Checking in with a look at Strength of Schedule. You look at the opponents each team is going to play (and has played), measure their strength, and it can change your impression of teams.
Starting with what we’ve seen so far:
The Browns, Falcons, Bucs, Steelers and Cowboys have played the easiest schedules so far. Cleveland being easiest of all. They’ve gone 6-3, but they’ve benefitted from playing Oakland, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Tennessee. The Browns opponents have gone a combined 28-47-1 in their games against other teams.
The Giants, 49ers, Broncos and Rams have played the hardest schedules so far.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (Weeks 1-10) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | T | Pct |
NY Giants | 45 | 28 | 0 | .616 |
San Francisco | 44 | 29 | 0 | .603 |
Denver | 43 | 30 | 0 | .589 |
St. Louis | 43 | 30 | 0 | .589 |
Oakland | 41 | 32 | 0 | .562 |
Carolina | 45 | 37 | 0 | .549 |
NY Jets | 44 | 37 | 0 | .543 |
Arizona | 39 | 34 | 0 | .534 |
Buffalo | 39 | 34 | 0 | .534 |
Jacksonville | 43 | 38 | 1 | .530 |
Kansas City | 38 | 35 | 0 | .521 |
Indianapolis | 38 | 36 | 1 | .513 |
New Orleans | 37 | 36 | 1 | .507 |
Tennessee | 37 | 37 | 1 | .500 |
Chicago | 36 | 37 | 1 | .493 |
Miami | 36 | 37 | 0 | .493 |
Baltimore | 39 | 41 | 3 | .488 |
Cincinnati | 37 | 39 | 0 | .487 |
San Diego | 36 | 38 | 0 | .486 |
Washington | 36 | 38 | 0 | .486 |
New England | 35 | 37 | 1 | .486 |
Minnesota | 34 | 38 | 0 | .472 |
Green Bay | 34 | 39 | 1 | .466 |
Philadelphia | 34 | 39 | 1 | .466 |
Seattle | 34 | 39 | 1 | .466 |
Houston | 34 | 40 | 0 | .459 |
Detroit | 33 | 40 | 1 | .453 |
Dallas | 36 | 45 | 0 | .444 |
Pittsburgh | 37 | 47 | 1 | .441 |
Tampa Bay | 30 | 44 | 1 | .407 |
Atlanta | 28 | 44 | 1 | .390 |
Cleveland | 28 | 47 | 1 | .375 |
Looking instead at what’s coming up, the Panthers, Texans, Saints and Giants project to play the easiest schedules the rest of the way. Carolina’s remaining five games are against teams that have gone only 21-33-0 so far.
The hardest remaining schedule (by far) belongs to the Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Their final seven games are against teams that are currently 42-21-0. (Though note that 8-1 Arizona shows up twice in there, and the Cardinals aren’t necessarily that strong now that they’ve lost Carson Palmer). Other teams with difficult remaining schedules: Raiders, Cardinals and Patriots.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (Weeks 11-17) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | T | Pct |
Carolina | 21 | 33 | 0 | .389 |
Houston | 27 | 38 | 1 | .417 |
New Orleans | 27 | 37 | 2 | .424 |
NY Giants | 28 | 37 | 0 | .431 |
Tennessee | 29 | 37 | 0 | .439 |
Minnesota | 29 | 35 | 1 | .454 |
Baltimore | 25 | 30 | 0 | .455 |
Jacksonville | 25 | 30 | 0 | .455 |
Indianapolis | 30 | 35 | 0 | .462 |
Denver | 29 | 33 | 1 | .468 |
Pittsburgh | 25 | 27 | 2 | .481 |
San Francisco | 31 | 32 | 0 | .492 |
Kansas City | 32 | 32 | 0 | .500 |
Miami | 33 | 33 | 0 | .500 |
Tampa Bay | 31 | 31 | 2 | .500 |
Washington | 32 | 32 | 0 | .500 |
Cleveland | 32 | 31 | 2 | .508 |
Detroit | 32 | 31 | 0 | .508 |
St. Louis | 32 | 31 | 0 | .508 |
Buffalo | 33 | 31 | 0 | .516 |
NY Jets | 28 | 26 | 0 | .519 |
Cincinnati | 34 | 31 | 0 | .523 |
Philadelphia | 34 | 31 | 0 | .523 |
Chicago | 34 | 30 | 0 | .531 |
San Diego | 34 | 30 | 0 | .531 |
Dallas | 29 | 25 | 0 | .537 |
Green Bay | 34 | 29 | 0 | .540 |
Atlanta | 36 | 28 | 2 | .561 |
New England | 36 | 28 | 0 | .563 |
Arizona | 36 | 27 | 0 | .571 |
Oakland | 37 | 26 | 0 | .587 |
Seattle | 42 | 21 | 0 | .667 |
Most fantasy leagues, of course, finish before Week 17. So it also makes sense to toss those numbers. Following that process, the results are similar (but slightly different) than the Weeks 11-17 version.
In the Weeks 11-16 version, the Giants, Panthers and Titans project to have the easiest remaining schedules. The Seahawks, Falcons, Cowboys and Cardinals project to play the hardest schedules.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (Weeks 11-16) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | T | Pct |
NY Giants | 21 | 35 | 0 | .375 |
Carolina | 18 | 27 | 0 | .400 |
Tennessee | 23 | 34 | 0 | .404 |
Baltimore | 19 | 27 | 0 | .413 |
San Francisco | 23 | 31 | 0 | .426 |
Pittsburgh | 20 | 24 | 1 | .456 |
Jacksonville | 21 | 25 | 0 | .457 |
Washington | 25 | 29 | 0 | .463 |
Buffalo | 26 | 29 | 0 | .473 |
Houston | 26 | 29 | 1 | .473 |
Minnesota | 26 | 29 | 1 | .473 |
New Orleans | 26 | 29 | 2 | .474 |
Detroit | 26 | 28 | 0 | .481 |
St. Louis | 26 | 28 | 0 | .481 |
Cleveland | 26 | 27 | 2 | .491 |
Kansas City | 27 | 28 | 0 | .491 |
Green Bay | 27 | 27 | 0 | .500 |
Indianapolis | 28 | 28 | 0 | .500 |
Cincinnati | 28 | 27 | 0 | .509 |
San Diego | 28 | 27 | 0 | .509 |
Tampa Bay | 27 | 26 | 2 | .509 |
NY Jets | 23 | 22 | 0 | .511 |
Chicago | 30 | 25 | 0 | .545 |
Denver | 29 | 24 | 1 | .546 |
Miami | 31 | 25 | 0 | .554 |
Philadelphia | 31 | 25 | 0 | .554 |
Oakland | 30 | 24 | 0 | .556 |
New England | 31 | 24 | 0 | .564 |
Arizona | 31 | 23 | 0 | .574 |
Dallas | 26 | 19 | 0 | .578 |
Atlanta | 33 | 22 | 1 | .598 |
Seattle | 39 | 15 | 0 | .722 |
—Ian Allan