There was a request last week for Strength of Schedule info. A couple of readers said they wanted to see position-specific scheduling data. (They may have just wanted to get another peek at the flexing biceps graphic.)
Anywho, I’ve run the numbers, and they are as follows …
For rushing, the Jets, Patriots and Titans project to play the easiest schedules, while the Browns, 49ers and Bucs project to play the hardest. That’s using standard fantasy scoring (6 points for touchdowns and 1 for every 10 yards).
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (Rushing) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | Yards | TD | Points |
NY Jets | 116 | .92 | 17.1 |
New England | 114 | .93 | 17.0 |
Tennessee | 113 | .93 | 16.9 |
Carolina | 113 | .89 | 16.7 |
LA Chargers | 115 | .86 | 16.7 |
Indianapolis | 110 | .94 | 16.6 |
LA Rams | 108 | .95 | 16.5 |
Baltimore | 113 | .85 | 16.5 |
Dallas | 109 | .92 | 16.4 |
NY Giants | 110 | .90 | 16.4 |
Kansas City | 109 | .91 | 16.4 |
Arizona | 110 | .89 | 16.4 |
Philadelphia | 108 | .93 | 16.3 |
Seattle | 109 | .91 | 16.3 |
Cincinnati | 111 | .86 | 16.2 |
Denver | 110 | .85 | 16.1 |
Houston | 109 | .85 | 16.0 |
Jacksonville | 107 | .88 | 16.0 |
Minnesota | 108 | .86 | 16.0 |
Buffalo | 111 | .80 | 15.9 |
New Orleans | 109 | .82 | 15.8 |
Miami | 106 | .86 | 15.8 |
Chicago | 109 | .80 | 15.7 |
Oakland | 108 | .81 | 15.7 |
Detroit | 106 | .85 | 15.7 |
Washington | 105 | .85 | 15.6 |
Green Bay | 107 | .82 | 15.6 |
Atlanta | 105 | .82 | 15.5 |
Pittsburgh | 109 | .76 | 15.5 |
Tampa Bay | 104 | .83 | 15.4 |
San Francisco | 100 | .85 | 15.1 |
Cleveland | 103 | .79 | 15.0 |
For passing, the Vikings, Bears and Saints project to play the easiest schedules, while the Colts, Raiders and Kansas City project to play the hardest.
Note that four of the six easiest schedules (for passing) belong to the four teams in the NFC South. This is probably influenced by all of those teams having good quarterbacks and playing each other twice per year. Any team that played four games last year against the Saints and Falcons would appear to have a somewhat soft pass defense.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (Passing) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | Yards | TD | Points |
Minnesota | 264 | 1.73 | 36.8 |
Chicago | 262 | 1.73 | 36.6 |
New Orleans | 262 | 1.67 | 36.2 |
Carolina | 262 | 1.67 | 36.2 |
Tampa Bay | 264 | 1.62 | 36.1 |
Atlanta | 263 | 1.59 | 35.8 |
Buffalo | 260 | 1.58 | 35.5 |
Detroit | 259 | 1.57 | 35.3 |
Green Bay | 256 | 1.60 | 35.2 |
Baltimore | 255 | 1.62 | 35.2 |
Seattle | 256 | 1.59 | 35.2 |
Pittsburgh | 252 | 1.63 | 35.0 |
Denver | 261 | 1.48 | 34.9 |
Miami | 258 | 1.51 | 34.9 |
Jacksonville | 254 | 1.56 | 34.7 |
Houston | 255 | 1.54 | 34.7 |
NY Jets | 256 | 1.52 | 34.7 |
New England | 255 | 1.53 | 34.7 |
Arizona | 254 | 1.53 | 34.6 |
NY Giants | 255 | 1.50 | 34.5 |
Cleveland | 253 | 1.53 | 34.5 |
Dallas | 257 | 1.45 | 34.4 |
Cincinnati | 249 | 1.57 | 34.3 |
Philadelphia | 257 | 1.39 | 34.0 |
Tennessee | 246 | 1.55 | 33.9 |
Washington | 254 | 1.41 | 33.9 |
San Francisco | 252 | 1.43 | 33.8 |
LA Rams | 252 | 1.41 | 33.7 |
LA Chargers | 250 | 1.44 | 33.7 |
Oakland | 253 | 1.38 | 33.6 |
Kansas City | 250 | 1.36 | 33.2 |
Indianapolis | 243 | 1.43 | 32.9 |
And as a free bonus, I’m throwing in touchdowns. Four teams will play schedules against defenses that (on average) allowed more than 40 touchdowns last year: Vikings, Panthers, Bears and Seahawks. Things change from year to year, of course, but those offenses might be helped along by playing lesser defenses.
Five teams play schedules against defense that (on average) allowed fewer than 37 touchdowns last year: Oakland, Washington, Kansas City, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Chargers.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (Touchdowns) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | Pass | Run | Total |
Minnesota | 27.7 | 13.8 | 41.4 |
Carolina | 26.8 | 14.3 | 41.1 |
Chicago | 27.8 | 12.9 | 40.6 |
Seattle | 25.5 | 14.5 | 40.0 |
New Orleans | 26.7 | 13.1 | 39.8 |
Tennessee | 24.8 | 14.9 | 39.6 |
Baltimore | 25.9 | 13.6 | 39.5 |
New England | 24.4 | 14.9 | 39.4 |
Tampa Bay | 25.9 | 13.3 | 39.2 |
Jacksonville | 25.0 | 14.1 | 39.1 |
NY Jets | 24.3 | 14.8 | 39.1 |
Arizona | 24.5 | 14.3 | 38.8 |
Cincinnati | 25.1 | 13.8 | 38.8 |
Detroit | 25.2 | 13.6 | 38.8 |
Green Bay | 25.6 | 13.1 | 38.8 |
Atlanta | 25.4 | 13.2 | 38.6 |
NY Giants | 24.0 | 14.4 | 38.4 |
Houston | 24.6 | 13.6 | 38.2 |
Pittsburgh | 26.1 | 12.1 | 38.2 |
Buffalo | 25.3 | 12.8 | 38.1 |
Indianapolis | 22.9 | 15.0 | 37.9 |
Dallas | 23.1 | 14.8 | 37.9 |
Miami | 24.1 | 13.7 | 37.8 |
LA Rams | 22.6 | 15.1 | 37.8 |
Denver | 23.6 | 13.6 | 37.3 |
Cleveland | 24.5 | 12.7 | 37.2 |
Philadelphia | 22.3 | 14.8 | 37.1 |
LA Chargers | 23.1 | 13.7 | 36.8 |
San Francisco | 22.9 | 13.6 | 36.4 |
Kansas City | 21.8 | 14.5 | 36.3 |
Washington | 22.6 | 13.6 | 36.3 |
Oakland | 22.1 | 13.0 | 35.1 |
—Ian Allan