Year after year I remind people to pay attention to the top 3 easiest fantasy football schedules and the top 3 hardest schedules. 2023 is no different. This method has worked well for me over the years and is most certainly meaningful, as I'll explain later.
You can download the 2023 fantasy football strength of schedule or just see below. The green indicates the easiest schedule and a red indicates the hardest schedule. This is the same way we identify a positions strength of schedule in our customized cheat sheets. Except in our cheat sheets the strength of schedule is listed next to each players name, which is very handy when drafting.
Real Strength of Schedule Versus Fantasy Strength of Schedule
"The correlation between strength of schedule and teams making the playoffs has been extreme in the last five seasons. Teams with a Top 5 toughest strength of schedule in that span have made the playoffs 24.1 percent of the time. Teams with a Top 5 easiest strength of schedule have more than doubled that percentage, making the playoffs 50.0 percent of the time." Source: NFL.com
What the NFL has found to be true in "real football" also holds true in fantasy football. For example, in 2011 we projected Seattle to have the easiest strength of schedule at running back. Lynch went on to have the best year of his career (at the time), posting 1204 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. We also projected Detroit to have the easiest strength of schedule at quarterback. Matthew Stafford posted record numbers (for the Lions) in his first full season. The Eagles had the third easiest SOS at RB, McCoy posted 17 rushing touch downs and 1309 rushing yards. Year after year strength of schedule plays a factor in fantasy football. It's not something you build your entire team around but it does play a role in projections and coin toss scenarios.
Strength of Schedule For 2023
Positions included are the common positions used in fantasy football including: quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, running back, kicker, defensive back, defensive lineman, linebacker, safety and team defense. Usually, I only bump a players projection up a notch if they have the 1st, 2nd or 3rd easiest schedule. I use the same simple logic when moving a player down a few spots if they have the 30th, 31st or 32nd hardest schedule. In the table below, the number "1" indicates the easiest schedule and a number "32" indicates the hardest schedule.
Drafting and Strength of Schedule
You can get strength of schedule listed next to each players name in our online cheat sheet and draft guide. I've ran the numbers and know for a fact that when good players face easy schedules you usually benefit if you draft them. This is a game changer during the draft. I use strength of schedule and other indicators within our cheat sheets which help me make quick decisions when I'm on the clock during the draft. You can use strength of schedule to help create projections and rankings. Strength of schedule can be the tie breaker when comparing similar players. Have confidence when using strength of schedule during your fantasy draft, it's the real deal, but it's not the only factor!
