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QB Strength of Schedule

Thu May 23 11:12am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Prescott setup for big success


Using our rules for our money leagues, we came up with a schedule strength ranking for the quarterback 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 quarterbacks last season from all of their opponents to get our fantasy points allowed number. This is a good indication of the quarterbacks with the most favorable schedules for fantasy scoring for the coming season. Defenses obviously change from year to year, but knowing the quarterbacks that might have the easiest schedule for fantasy is always a good idea when formulating your rankings and draft strategy.

  QB SOS  
1. Miami Dolphins 313.6
2. Cincinnati Bengals 314.77
3. Los Angeles Chargers 317.32
4. Denver Broncos 317.38
5. Pittsburgh Steelers 320.33
6. Houston Texans 320.74
7. Buffalo Bills 321.01
8. Philadelphia Eagles 323.71
9. Kansas City Chiefs 325.08
10. Washington Commanders 325.12
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 326.4
12. Jacksonville Jaguars 328.45
13. New York Jets 329.06
14. New England Patriots 329.64
15. Cleveland Browns 330.31
16. Los Angeles Rams 330.72
17. Arizona Cardinals 331.54
18. Indianapolis Colts 331.69
19. Seattle Seahawks 332
20. Atlanta Falcons 332.73
21. Baltimore Ravens 333.05
22. San Francisco 49ers 333.05
23. Detroit Lions 334.13
24. Las Vegas Raiders 334.38
25. New York Giants 334.72
26. New Orleans Saints 336.27
27. Minnesota Vikings 337.2
28. Dallas Cowboys 339.64
29. Chicago Bears 340.70
30. Tennessee Titans 343.69
31. Carolina Panthers 345.54
32. Green Bay Packers 349.53


The Packers have the easiest fantasy schedule for quarterbacks. Jordan Love already had a breakout season last year and could take his game to an even higher level this season. Love is shaping up to be a really intriguing QB1 this season. He is a player on the rise and seems setup for even more success this year.

A couple second-year quarterbacks have really favorable schedules, Will Levis and Bryce Young. Both seem like good No. 2 fantasy quarterbacks to take a chance. Their teams did well in upgrading the talent around them this offseason and a favorable schedule bodes well for them to take some steps forward this year.

Caleb Williams was the No.1 overall pick and the Bears gave him plenty of firepower to work with in year one. Williams has a lot of good going for him this year and could be the C.J. Stroud of this year’s rookie class. And having a favorable fantasy schedule helps Williams even more.

A couple veterans with favorable schedules are Dak Prescott and Derek Carr. Prescott is the one that stands out the most. The Cowboys are lacking top options at the running back spot, so it would not surprise if the Cowboys are really pass-heavy offensively. Prescott could really rack up the numbers this year.

There are some big-name quarterbacks on the opposite side of things, having very tough fantasy schedules. Tua Tagovalioa has the toughest schedule of all. He struggled a little down the stretch last year and now has the most unfavorable schedule for any fantasy quarterback. This is a little concerning.

Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and whoever is starting in Pittsburgh, likely Russell Wilson, are other veteran quarterbacks that have a top-five unfavorable schedule for fantasy quarterbacks. Burrow is not a huge concern for us because we think they will still have success throwing the ball and he has a ton of talent around him at receiver. Herbert is a concern. The Chargers lost their top two receivers and could be a lot more run-heavy with a new coach in place. Herbert has some red flags for him this coming year, making him a bit of a risky pick for fantasy teams. Wilson is another veteran with a tough schedule. He also has Justin Fields pushing him to play, so Wilson is going to be a boom or bust fantasy pick.

We also wanted to look at playoff schedules for fantasy quarterbacks. 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 quarterbacks with the easiest playoff schedules doesn’t hurt by any means, especially in the big money contests.

  QB PLAYOFF SOS  
1. Jacksonville Jaguars 292.02
2. Houston Texans 299.33
3. New York Giants 301.93
4. Miami Dolphins 307.48
5. Los Angeles Rams 308.45
6. Detroit Lions 312.4
7. Arizona Cardinals 313.15
8. Kansas City Chiefs 313.45
9. Buffalo Bills 313.6
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 317.53
11. Cincinnati Bengals 318.03
12. Baltimore Ravens 318.25
13. Green Bay Packers 322.48
14. Indianapolis Colts 322.83
15. Pittsburgh Steelers 328.78
16. Philadelphia Eagles 331.23
17. Cleveland Browns 331.95
18. Minnesota Vikings 334.68
19. Atlanta Falcons 336.18
20. Carolina Panthers 338.62
21. Seattle Seahawks 338.65
22. Las Vegas Raiders 341.18
23. Los Angeles Chargers 341.22
24. New York Jets 344.3
25. New Orleans Saints 346.68
26. Chicago Bears 347.07
27. Tennessee Titans 348.42
28. New England Patriots 355.23
29. Denver Broncos 355.35
30. Dallas Cowboys 359.62
31. Washington Commanders 359.92
32. San Francisco 49ers 363.47


There is just a team that makes both the top-five favorable quarterback schedule for the regular season and playoffs. That team is the Cowboys. So Dak Prescott has the third easiest playoff schedule in addition to having the fifth easiest regular season schedule. Prescott was a player looking pretty good even before seeing these schedules, so you might want to bump him up a few spots in your rankings after seeing this. Prescott could be a league winner in 2024.

The 49ers actually have the easiest fantasy quarterback schedule for the playoffs. So Brock Purdy could have a great run during the fantasy playoffs. He always has a high weekly ceiling, so things are looking great for him this postseason.

Now some rookie quarterbacks round out the team of having top-five fantasy quarterback playoff schedules. Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Drake Maye are all likely starting for their teams later in the season, so they should help fantasy teams during the playoffs. They all have some question marks surrounding them but could be worth the gamble, especially if you have a dependable starter already on your roster. These rookies could make some noise late in the season.

On the opposite side of things, the Dolphins are the only team to have both a top-five unfavorable fantasy quarterback schedule for the regular season and playoffs. We already had a few concerns for Tagovalioa even before these schedules were released. And now seeing he has very challenging schedules for both the regular season and playoffs make him a player you might want to avoid come draft day.

Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars have the toughest schedule for the playoffs. Lawrence has not lived up to expectations to date. He could have his best season to date this year, but his schedule during the playoffs is concerning. Lawrence could struggle when it matters most.

C.J. Stroud is the biggest name of any quarterback with a top-five unfavorable playoff schedule. We aren’t too concerned about this because some players can rise above the challenge. Stroud is one of those players. Things will be tougher for him in year two, but he will also progress and get better. Plus, he has Stefon Diggs added to the mix, which should improve that passing game even more.

Daniel Jones is another quarterback with a challenging playoff schedule. He is another fringe draft pick to begin with, so seeing him possibly have struggles down the stretch causes more trepidation when it comes to possibly drafting him. He might be another player to just steer clear of come draft day.

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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Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 3

Player Notes
Malik Nabers Sep 22 9:00pm CT
Malik Nabers

The Cleveland Browns defense picked up two sacks and forced two turnovers in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. The Browns played reasonably well on defense but had no answer for rookie Malik Nabers, who caught two touchdowns in the contest. To make matters worse, Myles Garrett appeared to have aggravated a foot injury that has been dogging him over the first month of the season. The Browns draw a plus matchup on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4.

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Diontae Johnson Sep 22 9:00pm CT
Diontae Johnson

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson caught eight passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in their Week 3 36-22 defeat of the Las Vegas Raiders. Johnson was the biggest beneficiary of the team's switch to Andy Dalton, leading the Panthers in every significant receiving category in the win. He garnered an absurd 14 targets -- nine more than any other Carolina skill player. The long-time Steeler slipped by the Raiders' defense all game, consistently picking up chunks of yardage as they seemingly had no answer for him. Las Vegas had not allowed a third-down conversion of ten or more yards through two weeks until Johnson bucked that trend in the second quarter. He came screaming out of his break on a deep-in route, and Dalton hit him with a strike in the zone's soft spot, converting a 3rd-and-14. The former third-round pick has his arrow pointing up with the Red Rifle under center, and he'll look to keep the good times rolling when Carolina hosts the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4.

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Jordan Akins Sep 22 8:50pm CT
Jordan Akins

Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Akins had a productive game in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Akins caught four of his seven targets for 29 yards in the loss, tying for second on the team in targets and catches and third in receiving yardage. The veteran tight end has now drawn two starts in place of the injured David Njoku (ankle) and could remain in a starting role for another week or so if Njoku is not ready to play in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Andy Dalton Sep 22 8:50pm CT
Andy Dalton

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton completed 26 of 37 passes for 319 yards and tossed three touchdowns in the team's 36-22 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Dalton had the Panthers' offense humming on Sunday, putting together TD drives of 70, 75, 68, and 69 yards. It was an impressive performance from the 36-year-old veteran in his first start since Week 3 of 2023. The Red Rifle was sharp in this one, completing a pass to seven Panthers and ripping impressive throws all over the yard. Carolina had scored just one touchdown in its last four regular season outings dating back to last season, and the team's 36 points were their most since Christmas Eve of 2022 when they scored 37. Carolina's decision to bench second-year starter Bryce Young was a good one, as they recorded their first win in the last six contests. They'll look to get in the left column again when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals at home in Week 4.

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Derrick Henry Sep 22 8:50pm CT
Derrick Henry

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry posted his best performance of the season in the team's 28-25 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. This was truly an "age is nothing but a number" type of performance as King Henry posted 151 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries with one reception for 23 yards. His totals and efficiency have grown in every game as his yards per carry have gone from 3.5 to 4.7, and most recently 6.0. Vintage stiff arms and huge accelerations through the holes of the line were on full display. When the Ravens' game plan looks like this, the sky is the limit for Henry. Especially in a game where Lamar Jackson finds his own running room so defenses have to worry about both of them at the same time. Henry continues to live in RB1 territory and should be considered so until proven otherwise.

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Dustin Hopkins Sep 22 8:50pm CT
Dustin Hopkins

Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins missed his lone field-goal try while adding an extra point in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Hopkins misfired on a 53-yard attempt in the third quarter, his first miss from 50+ yards since joining the Browns before the 2023 season. Overall, Hopkins has made four of his five field goals and all four of his extra points through three games this season. He will kick against the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in Week 4.

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Amari Cooper Sep 22 8:40pm CT
Amari Cooper

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper caught seven of his 12 targets for 86 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Cooper bounced back after a slow start to the season, hauling in a 24-yard touchdown pass on Cleveland's first play of the game. He later came back and caught a six-yard score in the fourth quarter to pull the Browns within eight points of tying the game. Cooper now has 12 catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns through three weeks. He will look to keep it going in Week 4's road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Jerry Jeudy Sep 22 8:40pm CT
Jerry Jeudy

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy caught four of his seven targets for 27 yards and added a two-point conversion reception in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Jeudy was quiet from a yardage standpoint, although his seven targets tied for second on the team. The veteran wideout gave the Browns hope when he caught a two-point conversion from Deshaun Watson in the fourth quarter to pull Cleveland to within six points of the Giants, but those would be the last points they would muster. Jeudy will take 12 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown into Cleveland's Week 4 road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Elijah Moore Sep 22 8:40pm CT
Elijah Moore

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore caught two of his three targets for 17 yards in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. After drawing 14 targets through the first two games of the season, Moore was an afterthought in the passing attack in Week 3. Moore now has caught 11 passes for 70 scoreless yards through three games. He will look to bounce back in a Week 4 road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Deshaun Watson Sep 22 8:30pm CT
Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson struggled in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Watson completed 21 of his 37 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns while adding four carries for 26 yards in the loss. The Browns got off to a fast start, recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff with Watson throwing a 24-yard touchdown to Amari Cooper on the ensuing play. Things went downhill from there with Watson taking eight sacks in the loss. Watson has now thrown three touchdowns to two interceptions through three games. He will look to regroup ahead of a road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4.

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Dre Greenlaw Sep 22 8:30pm CT
Dre Greenlaw

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (ankle) was forced from the team's Week 3 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Winters was making his first start of the season after being nagged by an ankle injury that forced him to miss the 49ers' first two matchups of the season. However, he seems to have reaggravated the injury against LA. It's yet another blow for San Francisco -- already without Dre Greenlaw (Achilles). Additionally, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel Sr. missed Week 3. The team has now dropped two straight after a devastating loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2. Fantasy managers can expect an update on Winters over the coming days, but a reaggravation of the ankle injury that plagued him throughout the preseason would not bode well for his Week 4 status. San Francisco will host the visiting New England Patriots next Sunday

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Jerome Ford Sep 22 8:30pm CT
Jerome Ford

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford carried the ball 10 times for 37 yards and caught three of his four targets for 33 yards in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Ford wound up leading the Browns in carries and rushing yards while finishing second on the team in receiving in the close loss. Meanwhile, teammate D'Onta Foreman only saw two carries for five yards in the contest. The Cleveland backfield has been tough to predict through three weeks with Ford leading the way in Weeks 1 and 3 while D'Onta Foreman took the majority of the workload in Week 2. Ford will remain involved, especially in the passing game, heading into a road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4.

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D'Onta Foreman Sep 22 8:30pm CT
D'Onta Foreman

Cleveland Browns running back D'Onta Foreman carried the ball twice for five yards in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Foreman was surprisingly quiet just one week after leading the team with 14 carries in a Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. It appears that the weekly workload split between Foreman and Jerome Ford is going to be difficult to predict, leaving both as middling flex options heading into a Week 4 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Jalen Nailor Sep 22 8:10pm CT
Jalen Nailor

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor caught three of his four targets for 31 yards and a touchdown in Week 3's blowout of the Houston Texans. The third-year receiver spent the last two-and-a-half games as the Vikings de facto WR2 with Jordan Addison (ankle) recovering from an ankle injury, and he's been paying dividends for the team. Nailor is one of only three receivers in the league to score a touchdown in each game so far this year, and he's a reliable hand when Justin Jefferson's gravity schemes him open. The former sixth-round pick hopes to continue the momentum in Week 4, as he may be needed depending on Addison's status for Week 4's matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

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Jordan Love Sep 22 8:10pm CT
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Minnesota Vikings' D/ST logged another unexpected and incredible game against the Houston Texans in Week 3. The swarming defense, called by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, hassled quarterback C.J. Stroud early and often, as Minnesota had two interceptions and five sacks while allowing only seven points. The Vikings became the first team in 23 years to accumulate at least five sacks on defense in each of the first three games of the season, and are shaping up to continue in Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers. Given the fact that the Packers will either be starting limited quarterback Malik Willis or hobbled quarterback Jordan Love (knee), the chaotic Minnesota defense is a solid start next week and may honestly be a plug-and-play until proven otherwise.

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Will Reichard Sep 22 8:10pm CT
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Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard made all six of his kicking opportunities in Sunday's 34-7 win over the Houston Texans. The rookie nailed all four extra point attempts and made both field goals, the first from 35 yards out and the second a booming 58-yarder. Reichard has not missed a field goal or extra point attempt this season, making all fifteen of his opportunities thus far. The NCAA's all-time leading scorer has been hampered by the efficient Vikings offense, scoring touchdowns twice as often as Reichard had field goal opportunities, and it's possible the efficiency dips sooner rather than later. If given more opportunities to kick field goals rather than PATs, Reichard may be a valuable fantasy streaming kicker against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4.

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Skylar Thompson Sep 22 8:10pm CT
Skylar Thompson

Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson (rib) has been diagnosed with a rib injury he picked up in the team's 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. It's unclear when exactly he sustained the injury, but a hit by Dre'Mont Jones early in the third quarter is what eventually took him out of the game. Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that the injury is "pretty painful" and that Thompson lobbied to stay in the game. However, the pain was ultimately too much. Tests will undoubtedly be done on the 27-year-old over the coming few days. Fortunately for Miami, their Week 4 matchup against the Tennessee Titans is on Monday night, so the veteran QB will be afforded a few extra days of rest. If Thompson is too hurt to play, Tim Boyle will again slot in as the Fins' starter. Additionally, seeing the team inquire about veteran help at the position wouldn't be surprising.

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Justin Jefferson Sep 22 8:00pm CT
Justin Jefferson

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (finger) put up predictably great numbers in Week 3's game against the Houston Texans. The 25-year-old receiver saw eight targets and caught six passes for 81 yards and a relatively easy first-quarter touchdown. He became one of only three receivers to score a touchdown in each of the first three games to start the year, joining teammate Jalen Nailor and Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin. The 25-year-old jammed his finger on a catch during the first half of Sunday's win. X-rays returned negative on Jefferson's finger, and he appears to have avoided a severe injury. As expected, the game went through the talented Jefferson early, though he was used primarily as a decoy in the second half. The fifth-year wide receiver is a favorite of quarterback Sam Darnold's and will be a clear and confident fantasy start next week against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4.

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Aaron Jones Sep 22 7:50pm CT
Aaron Jones

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones filled the rushing and receiving box score against the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon. The former Green Bay Packer rusher compiled 19 rushing attempts for 102 yards on the ground, with five receptions for 46 yards and a receiving touchdown. One week after splitting touches nearly evenly with fellow rusher Ty Chandler, Jones was trusted with almost four times as many opportunities as the Vikings relied on their new running back. The soon-to-be 30-year-old rusher gets his first crack against his old team as the Vikings will travel to play a suspect Packers rush defense in Week 4.

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Sam Darnold Sep 22 7:40pm CT
Sam Darnold

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold lit up the Houston Texans defense in Week 3, putting together another impressive game. The 27-year-old veteran completed 17 of his 28 pass attempts for 181 yards and four touchdowns, finding wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jalen Nailor, running back Aaron Jones, and tight end Johnny Mundt for scores. Darnold has been a pleasant find for fantasy managers who prefer streaming quarterbacks, as the former first-round pick has been a QB1 through three weeks. In an intriguing matchup, the Vikings will travel to play the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. Darnold may be a viable streaming candidate moving forward until proven otherwise.

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