Defensive Line Pass Rush Strength of Schedule Ratings for IDP Fantasy Football

Which DL and EDGE rushers face the easiest schedule for racking up sacks? Find out here.

I already released my defensive back strength of schedule ratings, which show which DBs face the most favorable schedules for making interceptions. Now I am releasing the defensive line strength of schedule ratings. Which DL will be have the easiest time making sacks?

This list doesn’t show which DL will have the most sacks overall. Talent is important. But given equal talent, which DL has the best opportunity?

My analysis considers the strength of each team’s offensive line, the average number of dropbacks of each quarterback, and each quarterback’s pressure-to-sack rate. That helps project which quarterbacks will be sacked most often over a season. Then looking at which quarterbacks appear on an opposing defensive line’s schedule, you can see which DL face the most favorable schedules.

Not all quarterbacks with poor offensive lines are likely to get sacked often. As an example: the Bills’ line has consistently ranked around the bottom third, so Allen is pressured relatively frequently, but his speed and size make him difficult to bring down, so he is sacked less often than most.

Easiest Quarterbacks to Sack (2023 Projections — full all QB projections available for Premium Subscribers)

According to my projections, Matthew Stafford, Colt McCoy, Sam Howell, Baker Mayfield, Will Levis (who could be playing for the Titans late in the season), Ryan Tannehill, and Russell Wilson should be the easiest quarterbacks to sack in 2023. The Broncos were the most-sacked team of 2023, and the Titans were the sixth-most sacked. (The full ratings for 34 quarterbacks likely to see starts are available to Premium Subscribers. Sign up and upgrade today with the Preseason Special offer below!)

The quarterbacks who are least likely to get sacked are veterans with good pocket presence who play behind good lines. The O-lines of the Chargers, Lions, and Chiefs are ranked No. 10, 3, and 5, respectively. The QB projections include absolute numbers, but what really matters are the relative rankings and how they fall within five star buckets. If my projected No. 1 most-sacked QB ends up being No. 5, that doesn’t change the overall picture.

Now here are the matchup ratings for DL every week of the season.

Teams with Best Pass Rush Matchups

The Houston Texans have the schedule in the whole season (Weeks 1-17) and the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17). They face the rookie Anthony Richardson in Week 2 (and Week 18 — no good for fantasy), who will be playing behind a weak offensive line and could be taken down as he tries to hold onto the football and run. Their matchups against the AFC North bring them two sack-prone quarterbacks (for different reasons) in Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson. (Despite playing behind a top-five offensive line, Watson was sacked an average of 3.33 times per game last season, which would have ranked No. 28 worst.) The Texans’ two matchups against a bottom-two offensive line, the Tennessee Titans, both come during the fantasy playoffs—Weeks 15 and 17.

Rookie DE Will Anderson Jr. could be a league-winner.

Teams with Middle-Tier Pass Rush Matchups

Nick Bosa and the San Francisco 49ers have an okay schedule during the regular season, but it gets good in the playoffs when they face the Cardinals in Week 15 and the Commanders in Week 17. The Cardinals’ offensive line is ranked No. 25 by Pro Football Network, and there is uncertainty about who their quarterback will be then. The Commanders (with the No. 30 O-line per PFN) will likely still have the inexperienced Sam Howell starting at quarterback.

Teams with Poor Pass Rush Matchups

The Worst Pass Rush Matchups

Maxx Crosby is a beast, and he will likely still be able to produce—after all, he sacked Patrick Mahomes 3.0 times last season despite the Chiefs’ quality offensive line (which didn’t get better). Playing the Chargers (whose QB he did not sack) twice also brings down his rating. He sacked Russel Wilson 4.0 times, and the Broncos O-line looked like it was still a wreck in the first game of preseason, but his second game against the Broncos comes in Week 18—while the Chargers and Chiefs come in Weeks 15 and 16.

Below you can see the full QB projections, composite offensive line rankings, and other data, and download all of it in PDF form.