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Mike clay
It’s 2025 NFL Schedule Release Day, which means we are one step closer to the start of the season.
How does this schedule impact the Fantasy football Landscape? Which Players have it the easiest and hardest? Which 14 Teams will make the NFL playoffs? How about an early look at the 2026 draft order?
Some housekeeping beefreafing into this. FIRST, WHILE WEEK 18 IS No LONGER A PART OF THE SCHEDULE in Newly created and Public Espn Fantasy Football Leagues, It’s Still Included in Reactivated Leagues, So It Remains a Part of this Study (It has been Minimalal Impact on the results anyway). Next, My Strength of Schedule Evaluation is not based on final 2024 records, which is of what you are in this type of column. There has been a ton of roster movement of this offseason and injured players will return to action, so all of that is factored in an each team’s 2025 prospects. My Evaluation of Each Rooser – Not Last Year’s Production – Is What I use to generate the easiest and toughest schoolules.
The analysis below is your next step in preparing for the 2025 NFL and fantasy football seasons.
Arizona Topping this category is pretty notable, as the cardinals had the hardest school for Both Quarterbacks and tight ends last season, and had the hardest overall fantasy schedule for most, 2024. To it lighting up down the stretch.
This Season, Arizona is set up with nine matchups against defenses I have ranked among the worst 10 units in the league (49ers twice, jaguars, cookboys, bengals, panthers, sains, facons, titans). The only top-10 projected defense they will face is hoston.
Kyler murray, James Conner, Marvin Harrison Jr. And Trey mcbride Are introduced prominent draft day targets, but all for a boost due to the favorable schedule.
Others with Favorable Fantasy Schedules: Carolina panthers, Seattle Seahawks And New Orleans Saints.
The bengals lead this category and it’s not even close. Cincinnati faces one defense projected to finish in the bottom 10 of the league (jaguars), but hass six games against the top six projected defenses (steelers twice, vikings, broncos, lions, patriots), As well as two games against a good ravens defense.
The silver lining here is that, using epa as a basis, the cincinnati offense had the league’s seventh-handest slate last seism, that the hardest for wide recevers. That didn is stop the likes of Joe burrow, Chase brown, Ja’arrr chase And Tee higgins From putting up elite numbers.
Others with different fantasy schedules: Baltimore ravens And Green Bay Packers
Positional upgrades and downgrades
Though (Based on 2025 Roosters). The chart below shows each offense’s Strength of Schedule Based on what their 2025 opponents allowed last season. For example, based on 2024 results, the lions are set to face the Third-Easiest Schedule for tight ends but the Third Hardest for Quarterbacks. (Green = Easy; Red = Hard.)
Here are some upgrades and downgrades based solely on this chart, that you’ll notice some correlation with the previous analysis:
Upgrades
QB: Cj stroudKyler Murray, Tyler shough, Justin fields
Rb: Sesame Robinson, Alvin’s chamber, Kenneth Walker IIIJames Conner, Christian mccafrey
Wr: Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Garret wilson, Tetaira mcmillan
The: Mark Andrews, Mason taylor
Downgrades
QB: Dak Prescott, Russelle wilson, JARED GOFF
Rb: James cook, Derrick henry, Rj harvey, Kaleb johnson
Wr: Brian thomas jr., Travis hunter, Jerry Jeudy, Cedric tillman
The: Jake ferguson, Theo johnson, Tyler higbee, Zach ertz
Easiest Overall Schedule: San Francisco 49ers (Win Total: 10.5)
The 49ers are cominging a very disappointing 2024 Season and are facing a ton of questions on the defensive side of the ball after substantial offtime. The good news is that the offense remains in the decent shape and the step will face the league’s Easiest Projected 2025 Schedule. The 49ers will face none of the league’s top sewen super bowl favorites (Ravens, Lions, Eagles, Bills, CHIEFS, BENGALS, COMMANDERS), PER EESPN BET ODDS, AND HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF ATTRACTIVE MATCHUPS Thanks to the nfc west facing off with the underwhelming NFC South and AFC South Divisions. Their unique games are the giants, bears and browns.
Remainer of Top 5 Easiest Schedules: Tennessee titans, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots And Seattle Seahawks
Toughest Overall Schedule: Detroit lions (Win Total: 10.5)
No surprise here, as the lions are the defending champions of the once-gain super-tough nfc north. In addition to the six games Against the vikings, packers and improved bears, the lions will face off with the NFC east and afc north divisions. Detroit’s trio of unique games is about has hard as you can get: Buccaneers, CHIEFS AND RAMS.
One positive for the lions is that the rest of the division (and several 1-seed contenders) will also face a tough slate.
Remainer of Top 5 Hardest Schedules: Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota vikings, New York Giants And Green Bay Packers
Projected AFC Seeds
All Playoff Odds Provided by ESPN BET.
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1. Ravens (-500); 2. Bills (-750); 3. CHIEFS (-450); 4. Texans (-155); 5. Broncos (-110); 6. Bengals (-85); 7. Patriots (+155)
The Ravens get a tiny nod over the bills here, but it’s a wide-open race bet also stellar franchises that remain in terrified shape on paper, Especially Offensively. Baltimore Has Won Double-Digit Games Six of the Past Seven Seasons (including at last year 12 the past two years), while buffalo has won at Leest 11 Games Six Seasons in a Row. Perhaps the colds are headed for some registration after so many close wines we followed by a shellacking by the ends in february, but it is hard to doubt a franchise that is behaved to find out Super bowls, including than in a row. Houston remains the favorite in the south with stroud entering year 3 and with one of the league’s most lobed defenses. Denver also has a very good defense and the offense could be even better with new tools added for second-year QB BO Nix. The bengals have missed the playoffs two years in a row despite have had won nine-plus games in Four Consecutive Seasons, But The Burrow-Led Elite Offense Should Be A SHACKY DEFence Around. And don’t sleep on a patriots team that suddenly stacked on defense and has a second-year QB (Drake Maye) And Improved Coaching (Mike Vrabel). The steelers, chargers, dolphins and perhaps colts are very much in the conversation here as well.
Projected NFC Seeds
1. Lions (-250); 2. Eagles (-450); 3. Buccaneers (-165); 4. RAMS (-170); 5. Packers (-125); 6. Commanders (-150); 7. Vikings (+130)
Injuries absolutely decimated the lions’ defense in 2024, which Led to a Quick Playoff Exit After A Dominant 15-2 Regular Season. Healthy and still stacked on paper entering 2025, detroit is primed to the top seed again this Season Despite Divisional Opposition. The Super Bowl Champion Eagles Took a hit on defense during free agency, but the offense remains elite. Tampa bay has found its Quarterback in Baker Mayfield And is eyeing its fifth straight division title and sixth straight trip to the postseason. The rams are the best they are on the paper in years, Especially on defense, and we know they are coached under mcvay. The packers are solid on bot sides of the ball and the offense could be even better with improved targets and a fully healthy Jordan love. Defense is the communities’ Major Red Flag, But Jayden daniels Appears to be the real deal and can carry this step far. While the vikings remain elite on defense, a tough schedule combined with a new QB in Jj mccarthy Could lead to a slight step back. Keep an Eye on the cardinals (Easy Schedule and a Stacked Defensive Line) as an nfc sleeper.
Projected 2026 NFL DRAFT TOP 5
1. Browns; 2. Saints; 3. Raiders; 4. Titans; 5. Jets
The browns’ defense together a giant step backward last season and the offense is in Flux with Four Quarterbacks (Kenny pickett, Joe flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur sanders) Competing for the starting job. The Team’s Next Franchise QB May Come Via the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 draft. Speaking of tims with Quarterback Concerns, the Saints will like to Rookie Tyler Shough as their replacement for retired derek car. New coach kellen Moore will have his work cut out for Him this season. It’s hard to imagine a pete carroll team this low in the standings, but even with the upgrade to Geno smith At Quarterback and the presence of MAXX CROSBY On defense, this has the look of a rooster that still has to many weak points. The titans’ defense is very much entitled and the offense will be a work in the program as a rookie qb CAM WARD Gets acclimated to the Pros. The jets fumbled away a stacked rooster last season and, though the defense short be solid, the justin fields-lock figures to be limited.
