2023 Fantasy Strength of Schedule: Quarterbacks

The Huddle created the fantasy football schedule strength by positions in 1997 and has continuously tweaked and refined it. This provides an early expectation for your fantasy players by applying the averages allowed by defenses last year to current schedules.

The analysis also considers the venue. There is a difference between how defenses respond either home or away, which creates 64 individual “defensive matchups” depending on the game location.

The scoring was a point for every 20 passing yards and four-point touchdowns. Rushing is a point for every 10 yards and six-point scores. The average passing fantasy points allowed by defenses to quarterbacks are at the bottom of this page for reference.

Total Points

For fantasy contests and some leagues, only total points matter. Below are the total points for each passing offense, according to their schedule using the averages allowed in 2022 by those defenses.

Weekly Play

Three different views are below. Week 1 to 17 is the full-season fantasy strength of schedule. “The Dorey Rule” says to draft by considering the first six weeks for a hot start. Finally, Weeks 15 to 17 represent the most common fantasy playoff weeks. “Good” games were when they faced one of the top 22 venues from last year; “Bad” was when they played in one of the worst 22.

Notable schedules

Desmond Ridder (ATL) –  The only “bad” games that the Falcons face are homestands against the Texans and Buccaneers. And the Texans usually lost to the run anyway. The Atlanta offense enters Year 2 under HC Arthur Smith with spotty results last season, but the schedule won’t get in the way of Ridder showing improvement in his second season.

Jimmy Garoppolo (LV) – Almost half of the Raiders games face bottom-22 defensive venues and Garoppolo isn’t going to bother with taking off on a run. The Las Vegas offense looks to get more conservative, but HC Josh McDaniels second season gets a schedule gift when they pass.

Derek Carr (NO) – The Saints open with a tough stretch of three bad matchups in their first six games, but it gets far kinder the rest of the way with six of the seven matchups facing weaker defensive venues from Week 7 through 14. He’ll finish better than he starts and the Saints return all three starters at wideout.

Jared Goff (DET) – Four of the first six games are advantageous matchups that should get the Lions’ offense get on track while they integrate Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Marvin Jones into the system. Jameson Williams misses the opening weeks but adds to the crew when the schedule turns average the rest of the way.

Justin Fields (CHI) – Fields used his legs to produce most fantasy points last year, but the Bears added DJ Moore to Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool, and Fields faces an NFL-best nine games against the lesser defensive venues from last year. That should help even out his fantasy points if he ends up rushing less and passing more often.

Kyler Murray (ARI) – He tore his ACL late last year and his return date isn’t yet certain. Whenever he does show up, it will be to a new offensive scheme and the worst schedule of any NFL quarterback – eight bad matchups and not one good game. Adding the schedule to Murray’s injury situation and all of the Cardinals fantasy players get rightfully dinged.

Brock Purdy/Trey Lance/Sam Darnold (SF) – The 49ers are a great team and a very complex offense. There’s no certainty which quarterback plays when, and no matter who is under center, they go against one of the toughest schedules in the league. It all improves starting in Week 14 with just one more bad matchup, but seven of their first 12 games face tougher matchups than most.

Sam Howell (WAS) -The keys to the offense are given to second-year quarterback Sam Howell, but he starts out with five of his first seven games playing in tough defensive venues. The schedule clears up starting in Week 8 but a slow start is always a problem in fantasy football.

2023 weekly schedule strength by team

Wk	ARI	ATL	BAL	BUF	CAR	CHI	CIN	CLE
1	@WAS	CAR	HOU	@NYJ	@ATL	GB	@CLE	CIN
2	NYG	GB	@CIN	LV	NO	@TB	BAL	@PIT
3	DAL	@DET	IND	@WAS	@SEA	@KC	LAR	TEN
4	@SF	@JAC	@CLE	MIA	MIN	DEN	@TEN	BAL
5	CIN	HOU	@PIT	JAC	@DET	@WAS	@ARI	BYE
6	@LAR	WAS	@TEN	NYG	@MIA	MIN	SEA	SF
7	@SEA	@TB	DET	@NE	BYE	LV	BYE	@IND
8	BAL	@TEN	@ARI	TB	HOU	@LAC	@SF	@SEA
9	@CLE	MIN	SEA	@CIN	IND	@NO	BUF	ARI
10	ATL	@ARI	CLE	DEN	@CHI	CAR	HOU	@BAL
11	@HOU	BYE	CIN	NYJ	DAL	@DET	@BAL	PIT
12	LAR	NO	@LAC	@PHI	@TEN	@MIN	PIT	@DEN
13	@PIT	@NYJ	BYE	BYE	@TB	BYE	@JAC	@LAR
14	BYE	TB	LAR	@KC	@NO	DET	IND	JAC
15	SF	@CAR	@JAC	DAL	ATL	@CLE	MIN	CHI
16	@CHI	IND	@SF	@LAC	GB	ARI	@PIT	@HOU
17	@PHI	@CHI	MIA	NE	@JAC	ATL	@KC	NYJ
18	SEA	@NO	PIT	@MIA	TB	@GB	CLE	@CIN
Wk	DAL	DEN	DET	GB	HOU	IND	JAC	KC
1	@NYG	LV	@KC	@CHI	@BAL	JAC	@IND	DET
2	NYJ	WAS	SEA	@ATL	IND	@HOU	KC	@JAC
3	@ARI	@MIA	ATL	NO	@JAC	@BAL	HOU	CHI
4	NE	@CHI	@GB	DET	PIT	LAR	ATL	@NYJ
5	@SF	NYJ	CAR	@LV	@ATL	TEN	@BUF	@MIN
6	@LAC	@KC	@TB	BYE	NO	@JAC	IND	DEN
7	BYE	GB	@BAL	@DEN	BYE	CLE	@NO	LAC
8	LAR	KC	LV	MIN	@CAR	NO	@PIT	@DEN
9	@PHI	BYE	BYE	LAR	TB	@CAR	BYE	MIA
10	NYG	@BUF	@LAC	@PIT	@CIN	@NE	SF	BYE
11	@CAR	MIN	CHI	LAC	ARI	BYE	TEN	PHI
12	WAS	CLE	GB	@DET	JAC	TB	@HOU	@LV
13	SEA	@HOU	@NO	KC	DEN	@TEN	CIN	@GB
14	PHI	@LAC	@CHI	@NYG	@NYJ	@CIN	@CLE	BUF
15	@BUF	@DET	DEN	TB	@TEN	PIT	BAL	@NE
16	@MIA	NE	@MIN	@CAR	CLE	@ATL	@TB	LV
17	DET	LAC	@DAL	@MIN	TEN	LV	CAR	CIN
18	@WAS	@LV	MIN	CHI	@IND	HOU	@TEN	@LAC
Wk	LAC	LAR	LV	MIA	MIN	NE	NO	NYG
1	MIA	@SEA	@DEN	@LAC	TB	PHI	TEN	DAL
2	@TEN	SF	@BUF	@NE	@PHI	MIA	@CAR	@ARI
3	@MIN	@CIN	PIT	DEN	LAC	@NYJ	@GB	@SF
4	LV	@IND	@LAC	@BUF	@CAR	@DAL	TB	SEA
5	BYE	PHI	GB	NYG	KC	NO	@NE	@MIA
6	DAL	ARI	NE	CAR	@CHI	@LV	@HOU	@BUF
7	@KC	PIT	@CHI	@PHI	SF	BUF	JAC	WAS
8	CHI	@DAL	@DET	NE	@GB	@MIA	@IND	NYJ
9	@NYJ	@GB	NYG	@KC	@ATL	WAS	CHI	@LV
10	DET	BYE	NYJ	BYE	NO	IND	@MIN	@DAL
11	@GB	SEA	@MIA	LV	@DEN	BYE	BYE	@WAS
12	BAL	@ARI	KC	@NYJ	CHI	@NYG	@ATL	NE
13	@NE	CLE	BYE	@WAS	BYE	LAC	DET	BYE
14	DEN	@BAL	MIN	TEN	@LV	@PIT	CAR	GB
15	@LV	WAS	LAC	NYJ	@CIN	KC	NYG	@NO
16	BUF	NO	@KC	DAL	DET	@DEN	@LAR	@PHI
17	@DEN	@NYG	@IND	@BAL	GB	@BUF	@TB	LAR
18	KC	@SF	DEN	BUF	@DET	NYJ	ATL	PHI
Wk	NYJ	PHI	PIT	SEA	SF	TB	TEN	WAS
1	BUF	@NE	SF	LAR	@PIT	@MIN	@NO	ARI
2	@DAL	MIN	CLE	@DET	@LAR	CHI	LAC	@DEN
3	NE	@TB	@LV	CAR	NYG	PHI	@CLE	BUF
4	KC	WAS	@HOU	@NYG	ARI	@NO	CIN	@PHI
5	@DEN	@LAR	BAL	BYE	DAL	BYE	@IND	CHI
6	PHI	@NYJ	BYE	@CIN	@CLE	DET	BAL	@ATL
7	BYE	MIA	@LAR	ARI	@MIN	ATL	BYE	@NYG
8	@NYG	@WAS	JAC	CLE	CIN	@BUF	ATL	PHI
9	LAC	DAL	TEN	@BAL	BYE	@HOU	@PIT	@NE
10	@LV	BYE	GB	WAS	@JAC	TEN	@TB	@SEA
11	@BUF	@KC	@CLE	@LAR	TB	@SF	@JAC	NYG
12	MIA	BUF	@CIN	SF	@SEA	@IND	CAR	@DAL
13	ATL	SF	ARI	@DAL	@PHI	CAR	IND	MIA
14	HOU	@DAL	NE	@SF	SEA	@ATL	@MIA	BYE
15	@MIA	@SEA	@IND	PHI	@ARI	@GB	HOU	@LAR
16	WAS	NYG	CIN	@TEN	BAL	JAC	SEA	@NYJ
17	@CLE	ARI	@SEA	PIT	@WAS	NO	@HOU	SF
18	@NE	@NYG	@BAL	@ARI	LAR	@CAR	JAC	DAL

Fantasy points per venue allowed to quarterbacks

These are the values applied to this year’s schedule to determine strength of schedule for quarterbacks.