2022 Fantasy Strength of Schedule: Running Backs

Schedule strength for running backs considers both rushing and receiving yards as today’s players rarely rely on just running production anymore. The analysis also considers the venue. There is a difference between how defenses respond either home or away, which creates 64 “different defensive matchups” depending on where the game is played.

See also:
2022 fantasy football schedule strength – Quarterbacks
2022 fantasy football schedule strength – Running Backs
2022 fantasy football schedule strength – Receivers

The scoring was a point for every ten yards rushing or receiving, six-point touchdowns, and a point per reception. The average fantasy points allowed to running backs are at the bottom of this page for reference.

Total Points

Below are the total points for each backfield according to their schedule, using the averages allowed in 2021 by those defenses.

BUF	DET	CHI	SEA	MIA	NE	BAL	CAR	LAC	WAS	IND
422	412	412	411	411	410	410	409	407	406	406
KC	DEN	NYJ	SF	DAL	NO	JAC	CLE	TEN	ARI
405	403	402	401	401	400	398	397	396	395
CIN	PHI	LAR	GB	MIN	PIT	ATL	NYG	HOU	TB	LV
394	393	393	393	392	392	389	388	385	381	381

The differences do not appear dramatic. And the Bills and Lions are primarily passing teams with committee backfields. David Montgomery is nicely situated but will be in a new offense.  The Seahawks, Dolphins, Patriots, and Ravens are the next best, but all also rely on a combination of several running backs.

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 against a Top-22 venue from last year; “Bad” was when they played in one of the Bottom-22. Bye weeks were also considered as “bad”.

Notable schedules

Antonio Gibson / J.D. McKissic (WAS) – The Commanders’ schedule is very advantageous for their running backs. As it works out, they battle three bad matchups by Week 6 but then the only remaining negative is a Week 14 bye. Better yet, six of their final nine weeks contain weaker defenses and Weeks 15 and 17 are at home versus the Giants and Browns. The workload looks to be more distributed this year, and there is the specter of Brian Robinson Jr. cutting into the workload. By midseason, the schedule looks profitable for the backfield.

Ravens Backfield (BAL) – One of the murkier backfields gets a lighter slate of games. Both J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards return from injury, Mike Davis was added and Tyler Baddie was drafted. The best part of this schedule is Weeks 1 to 8 which contain five soft matchups and no bad ones. The second half of the season is much less favorable, but at least they end up with home games against the Falcons and Steelers during fantasy playoffs.

D’Andre Swift / Jamaal Williams (DET) –  The Lions face one of the better schedules for running backs with a nice opening to the season with three of five matchups favorable and ending with only one tough venue in the final seven games of the fantasy season. D’Andre Swift already enters 2022 with promise, and his schedule will work with him if he can stay healthy.

Rashaad Penny / Kenneth Walker (SEA) – The respective roles are up for grabs in the Seattle backfield, but an intention to run more and a kind schedule should help. After Week 6, the only negatives are the bye and Week 14 versus the 49ers. Overall, this could let the rookie Kenneth Walker shine if Rashaad Penny continues to have injury issues. Fantasy championships at home versus the Jets sound like a winner.

Devin Singletary / James Cook (BUF) – Another backfield with less clarity after the Bills made James Cook as the third running back taken in the NFL draft. Devin Singletary likely remains the primary back but faces a tough opening with three bad matchups over the initial four games. It clears up the rest of the way with only a bye and Week 16 at the Bears, but otherwise, they enjoy seven favorable matchups between Weeks 5 to 14.

Dalvin Cook (MIN) – The Vikings’ stud running back has already fallen in fantasy drafts this year and that’s likely compounded with a glance at his schedule.  Cook battles a brutal stretch between Weeks 4 and 12, with every matchup in a tough venue other than hosting the Bears in Week 5 as a neutral pairing. It lightens over the final five games but still plays the Colts and at the Packers during fantasy playoffs.

Najee Harris (PIT) – The top rookie rusher last year, Najee Harris was a fantasy goldmine but he’ll have a tougher time repeating with a new quarterback and a schedule that contains just three favorable venues against eight top defenses plus a bye week. Even his fantasy playoffs holds road trips to the Panthers and Ravens.

Josh Jacobs / Kenyan Drake (LV) – There’s a chance that even the rookie Zamir White could also limit what Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake accomplish this year. Jacobs star isn’t as bright, and Drake returns from a broken ankle. Worse yet, after opening at the Chargers, the Raiders don’t have a favorable matchup until Week 12. And when you need them the most, this backfield faces the 49ers, Patriots and Steelers during fantasy playoffs.

2022 weekly grid

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

 

Fantasy points allowed per game to running backs

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

NYJ	36.1	@SF	24.7	@BUF	21.5
DET	31.1	@PHI	24.7	@DEN	21.5
@SEA	30.8	@ATL	24.6	TB	21.3
SEA	30.7	@KC	24.6	NE	21.2
PIT	29.7	HOU	24.6	@NO	20.9
@NYJ	29.6	MIA	24.5	@CHI	20.8
@NYG	27.1	@CIN	24.3	@CLE	20.6
@LVR	26.9	@MIN	24.2	@PIT	20.6
LVR	26.4	@TB	24.1	TEN	20.5
CIN	26.1	KC	23.6	DAL	20.5
@LAC	26.0	@IND	23.5	@DAL	20.3
@NE	25.9	GB	23.4	@CAR	20.3
WAS	25.8	PHI	23.3	@BAL	20.2
@HOU	25.6	CHI	23.0	@MIA	20.2
CLE	25.5	@ARI	22.9	@GB	20.1
ATL	25.3	BAL	22.5	@WAS	20.1
NYG	25.2	DEN	22.2	ARI	19.6
@LAR	25.2	@JAC	22.2	SF	19.3
LAC	25.1	CAR	21.9	LAR	18.9
MIN	25.0	BUF	21.9	IND	18.0
JAC	24.9			@TEN	17.4
@DET	24.9			NO	16.8