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.
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (back) participated in team drills on Wednesday, marking his most complete practice in over a week, though his reps were still limited. Head coach Dennis Allen expressed confidence in the team's running back depth, stating, "I think we've got guys that can play in the NFL, so that's not a concern of mine." Despite missing four games last seasonthree due to suspensionKamara finished second among running backs in receptions (75) and targets (86). He averaged 89.2 scrimmage yards per game, scored six touchdowns, and caught a career-high 87.2% of his targets. Apart from concerns about age and potential injury, Kamara is poised to be a solid RB2 in drafts, particularly in PPR leagues, if he remains healthy leading up to the season.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson (ankle) and rookie offensive tackle Troy Fautanu (knee) will not suit up for the preseason finale on Saturday against the Detroit Lions. Wilson sprained his ankle almost three weeks ago and will end up not playing at all in the preseason. Fautanu sprained his knee in the preseason opener but said on Tuesday that he expects to be physically ready to go for the Week 1 regular-season opener, where he's likely to start at right tackle. Wilson, a 23-year-old third-round pick, has lost plenty of important developmental time this summer heading into his first year in the NFL, but he could still have a substantial role eventually given Pittsburgh's lack of receiving depth behind George Pickens. For now, though, fantasy managers in standard 12-team leagues can probably avoid him on draft day.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers running backs Elijah Mitchell (hamstring), Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) and Patrick Taylor Jr. (undisclosed) have all returned to training camp practices in the last two days. The only Niners running back out of practice still is starter Christian McCaffrey (calf), but he's been doing heavy work on the side. Mitchell will now try to hold off Jordan Mason for the RB2 role in San Fran. Although McCaffrey will end up missing the entire preseason, the 49ers aren't worried that he'll miss the start of the regular season. The 26-year-old former sixth-rounder in 2021 out of Louisiana would become a weekly fantasy option if CMC were to miss extended time, but Mitchell has battled injury issues of his own in his three years in the NFL and has played in a total of 27 games (12 starts) since entering the league. Guerendo is behind in his development heading into his rookie year, but he, too, could be a threat to Mitchell's spot on the depth chart eventually in 2024.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (arm) was removed from practice early on Wednesday due to "general arm soreness," according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. The Browns' head coach, Kevin Stefanski, later said that this was a precautionary move and that he's "not overly concerned." Watson has missed most of the last few NFL seasons due to injuries and issues off the field, but he was a fantasy superstar back in 2020 with the Houston Texans, throwing for a league-high 4,823 yards and a career-high 33 touchdowns. The Browns organization and fantasy managers alike now hope that the 28-year-old can regain that form and have a productive season as the team's QB1, but until that happens, he's best drafted as a QB2 with upside.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans tight end Dalton Keene (knee) tore his ACL in Saturday's preseason game against the New York Giants and will be out for the entire 2024 season. He was placed on injured reserve. This is a tough blow for the former third-round pick, projected to make Houston's Week 1 roster. Keene will now hopefully go through a successful rehab and compete once again for a roster spot in 2025. This doesn't change too much about the Texans' current TE situation, as Dalton Schultz remains the team's No.1 option at that position.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns running back Pierre Strong Jr. (ribs) went into an ambulance on Wednesday after individual drills. It was then later reported by Cleveland's head coach Kevin Stefanski that Strong suffered a rib injury. There are no more details yet. However, it's a good sign that Strong was able to walk off the field himself. Either way, the 25-year-old is listed as the fourth running back on the Browns' unofficial depth chart, behind Jerome Ford, D'Onta Foreman, and Nick Chubb (knee) when he returns. Strong is not slated to have a huge fantasy impact in 2024, but if he is healthy, monitor his number of touches compared to the rest of Cleveland's running backs.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Jerry Jones said Trey Lance has earned a roster spot. Dynasty Analysis: Lance has been solid in the preseason completing 40-of-64 passes for 339 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, while adding 78 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in two contests. He may not win the backup job over Cooper Rush but Jones is "guaranteeing" he makes the final roster. He may still be a trade target out there for a QB-needy team at some point in the season so dynasty owners should keep him on their short list if he isn't already rostered.
Dynasty | The Denver Broncos have named Bo Nix their starting quarterback. Dynasty Analysis: As expected. The Broncos promoted a "competition" between Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson but Nix was the heavy favorite after Denver jettisoned Russell Wilson. Sean Payton clearly has all his eggs in the Nix basket, so he was going to do all he could to make this a reality. Nix helped him out by having a solid preseason and looking like he has veteran poise already. Nix will be a QB2 to start but he's certainly in position for early success.
According to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, quarterback Trey Lance will be on the 53-man roster to start the season. Lance, selected third overall in the 2021 NFL draft by the San Fransisco 49ers, has had a rough start to his career and entered training camp as the Cowboys' QB3. However, Lance has had a good training camp and has been impressive so far in the preseason. In two games, he has completed 40-for-64 (62.5%) of his pass attempts for 339 passing yards, 78 rushing yards, and two total touchdowns. Lance is currently battling Cooper Rush to be the backup quarterback behind Dak Prescott. If he keeps up his improved performance, he may enter Week 1 as Dallas' second-string quarterback.
From RotoBaller
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks (undisclosed) left practice early on Wednesday after landing hard. As he was leaving with a trainer, he held his back/hip area but was still walking on his own. Burks, a former first-round pick back in 2022, has yet to play an entire season in the NFL, having only played 11 games in both of his first two seasons (due to head and knee injuries). Still, while he has played, he has been moderately productive, having caught 49 passes for 665 yards (13.6 Y/R) in his 22 career games. Even if Burks avoids a severe injury, he is mainly a dynasty league or deep-league stash for now.
From RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson says most of the team's starters will play in the preseason finale on Saturday against the hosting Detroit Lions at Ford Field. It's become a compelling storyline out of Steelers training camp as to whether Wilson or Justin Fields will be the Week 1 starter against the Atlanta Falcons, and Saturday's final exhibition outing will mark the last chance for the two signal-callers to make their case for the QB1 job. Pittsburgh's offense under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is set to be one of the NFL's run-heaviest units no matter who's under center in 2024, and while Wilson, 35, offers the attack a veteran stabilizing presence, Fields scored the fifth-most fantasy points per dropback (0.58) among qualifiers last year and would certainly be the more appealing fantasy play of the two if he gets the nod.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (undisclosed) is back practicing on Wednesday in training camp. Cooper left last Thursday's practice with soreness, but he's back on the field for the Browns on Wednesday after only participating in walkthroughs in Tuesday's session. The 30-year-old fantasy stalwart is back on track toward making an appearance in Saturday's preseason finale against the hosting Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. After collecting the third-most yards per reception (17.4) among qualifiers at his position last year, Cooper is primed to act as quarterback Deshaun Watson's alpha target and a steady WR2 option for fantasy managers once again in 2024.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has named rookie quarterback Bo Nix the starter for the regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the hosting Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. After shining by completing eight of his nine passes for 80 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's preseason win over the Green Bay Packers, Nix has forced the hand of the coaching staff to thrust him right under center for Week 1. The 24-year-old Oregon standout was the No. 12 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and while he's more of a QB2 for fantasy purposes to begin the year, Nix's presence will certainly offer Denver's offense far more upside over Jarrett Stidham or Zach Wilson. There should be plenty of ups and downs for Nix in Year 1, but the Broncos' offense becomes more exciting all around with this decision.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (foot) was back at practice on Monday, which is a good sign, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport believes this injury may linger into the regular season. Herbert is recovering from a plantar fascia problem in his right foot, and there's a chance his mobility will be limited until he's fully healed from the issue at some point later this year. On top of that, the 26-year-old star signal-caller missed nearly three weeks worth of valuable reps in training camp as he acclimates to new head coach Jim Harbaugh's offensive scheme. After seeing most of his previous top targets from last season depart this offseason, Herbert is trending down for fantasy purposes and heading into 2024 as a borderline QB1/2.
From RotoBaller
Greg Auman of Fox Sports believes running back Chase Edmonds (undisclosed) is one of the bigger names on the roster bubble for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this summer. Edmonds hasn't been able to practice or play for weeks in training camp because of an undisclosed injury. Lead back Rachaad White, rookie fourth-rounder Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker seem to be locks now for Tampa Bay's 53-man roster, and the question is whether the team keeps Edmonds as a fourth back. The 28-year-old veteran receiving back bottomed out in 2023 with the Bucs, rushing for just 3.6 yards per carry over 49 attempts and catching only 14 passes in 13 appearances, so Edmonds might need a change of scenery for any real shot at fantasy relevance in 2024.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said that both quarterbacks Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett will play in Thursday night's preseason finale against the Washington Commanders as they continue their QB battle. Brissett entered training camp as the favorite to win the starting job under center to kick off the 2024 season, but he has struggled in two preseason games, while Maye looked much better last week. How each QB fares this weekend against Washington figures to decide the competition. Brissett has more experience in the NFL, but Maye, the third overall pick in this year's NFL draft, is much more mobile and has a stronger arm for downfield throws. Even if Maye doesn't win the starting job heading into Week 1, the 21-year-old figures to be starting games for New England sooner than later in 2024.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) remains the favorite for second-string duties behind Isiah Pacheco, but the former first-rounder hasn't been on the field much of late in training camp while he deals with ongoing struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, primarily stemming from what he describes as a "self-defense situation" in 2018. "But it's real, real bad dehydration, dropping weight real fast, but it's really just mentally, just not being there," Edwards-Helaire said. Head coach Andy Reid admitted it's a sensitive situation, but he wouldn't go as far as to say CEH was a candidate to start the regular season on Injure Reserve. With Edwards-Helaire missing some time this summer, both undrafted free agents Deneric Prince and Carson Steele have stood out, and either one of them could leapfrog CEH on KC's RB depth chart this year if more issues arise.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (oblique) is dealing with an oblique injury and is not suiting up for training camp practice on Wednesday. Until we know more, we'll assume the Eagles are playing it safe with Goedert with two weeks to go until the start of the 2024 regular season. The 29-year-old probably will not suit up in Saturday's preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings. Goedert, the team's top pass-catching tight end, missed three games late last season due to a fractured forearm but still had a career-high 59 receptions for 592 yards and three touchdowns in 14 regular-season contests. However, he also had a career-low 10.0 yards per catch as the clear third passing option behind receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. With running back Saquon Barkley taking valuable targets away in the passing game in 2024, Goedert finds himself on the TE1/2 borderline.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (quadriceps) had two good runs during training camp practice on Wednesday to start team drills and looks close to being back to full health, if he wasn't already. Mixon missed the first two-plus weeks of camp with a quadriceps injury, but he returned on Aug. 11 and appears to be fully back up to speed with his new team. In Mixon's absence, Dameon Pierce didn't take advantage of the extra reps and could be in jeopardy of not making the final 53-man roster. Mixon is in another explosive offense under second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud and should see the vast majority of backfield work in Houston. However, the 28-year-old hasn't been as efficient as a ball-carrier in recent seasons with the Bengals and may not be able to make up for it with the high volume of pass-catching work he had in Cincy. Still, he should be used enough by the Texans in 2024 to warrant consideration as an RB2 in fantasy drafts.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (back) returned to training camp practice on Wednesday after leaving Tuesday's practice early to have his lower back checked out. Fantasy managers were holding their collective breath on Tuesday when it was announced that Barkley left the practice field and didn't return. It appears that the 27-year-old avoided a serious injury, although there's a good chance he won't suit up in Thursday's preseason finale against the New England Patriots. Injuries are always a concern with the former second overall pick of the New York Giants in 2018 out of Penn State, but when healthy, Barkley could have even more fantasy upside as a high-end RB1 in 2024 in his first year with the Eagles. Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley would likely form a two-man committee backfield for the Eagles this year if Barkley misses any time along the way.
From RotoBaller