Fantasy Playoffs: Weeks 14-16 Strength of Schedule Rankings

Below is a sortable chart that lists each team's cumulative strength of schedule based on their Weeks 14-16 opponents. The lower the number in the chart, the easier the schedule at the position. For example, the Chargers face the easiest schedule Weeks 14-16 for quarterbacks. The Patriots, on the other hand, face the most difficult. Rankings are based on team vs. position fantasy points through Week 12.

We'll also highlight five players at each position who have enticing fantasy matchups in Weeks 14-16, and we've also included a Week 17 primer for those minority of leagues that play their championship in the final week of the regular season.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE RANKINGS

Philip Rivers, SD - Rivers has an absolutely amazing schedule in the fantasy playoffs, as he faces three defenses that are among the seven most generous units to quarterbacks. In Week 14, he faces a Panthers defense that's had major issues at cornerback this season, and even though this is a road game, it's certainly one the Chargers will look to throw often, especially as Carolina defense likely will slow the San Diego's rushing attack. He is then at home against the Raiders. Although their pass rush has perked up, they've had consistent coverage breakdowns that should help Rivers pile up numbers in a potential shootout. Finally, he travels to Cleveland in Week 16 to face a defense that hasn't stopped anyone for most of the season. The only concern against the Browns is possibly playing an outdoor game in the Midwest in late December, as weather could be a factor.

Derek Carr, OAK - Carr faces two of the four easiest defenses against quarterbacks in the fantasy playoffs, and only one of those games is in a venue that could be impacted by weather. His journey begins Week 14 with a trip to Kansas City to face a defense that has one very good, though inconsistent, cornerback in Marcus Peters but that struggles at the other corner spots. It's possible the Chiefs can slow Amari Cooper or Michael Crabtree, but likely not both. The Raiders then travel to San Diego in what could be a shootout, and after losing stud cornerback Jason Verrett early in the season, this has been a middling San Diego unit that can be attacked by strong passing attacks. Finally, Carr faces the Colts at home in Week 16. Indy is sieve against passing offenses, allowing the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, making this an absolutely wonderful week to have Carr as your quarterback.

Cam Newton, CAR - Newton starts the fantasy playoffs with a home game against a Chargers defense traveling cross country. San Diego has been a middling unit throughout the season and especially since losing cornerback Jason Verrett to injury. At home, Newton should be in a good spot to have a solid game. He'll then have his toughest matchup of the fantasy playoffs at Washington. Even though Josh Norman has been a solid corner this season, the rest of the secondary has had its share of struggles, making this a positive matchup. He then could have the chance to play spoiler to the division-rival Falcons at home in Week 16, as he'll face the defense that's allowed the most fantasy points to quarterbacks this year and that just lost the services of cornerback Desmond Trufant for the season, making a weak pass defense even worse.

Matt Ryan, ATL - Ryan will start the fantasy playoffs with a difficult road matchup against the Rams, though if the coaching staff chooses to pile targets on Julio Jones, Ryan should come out of this matchup with a strong enough performance. Things get much easier after that. In Week 15, he is at home against 49ers, who allow the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and they'll likely have little chance to slow the Falcons' passing attack. Ryan could then be in for a shootout in Week 16, going on the road to play the Panthers, a division rival that has suffered from poor cornerback play throughout the season. In addition, Carolina typically stuffs the run well, so this could be a game that Ryan finds himself throwing often.

Eli Manning, NYG - Manning will start the fantasy playoffs at home against his nemesis, the Dallas Cowboys. Over the years, he's had many legendary, shootout performances against this defense, and even though Dallas will try to play keep-away with its rushing attack, there still could be plenty of offensive fireworks. He then matches up against the Lions in a Week 15 home game, facing a secondary that has little after Darius Slay and that allows the 10th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. He then travels to Philadelphia in Week 16 for his toughest matchup of the fantasy playoffs, as the Eagles allow the 14th-fewest points to the position, but they have been susceptible to dynamic passing attacks. If Manning plays his best, he certainly can come up big in this spot.

RUNNING BACK

Jonathan Stewart, CAR - Stewart has an absolutely gorgeous schedule in the fantasy playoffs, as each of his games are among the nine easiest for running backs. Not only will he face a Chargers defense that has struggled to slow the run all season, but he'll be on his home field while the Bolts travel cross country for this Week 14 matchup. Although he'll be at Washington the following week, the Redskins' defense has been inconsistent throughout the year, but they've clearly been weak on a regular basis, which bodes well for Stewart. He'll wrap up the fantasy playoffs with his best matchup of all on his home field against a Falcons defense that struggles to stop just about everyone and is the second-weakest unit against the run.

Jeremy Hill, CIN - Hill's schedule in the fantasy playoffs could help a number of teams to a title as he has two excellent matchups and an above-average one. Although he'll be on the road in Week 14, he'll be rewarded with a Browns defense that is absolutely dreadful at stopping any team with a solid rushing attack. Cleveland is the fifth-easiest defense for running backs, but things look even better Week 15 when he is at home against a Steelers defense that's the third-easiest matchup for running backs. Not only has Pittsburgh been weak for quite a while, but injuries have taken their toll on this unit, further weakening it. Hill then has his most difficult matchup of the fantasy playoffs in Week 16 when he's on the road to face the Texans, who, though decent against the run, still are the 12th-easiest unit against running backs.

LeSean McCoy, BUF - McCoy has overcome injury scares to both his hamstring and thumb, and if he can hold off the injury bug for another month or so, he could have a fantastic finish to what's already been an impressive season. The first thing he has going for him is that he's at home Weeks 14-16. Additionally, he faces the Browns and Steelers in the first two weeks of the fantasy playoffs, two of the five best defenses that a running back can face this year. Neither of these units have offered much resistance against any running back who's above average. Unfortunately, his Week 16 matchup isn't quite as appealing, as he'll face a Dolphins defense that's the seventh toughest for running backs. However, his ability as both a runner and receiver makes him matchup-proof, but just don't expect an outrageously big game.

Doug Martin, TB - Even though he hasn't yet to reach his peak level since returning from a hamstring injury, Martin has a pair of matchups against the Saints in Weeks 14 (at home) and 16 (on the road). The Saints aren't nearly as bad of an overall defense that they were earlier in the year, but they still struggle to hold down quality running backs who get volume, and that's exactly what we can typically expect from Martin. Aside from those two games, he has a difficult draw in Week 15 at Dallas, which is actually the third-worst defense a running back can face, but again, as long as he gets at least 15 touches, he certainly can be useful despite the tough matchup.

Carlos Hyde, SF - Hyde needs to stay healthy, and based on his career to date, that could be a big "if," but he'll have three favorable matchups in the fantasy playoffs, though just one is at home. His lone home game is against the Jets, whose reputation as run stoppers is doesn't match their ranking as the 16th easiest for running backs. Things get much easier in Week 15 when he goes to Atlanta to face a run defense that struggles to stop just about any quality back and is the second-most favorable draw for a running back. He closes the fantasy playoffs at the Rams, and even though they're a solid pass defense with a great pass rush, they are inconsistent against the run, ranking as the 13th-best matchup for running backs.

WIDE RECEIVER

DeSean Jackson, Jamison Crowder, WAS - Jackson and Crowder couldn't ask for a better schedule in the fantasy playoffs as they'll face three of the easiest defenses in the league against wide receivers. They start on the road against an Eagles defense that has an excellent front seven but consistently struggles when challenged by strong passing attacks. In Week 15, they are at home against a Panthers defense that has almost identical issues in pass defense as the Eagles, so maybe that explains why they're both the seventh- and eighth-easiest matchups for wide receivers. The Redskins finish the fantasy playoffs with their best matchup when they travel to Chicago to face a Bears defense decimated by injuries, and that's after starting the season with a poor secondary. The only worry in this matchup is whether the Chicago weather will cooperate with playable conditions in late December.

Tyrell Williams, Travis Benjamin, SD - The San Diego duo has has a schedule that's just a shade more difficult than Washington's, as it will face three of the nine worst defenses against wide receivers in the fantasy playoffs. As long as Benjamin is fully recovered from his knee injury and Williams is healthy from his shoulder injury, their expectations should be raised considerably. They travel to Carolina in Week 14 to face a defense that's struggled with poor cornerback play this season, and since the Panthers stop the run well, Philip Rivers likely will throw plenty in that matchup. Williams and Benjamin will have their only road game of the fantasy playoffs in Week 15 when they face the Raiders, who are inconsistent in their secondary. They then travel to play the hapless Browns, who have had little success slowing any of the good passing attacks they've faced, and the Chargers offense clearly fits the bill.

Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, OAK - Cooper and Crabtree could find themselves in a trio of shootouts against weak secondaries in the fantasy playoffs. They start at the Chiefs, who have gotten solid but inconsistent defense from Marcus Peters, and since the Raiders use their receivers on both sides of the formation, they'll have plenty of opportunities away from Peters. Otherwise, Kansas City is the worst defense against receivers. In Week 15, they travel to San Diego to face the 14th-easiest defense against receivers that has struggled against talented wideouts since it lost Jason Verrett to injury early in the season. Their second-best matchup of the fantasy playoffs is at home in Week 16 against a Colts defense that hasn't stopped any functional passing attack during the year. And even though they're the 12th-best matchup for receivers, injuries have caused the Colts' efficiency to drop rapidly, making this an outstanding matchup.

Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, DEN - Even though the Broncos' passing attack can be a week-to-week proposition, at least the schedule in the fantasy playoffs won't be a detriment to Thomas and Sanders, as they'll have a trio of matchups against defenses in the bottom half of the league against receivers. In Week 14, they are at the Titans, the fifth-best defense for receivers to face who just cut starting corner Perrish Cox. They follow that at home against the Patriots. Even though the Patriots are the 24h-best matchup for receivers, their play has begun to slip lately, as their lack of depth is taking a toll on a barely existent pass rush. This is far from an intimidating matchup as Thomas and Sanders move around the formation enough to avoid Malcolm Butler the entire game. They finish the fantasy playoffs at the Chiefs, who have the easiest defense for receivers. This defense is similar to the Patriots, as both receivers will be moved around enough to avoid Marcus Peters, so this should be a terrific matchup for this duo.

Julio Jones, ATL - Jones has had his share of ups and downs as Matt Ryan has spread the ball around to all of his weapons, but Jones has a schedule in the fantasy playoffs that should allow him to finish the year on a high note. The only matchup that's not optimal is Week 14 at the Rams, who are the 16th-most favorable defense against receivers, but Jones certainly will cause more problems for that secondary than it causes him. However, he'll end the season against a pair of bottom-eight secondaries starting in Week 15 at home against the 49ers before finishing the fantasy playoffs with a divisional game at the Panthers. Neither will have any corner capable of even slowing Jones a little.

TIGHT END

Antonio Gates, SD - Gates has the best schedule in the fantasy playoffs of any tight end, as he faces three of the top-eight defenses against his position. Even though he's on the road in Week 14, he's up against a Panthers defense that has allowed the second-most points to tight ends this season, and it's not as if Carolina has been decimated by injuries — this is a weakness that won't be fixed this season. Gates then plays his lone home game Week 15 against the Raiders, who allow the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends, and it wouldn't be a bit of a surprise if this game was a shootout, which gives him an impressive ceiling. In Week 16, he has the best possible matchup against the Browns, who haven't slowed any solid aspect of any NFL offense this season.

Jason Witten, DAL - Witten will benefit from facing three defenses in the top half of the league against tight ends in the fantasy playoffs. He starts on the road in Week 14 against the Giants. Not only has Witten has some of the most memorable fantasy performances of his career against this division rival, but New York has struggled to contain tight ends in terms of yardage allowed. The Giants haven't allowed many touchdowns to the position, but overall, this is still a positive matchup. He then begins the second of two home games with a matchup against the Bucs, who are not only a weak pass defense but have allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to tight ends, and the Cowboys could easily light up the scoreboard. His easiest matchup is in Week 16 against the Lions, who allow the fourth-most points to tight ends, and although they have an excellent cornerback in Darius Slay, they don't have other defenders with the ability to slow a passing attack, and notably a tight end like Witten.

C.J. Fiedorowicz, HOU - Fiedorowicz has become a reliable option over the last month or so and looks like an even better option in the fantasy playoffs when he has a pair of great matchups sandwiched by one that's negative. In Week 14, he faces a Colts defense on the road that's struggled to stop tight ends, as injuries and a lack of playmakers have resulted in allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to the position. He follows that with a tough matchup against the Jaguars, who allow the sixth-fewest points to tight ends. The only thing working in his favor is he is at home. Once he gets past the Jaguars, though, he has a fantastic home matchup Week 16 against the Bengals, who have been a shell of the pass defense they've been in past years. They've sunk so low that they allow the third-most point to tight ends.

Greg Olsen, CAR - Olsen has struggled for about a month now, but hopefully he can get his woes behind him in time for the fantasy playoffs so he can take advantage of a solid schedule down the stretch. He starts in Week 14 with a neutral matchup against the Chargers, who have a terrible pass defense against wide receivers but are the 14th toughest draw for tight ends. Since the game is at home, though, it's not a bad matchup at all. His schedule lightens up in Week 15 on the road against a Washington defense that doesn't have the personnel to handle tight ends consistently — the Redskins allow the 10th-most points to the position. He then has a slightly better matchup in Week 16 at home against the Falcons, who allow the ninth-most points to tight ends, and they don't have anyone to dedicate to stopping Olsen.

Tyler Eifert, CIN - Eifert has a schedule that starts easy but gets tougher in the fantasy playoffs. He is certainly in position for a huge game in Week 14 when he goes on the road to face a Browns defense that's been torched for the most points to tight ends this year; other than Joe Haden at cornerback, the Browns don't have any defender to slow opposing passing attacks, especially a tight end like Eifert. He follows that in Week 15 with a home matchup against a Steelers pass defense that routinely struggles to stop any type of high-end pass catcher — it's allowed the 11th most points to tight ends. Although he has a bad road matchup Week 16 against the Texans, the third-toughest defense against the position, Eifert's an elite option, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he scored.

KICKER

Kai Forbath, MIN - Forbath might be on many waiver wires after he took over for Blair Walsh, but he should be added to any fantasy roster with a weak kicking option, as he has a great schedule in the fantasy playoffs. He has a warm-weather game in Jacksonville in Week 14 against a defense that allows the most kicker points. He then is at home in the dome to face a Colts defense that allows the second-most points to kickers. Although he has a nice Week 16 matchup against the Packers, who allow the seventh-most kicking points, the game will be in Green Bay, so weather could be an issue.

Nick Novak, HOU - Novak has two great matchups in the fantasy playoffs, but he won't face any weather concerns, which is a massive deal. In Week 14, he's in the dome in Indy to face a Colts squad that gives up the second-most points to kickers. He's then at home to face the easiest defense to score against in the Jaguars. However, his Week 16 matchup isn't great, as he'll be up against the Bengals, who allow the 12th-fewest kicking points. The good news is the game is at Reliant Stadium, which is indoors.

Matt Prater, DET - Prater has a pair of excellent matchups before finishing the fantasy playoffs with a difficult one. In Week 14, he's at home in the dome against the Bears, who allow the sixth-most points to kickers. He follows that with a trip to New York to face the Giants. Although they give up the third-most points to kickers, be sure to check weather reports, as December weather can be a major issue in that venue. In Week 16, he has a mixed bag — the good news is that he'll be at Dallas, where weather won't be an issue, but it could be a problem that the Cowboys allow the seventh-fewest points to opposing kickers.

Sebastian Janikowski, OAK - Janikowski has two excellent matchups in the fantasy playoffs after he travels to Kansas City in Week 14 to face a defense that allows the fifth-fewest points to kickers, and with this game taking place in mid-December, it'll be important to check the forecast to make sure a winter storm isn't about to sabotage the kicking game. However, he plays two games in sunny California to end the fantasy playoffs. In his first matchup, he's at San Diego against a defense that allows the 10th-most points to kickers. His best matchup comes in Week 16 at home against Colts, who give up the second-most points to kickers.

Cairo Santos, KC - Although Santos merely has an average schedule, he does have three games at home, which certainly can boost his scoring potential. However, the weather in Kansas City is never a lock to be great in December, so fantasy owners need to keep an eye on weekly weather forecasts. Otherwise, he'll have neutral matchups each week against the Raiders, Titans and Broncos. Respectively, these defenses allow the 17th-, 14th- and 12th-most fantasy points to opposing kickers.

DEFENSE

Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons have not been a very good NFL defense this season, but they've started bringing much more pressure on offenses. They also could be playing with leads that will allow them to pile up sacks, which could lead to takeaways. Their schedule is favorable as they face Jared Goff and the offensively-challenged Rams in Week 14 on the road. They then go back home to face a mistake-prone 49ers offense before ending the season at the Panthers and their sieve-like offensive line.

Seattle Seahawks - The Seahawks should be getting healthy just in time to take advantage of a juicy fantasy playoff schedule that should return the value fantasy owners sought when they drafted them higher than a usual defense. Although they face the Packers in Week 14, which could be a high-scoring game, there could be takeaways to be had in that contest. However, they finish with a pair of games at home against the Rams and Cardinals who may be the perfect victims for this elite defense, as both struggle and have major offensive line problems.

Minnesota Vikings - The Vikings are also starting to get healthy just in time for the fantasy playoffs, and they'll look to re-establish themselves as the best fantasy defense in the league with a strong finish. They face the toothless Jaguars on the road in Week 14 before getting ready to tear through the weak offensive line of the Colts at home the following week. Although the face the Packers on the road in Week 16, Green Bay has had plenty of weeks in which it's been careless with the football.

Houston Texans - The Texans have not been nearly as good since losing J.J. Watt for the season, but they are in position to be a sneaky unit in the fantasy playoffs. They are at home to face the Colts' invisible offensive line in Week 14 before going home for Weeks 15 and 16. In the first home game, they get to chase Blake Bortles around and hope for him to continue his poor passing habits. In the fantasy title week, they face the Bengals, which isn't an outstanding match, but depending on A.J. Green's status could be better than expected.

Oakland Raiders - The Raiders will be playing for their first playoff spot in over a decade, and their defense will try to help fantasy teams move through the fantasy playoff gauntlet. They start out with division road games against the Chiefs and Chargers, and although each of these offenses have their strong points, both are capable of imploding on the road. They finish with a home game against the Colts as they'll look to bury their weak offensive line to generate plenty of sacks and takeaways.

WEEK 17

Yes, some leagues play Week 17. Look at that week this early might be madness, since we won't know which teams will be resting starters or leaving somewhat injured players on the sidelines in meaningless games, but here's a quick look at players who could have great matchups that week.

Quarterback

Drew Brees at Falcons
Blake Bortles at Colts
Russell Wilson at 49ers
Philip Rivers vs. Chiefs
Jameis Winston vs. Panthers

Running Back

Thomas Rawls at 49ers
Mark Ingram/Tim Hightower at Falcons
Devonta Freeman vs. Saints
Le'Veon Bell vs. Browns
Spencer Ware at Chargers

Wide Receiver

Tyrell Williams/Travis Benjamin vs. Chiefs
Doug Baldwin at 49ers
Golden Tate vs. Packers
Stefon Diggs vs. Bears
Demaryius Thomas/Emmanuel Sanders vs. Raiders

Tight End

Ladarius Green vs. Browns
Cameron Brate vs. Panthers
Zach Ertz vs. Cowboys
Eric Ebron vs. Packers
Greg Olsen at Buccaneers

Kicker

Adam Vinatieri vs. Jaguars
Dustin Hopkins vs. Giants
Steven Hauschka at 49ers
Matt Bryant vs. Saints
Matt Prater vs. Packers