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The Strength of Schedule takes the results from all defensive performances last season and then applies the stats allowed against quarterbacks, running backs and receivers to determine who will have the easier schedule. This is determined by taking the best and worst venues for offenses to face and comparing those statistics allowed against the current NFL schedule for each team. Unlike strength of schedules used during the regular season which only considers the 32 defenses, this look back at last year considers the 64 venues that can happen – facing each defense either home or away.

To remove the effects of the really bad or good odd game, defensive performances last year have their best and worst game removed before determining their average fantasy points allowed for each position.

Three different views are given below – Weeks 1 to 6 show what players will face as they start the season. Weeks 1 through 16 are shown for a full season view and weeks 14 to 16 show the most common weeks for fantasy playoffs. Below that is the NFL schedule marked for each team to show when they have good (green) or bad (red) match-ups. Bye weeks are considered a bad matchup since the player is unavailable for your fantasy team that week. This is important especially considering the Dorey Rule – “draft as if the season only lasted the first six weeks”.

This analysis considers running backs awarded 0.1 points per rushed or received yard and six point touchdowns and one point per reception.

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Best Schedules:

Jets – Same as the non-reception point version, the Jets have the most attractive schedule for running backs no matter the scoring. Mike Goodson may be walking into a golden opportunity but then again nothing in the Jets offense so far have suggested that a stud is going to found at any position..

Dolphins – Daniel Thomas is in line for a bigger workload with Reggie Bush gone and he gets almost half his games against the weaker defenses and just three times goes against one of the worst matchups. Another one worth tracking this summer.

49ers – Same as the non-reception point version and the niners get the same nice schedule strength that the Fins have only with a far better defense. That usually means even more rushing success and Frank Gore gets to try to throw some bigger numbers onto his already franchise record career.

Worst Schedules:

Ravens – Ray Rice comes off a some-what disappointing season and there is no secret about Bernard Pierce’s growing role in the offense that comes at the expense of Rice. Add in facing six bad matchups and only two of the best ones and Rice probably won’t be the draft darling he was last season. Weeks 15 and 16 are both bad and that’s when you want him the most.

Cowboys – Bad enough that DeMarco Murray has all the durability of a fluorescent light tube left out on the playground, but he gets a distinctly worse schedule that he had in 2012 when he broke your heart anyway. He won’t get a good matchup until week ten and by then who knows what injury he’ll be nursing.

Week – By – Week

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