That win in Cincinnati could prove to be pivotal – for both the Texans and the Bengals. Both of those teams are 5-4, but Houston has a much easier remaining schedule.
The Texans’ remaining opponents are currently a combined 33-41, making their schedule (at least on paper) the easiest in the AFC. The Bengals, on the other hand, have a remaining schedule that’s by far the hardest in the league, with games against teams that are currently a combined 49-26 (winning 8 more games than anyone else).
Buffalo is in the same boat as Cincinnati; it’s frittered away too many games, and it’s got a difficult remaining slate, against teams that are currently 10 games over .500.
There are three teams battling for the title of the NFC South – Saints, Falcons, Bucs – and they have the easiest remaining schedules.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (Wks 11-18) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | Pct |
New Orleans | 25 | 41 | .379 |
Atlanta | 27 | 40 | .403 |
Tampa Bay | 31 | 44 | .413 |
Houston | 33 | 41 | .446 |
Green Bay | 34 | 41 | .453 |
Jacksonville | 34 | 39 | .466 |
Detroit | 36 | 41 | .468 |
Carolina | 35 | 39 | .473 |
Philadelphia | 36 | 40 | .474 |
Kansas City | 37 | 39 | .487 |
LA Chargers | 37 | 39 | .487 |
Indianapolis | 32 | 33 | .492 |
New England | 32 | 33 | .492 |
Cleveland | 36 | 37 | .493 |
LA Rams | 38 | 39 | .494 |
Miami | 38 | 38 | .500 |
NY Jets | 38 | 38 | .500 |
Pittsburgh | 38 | 38 | .500 |
NY Giants | 33 | 33 | .500 |
Washington | 33 | 31 | .516 |
Denver | 39 | 36 | .520 |
Minnesota | 34 | 31 | .523 |
Chicago | 35 | 31 | .530 |
San Francisco | 40 | 35 | .533 |
Dallas | 41 | 34 | .547 |
Seattle | 40 | 33 | .548 |
Tennessee | 40 | 33 | .548 |
Baltimore | 36 | 27 | .571 |
Arizona | 37 | 27 | .578 |
Buffalo | 37 | 27 | .578 |
Las Vegas | 39 | 26 | .600 |
Cincinnati | 49 | 26 | .653 |
If we put aside wins and losses and instead look at points allowed by defenses, the Saints and Titans project to face the worst defenses over the next month-plus, with opponents allowing about 24 points per game. They’re followed by four teams with more relevant offenses: Lions, Vikings, Browns, Cowboys.
In the chart below, I’m looking not at the entire season but just the next five games for each team. That’s Weeks 11-15 for 22 teams, but Weeks 11-16 for the ten teams that haven’t yet had their byes.
Five teams in this section of the schedule project to play opponents allowing (collectively) fewer than 20 points per game, and all are notable for fantasy purposes: Eagles, Seahawks, Jaguars, Bills. Not that Philadelphia won’t continue to score points, but they’ll be playing more of an uphill battle.
SCHEDULE, POINTS (next 5 G) | |
---|---|
Team | Avg |
New Orleans | 24.1 |
Tennessee | 23.9 |
Detroit | 23.7 |
Minnesota | 23.5 |
Cleveland | 23.4 |
Dallas | 23.3 |
Pittsburgh | 23.1 |
New England | 22.8 |
Houston | 22.8 |
NY Giants | 22.6 |
San Francisco | 22.4 |
Washington | 22.3 |
NY Jets | 22.3 |
Chicago | 22.2 |
LA Rams | 22.1 |
Atlanta | 22.0 |
Tampa Bay | 22.0 |
Green Bay | 21.6 |
LA Chargers | 21.6 |
Denver | 21.5 |
Miami | 21.2 |
Arizona | 21.1 |
Baltimore | 21.0 |
Kansas City | 20.9 |
Cincinnati | 20.6 |
Indianapolis | 20.5 |
Las Vegas | 20.3 |
Carolina | 19.8 |
Buffalo | 19.8 |
Jacksonville | 19.5 |
Seattle | 18.9 |
Philadelphia | 18.2 |
—Ian Allan