2023 Fantasy Strength of Schedule: Quarterbacks

Desmond Ridder faces the best schedule of any NFL quarterback.

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.

Enjoy this early special content release? Check out the remaining positions by signing up to our 2023 Draft Guide, which goes live June 15!