dynasty | The Washington Commanders have named Jayden Daniels their starting quarterback. Dynasty Analysis: No real surprise here as Daniels really wasn't challenged much by now journeyman Marcus Mariota in camp. He's been impressive in limited action and in training camp, so Washington clearly sees no reason to keep him on the bench. Daniels remains a top-2 pick in Superflex formats but also remains one of the bigger boom or bust players at the position we've seen in some time.
Dynasty | The Falcons are sitting quarterback Michael Penix Jr for the final preseason game. Dynasty Analysis: This seems unusual considering Kirk Cousins is the clear starter. However, the Falcons brass is simply saying they've seen enough of Penix to know what they have and don't want to risk injury. While camp reports have been glowing, we still haven't seen enough of him to really determine how good he may be and likely won't barring a catastrophe regarding Cousins. Penix remains a high upside player who dynasty managers will need to be very patient with.
Miami Dolphins WR Odell Beckham Jr. (undisclosed) is not expected to practice this week, according to head coach Mike McDaniel.
From TheHuddle
The Buffalo Bills announced that quarterback Josh Allen, along with the team's other starters, will not play in Saturday's preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers. Head coach Sean McDermott originally planned to play his starters, but after the team saw multiple players suffer injuries over the weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they are not taking any chances. Backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (knee), wide receivers Curtis Samuel (toe) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (neck), and tight end Quintin Morris (shoulder) are all expected to miss multiple weeks.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars QB C.J. Beathard (groin) will not play in the final preseason game because of a groin injury, according to head coach Doug Pederson.
From TheHuddle
Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford (hamstring) was limited to individual drills during practice Monday, Aug. 19.
Fantasy Spin: Stafford likely will be eased back into practice so the team can make sure he is ready for Week 1. He has one of the better receiver duos to work with in the NFL but may only be a No. 2 quarterback in most leagues.
From TheHuddle
Buffalo Bills WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (neck) and TE Quintin Morris (shoulder) are expected to miss several weeks because of injuries.
From TheHuddle
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (undisclosed) did not practice on Monday, but head coach John Harbaugh said, "Don't worry about Mark; he's going to be fine." The 28-year-old was involved in a car crash last week, but he reportedly did not suffer any injuries. It's unclear why Andrews is currently out of action, but it doesn't sound as if he's at risk of missing any meaningful time. Andrews missed seven games last season after suffering a cracked fibula and an ankle ligament injury, but he returned for the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He should be ready to go when the season begins, and even though rising wideout Zay Flowers presents solid target competition, Andrews could still be Lamar Jackson's top target in the passing game. He's priced around the TE5 spot in preseason drafts and has overall TE1 upside.
From RotoBaller
The Miami Dolphins released running back Salvon Ahmed on Monday, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov. Ahmed went undrafted out of Washington in 2020 and spent four years with Miami following a brief stint with the San Francisco 49ers. In 38 career games, he rushed 163 times for 593 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 40 receptions for 274 yards and one score. With the Dolphins adding rookie Jaylen Wright to an already-crowded running back room featuring Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane, the writing was on the wall for the end of Ahmed's tenure in Miami. Given the injury rate at the running back position, it wouldn't be surprising if he's on an active roster for another team before the 2024 NFL season wraps up.
From RotoBaller
Free-agent RB Anthony McFarland (Steelers), FB Zander Horvath (Saints), WR Jadon Janke (Texans) and LB Dequan Jackson (Jaguars) signed with the Miami Dolphins Monday, Aug. 19. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed. The team also released RB Salvon Ahmed, waived/injured LB Zeke Vandenburgh (undisclosed) and placed WR Willie Snead (undisclosed) and OG Sean Harlow (undisclosed) on the Reserve/Injured list.
From TheHuddle
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (undisclosed) has not practiced with the team this offseason due to an undisclosed injury, and head coach Mike McDaniel said he will remain out of action this week. The veteran and former Super Bowl Champion is missing valuable preseason repetitions with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but the organization might be holding him out as a precaution given his lengthy injury history. If Beckham is ready to go for Week 1, he's an interesting late-round best-ball option, but it would be a surprise if he's a weekly contributor in traditional fantasy football lineups. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle have a tight grip on the No. 1 and No. 2 wide receiver roles, and rookie Malik Washington could make an impact right away. Beckham has not posted more than 600 receiving yards in a season since 2019, so he can be ignored in most formats.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (knee) was knocked out of the preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a knee injury, and head coach Sean McDermott said he will miss a few weeks of action. The Bills are also labeling wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling (neck) and Curtis Samuel (toe) as week-to-week. With Trubisky sidelined, third-string quarterback Ben DiNucci is likely to play most of the Week 3 preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Trubisky can continue to be rostered in deep Superflex formats, but obviously, he doesn't have any value as long as Josh Allen stays healthy.
From RotoBaller
Free-agent CB Chris Wilcox (Chargers), CB Quandre Mosely (Buccaneers), CB Willie Drew (Panthers), WR Sam Pinckney (Panthers) and RB Jaden Shirden (Panthers) signed with the Carolina Panthers Monday, Aug. 19. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed. The team also placed QB Jake Luton (undisclosed) and CB Anthony Brown (thumb) on the Reserve/Injured list and waived/injured CB Lamar X. Jackson (undisclosed), WR Tayvion Robinson (undisclosed) and RB Dillon Johnson (undisclosed).
From TheHuddle
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel (toe) is considered week-to-week as he deals with turf toe, according to head coach Sean McDermott. This is unfortunate for Samuel and the team, especially since Marquez Valdes-Scantling is also week-to-week with a neck injury. It's never a good sign for a player to pick up preseason injuries, but at least Samuel's injury is manageable, and he could still play in Week 1. Given all the new faces in Buffalo and injuries already starting to pile up, it could take time for the passing game led by Josh Allen to get going in 2024. Still, Samuel remains an intriguing late-round sleeper in fantasy football, while teammates Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir could benefit from his absence this preseason.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars WR Christian Kirk (calf) will be held out of practice this week, according to sources Monday, Aug. 19.
From TheHuddle
Buffalo Bills QB Mitchell Trubisky (knee) is expected to miss multiple weeks, according to sources Monday, Aug. 19.
From TheHuddle
Buffalo Bills WR Curtis Samuel (toe) is considered week-to-week with turf toe, according to sources Monday, Aug. 19.
Fantasy Spin: Samuel figured to have a prominent role in the offense so this brings a bit more risk to his profile as a late-round sleeper. This should give a nice bump to Dalton Kincaid, Khalil Shakir and rookie Keon Coleman.
From TheHuddle
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase returned to training camp practice on Monday. Due to an ongoing contract dispute with the team, Chase has been present at camp but hasn't been participating in on-field workouts. The 24-year-old star pass-catcher also hasn't seen any preseason action during his hold-in. It remains to be seen if the two sides can work out a long-term contract extension before Week 1 rolls around, but even if they don't, Chase profiles as an elite top-five fantasy wideout with quarterback Joe Burrow (wrist) back to full health after a season-ending wrist injury in 2023. The former fifth overall pick in 2021 out of LSU has all kinds of chemistry with Burrow, dating back to their college days, and has been a Pro Bowler in each of his first three seasons in the NFL, racking up 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns on 268 receptions.
From RotoBaller