Players With Favorable Schedules Who Will Thrive in 2018
In fantasy football, there are certain players who are considered to be “matchup-proof”- players who can be counted on to perform at the top level independent of matchup, including Aaron Rodgers, Todd Gurley, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, etc. This article is focused on the players whose performance is impacted by which team is lining up on the other side of the football. Based on this list of players at each position, fantasy owners can make informed decisions about who to target and who to steer clear of outside of the top ranked players on draft day.
Note: The metric strength of schedule (SOS) is calculated based on the number of fantasy points given up to that position by opponents in the 2017 season. A high SOS ranking (ex. #1) indicates a favorable schedule for that player.
Quarterbacks:
All three of these quarterbacks are coming off of breakout campaigns in 2017. Look for Smith to be a viable option once again, while Watson and Wentz have the potential to be stars. Their SOS will make their transition to a new team (Smith)/return from injury (Watson and Wentz) that much smoother.
Not Listed- Blake Bortles (1), Mitch Trubisky (4): Some players are matchup-proof, while these two are the exact opposite. Stay away from Bortles and Trubisky regardless of SOS ranking.
Running Backs:
Besides being in a crowded backfield situation heading into training camp, Sony Michel has an extremely favorable AFC East schedule that will allow him to break out if given the opportunity. Howard, Cook, and Henry will likely approach the upper-echelon of running backs given their advantageous SOS.
Wide Receivers:
Crowder, Lee, and Hurns enter training camp as their respective team’s #1 wideout, and all of them won’t be drafted until the later rounds of fantasy drafts. They may very well benefit from their easy SOS more than anyone else on this list. For that reason, they should all be viewed as picks that carry value given their draft position.
Not Listed- Odell Beckham Jr. (4): Matchup-proof.
Tight Ends:
Although the Colts signed Eric Ebron, Jack Doyle will benefit from the return of Andrew Luck and is sure to see his share of targets. Delanie Walker has been a model of consistency over the years, and 2018 should be no different given the Titans’ SOS.
Not Listed- Stephen Anderson (1), Clive Walford (5): Neither of these TEs have amounted more than 350 yards in their careers. While they will benefit from SOS, the difference in production will likely not be enough to make them fantasy relevant.
Defense/ Special Teams:
A common strategy for fantasy owners is to “stream defenses”, using a carousel approach based on matchup. All of these teams are worth picking up for that reason. Most notable of the bunch are the Texans and Patriots, who are expected to have strong defenses regardless.