We spend so much of the season trying to dance with and around strength of schedule. Tonight, let's try to smack the piñata head-on.
In this post you'll find rankings (and opponent listings) for the remaining Quarterback and Running Back schedules, Weeks 13-16. Only data from the last two months was considered, and I put some special sauce in the formula. Maybe you can use these lists to help make lineup and pickup decisions (or trades if they're still available to you), or maybe you can use these lists to help you sleep at night (anything that limits or takes your worry away, I'm in favor of — worrying is such a counter-productive thing anyway, especially in fake football).
The rankings below were generated by a spreadsheet and a formula, nothing past that. There are countless caveats that you have to consider and be wary of. The matchup data and ranks do not consider so many things, such as (but not limited to): injuries, home and away biases, coaching and scheme changes, weather and stadium conditions, team motivations at the end of the season, etc. A tasty Week 15 or Week 16 matchup can't help you if you don't get that far, and by the time we do make it to the money weeks, the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing defenses will have shifted to some degree. Also note that the spreadsheet merely considered production allowed on a gross-collection basis; it's not broken down to play-by-play efficiency.
And heck, just because Drew Brees carved up the Giants secondary doesn't mean Rex Grossman is going to. And it's no great surprise when a star player overcomes a daunting defensive matchup.
One last point to consider: I'm merely ranking the schedules here, not the worth of the quarterbacks and running backs that will oppose those schedules. This is simply an answer to the question: who has it easy down the stretch, on paper anyway, and who has it difficult?
Any questions, fire away. I'll do a more traditional Shuffle Up and Deal — player rankings — in the overnight or early Thursday. Make the jump and we'll get to the juicy schedule details.
Fantasy QB schedules, ranked easiest to hardest
1. Lions: @NO, MIN, @OAK, SD
2. Redskins: NYJ, NE, @NYG, MIN
3. Broncos: @MIN, CHI, NE, @BUF
4. Dolphins: OAK, PHI, @BUF, @NE
5. Cowboys: @ARI, NYG, @TB, PHI
6. Saints: DET, @TEN, @MIN, ATL
7. Jaguars: SD, TB, @ATL, @TEN
8. Jets: @WAS, KC, @PHI, NYG
9. Packers: @NYG, OAK, @KC, CHI
10. Texans: ATL, @CIN, CAR, @IND
11. Chiefs: @CHI, @NYJ, GB, OAK
12. Patriots: IND, @WAS, @DEN, MIA
13. Vikings: DEN, @DET, NO, @WAS
14. Giants: GB, @DAL, WAS, @NYJ
15. Bears: KC, @DEN, SEA, @GB
16. Titans: @BUF, NO, @IND, JAC
17. Buccaneers: CAR, @JAC, DAL, @CAR
18. Raiders: @MIA, @GB, DET, @KC
19. Eagles: @SEA, @MIA, NYJ, @DAL
20. Panthers: @TB, ATL, @HOU, TB
21. Bills: TEN, @SD, MIA, DEN
22. Seahawks: PHI, STL, @CHI, SF
23. Rams: @SF, @SEA, CIN, @PIT
24. Colts: @NE, @BAL, TEN, HOU
25. Falcons: @HOU, @CAR, JAC, @NO
26. 49ers: STL, @ARI, PIT, @SEA
27. Ravens: @CLE, IND, @SD, CLE
28. Chargers: @JAC, BUF, BAL, @DET
29. Cardinals: DAL, SF, CLE, @CIN
30. Bengals: @PIT, HOU, @STL, ARI
31. Steelers: CIN, CLE, @SF, STL
32. Browns: BAL, @PIT, @ARI, @BAL
Fantasy RB schedules, ranked easiest to hardest
1. Buccaneers: CAR, @JAC, DAL, @CAR
2. Cowboys: @ARI, NYG, @TB, PHI
3. Ravens: @CLE, IND, @SD, CLE
4. Panthers: @TB, ATL, @HOU, TB
5. Titans: @BUF, NO, @IND, JAC
6. Texans: ATL, @CIN, CAR, @IND
7. Jaguars: SD, TB, @ATL, @TEN
8. Falcons: @HOU, @CAR, JAC, @NO
9. Vikings: DEN, @DET, NO, @WAS
10. Patriots: IND, @WAS, @DEN, MIA
11. Lions: @NO, MIN, @OAK, SD
12. Jets: @WAS, KC, @PHI, NYG
13. Bears: KC, @DEN, SEA, @GB
14. Packers: @NYG, OAK, @KC, CHI
15. Steelers: CIN, CLE, @SF, STL
16. Chargers: @JAC, BUF, BAL, @DET
17. Bills: TEN, @SD, MIA, DEN
18. 49ers: STL, @ARI, PIT, @SEA
19. Cardinals: DAL, SF, CLE, @CIN
20. Giants: GB, @DAL, WAS, @NYJ
21. Bengals: @PIT, HOU, @STL, ARI
22. Dolphins: OAK, PHI, @BUF, @NE
23. Raiders: @MIA, @GB, DET, @KC
24. Broncos: @MIN, CHI, NE, @BUF
25. Browns: BAL, @PIT, @ARI, @BAL
26. Redskins: NYJ, NE, @NYG, MIN
27. Chiefs: @CHI, @NYJ, GB, OAK
28. Colts: @NE, @BAL, TEN, HOU
29. Saints: DET, @TEN, @MIN, ATL
30. Seahawks: PHI, STL, @CHI, SF
31. Rams: @SF, @SEA, CIN, @PIT
32. Eagles: @SEA, @MIA, NYJ, @DAL
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Images courtesy of US Presswire