If you are looking for a differentiator between two players in the same tier, a strength-of-schedule comparison can help sway the final decision. While this strength of schedule breakdown utilizes numbers from how defenses looked in the 2025 NFL season, it paints a close picture of what can be expected this year, even though personnel and schematic elements have differed slightly.
All data referenced below (unless specifically mentioned) comes from the FantasyPoints highly detailed data suite. Let’s dive into which players to target and fade based on position and their upcoming opponents this season.
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Quarterbacks
The easiest way to assess the QB position is to look at how defenses fared last year in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and fantasy points allowed to the QB position. Dallas, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh allowed the most passing yards; the Jets, Cowboys, and Commanders allowed the most passing touchdowns, and the Cowboys (23.8 FP/G), Buccaneers (20.5 FP/G), and Commanders (20.0 FP/G) allowed the most fantasy points per game to the QB position last year.
Jalen Hurts
The dynamic rushing alone makes Jalen Hurts an upside play for fantasy football this year, but his schedule of opposing defenses doesn’t hurt either. With four games against Dallas and Washington as well as matchups against Chicago (19.8 FP/G), Tennessee (19.6 FP/G), and Miami (19.0 FP/G), Hurts has a chance to really light it up this year in these seven games. However, his fantasy playoff schedule consists of matchups against Seattle, Houston, and San Francisco, so be aware.
Kyler Murray
With Kyler Murray officially named QB1 for Minnesota, you can start planning out realistic expectations for that offense. Murray, similar to Hurts, brings a dual-threat ability to the table, something he will be able to exploit in an easier early-season slate. He kicks off the year against Green Bay, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Miami, and New Orleans. These five matchups allowed an average of 17.98 fantasy points per game to opposing QBs last year, which would have represented the QB12 position, rounding out the QB1 group.
Running Backs
Similar exercise here for the running back position, as we will analyze opposing defenses with allowed rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and receptions to showcase how bellcow running backs and pass catchers both fared last year. The Bengals, Giants, and Commanders were gashed the most on the ground, while the Buccaneers, Cowboys, and Ravens allowed the most receiving yards to backs. The Bengals (28.4 FP/G), Jets (27.7 FP/G), and Cardinals (26.3 FP/G) allowed the most fantasy points to RBs in 2025.
Kyren Williams / Blake Corum
Two matchups against the Cardinals (26.3 FP/G) and 49ers (23.6 FP/G), plus games against the Giants (25.7 FP/G), Commanders (25.0 FP/G), and Cowboys (25.1 FP/G) give both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum solid runways for strong seasons. With their first two games against San Francisco and the New York Giants, Williams and Corum could get out of the gate fast this season, in case you are looking for RB targets in your guillotine leagues.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt / Rachaad White
While the Washington backfield has yet to be fleshed out, the tandem of Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White finds themselves in an advantageous spot this year. While White figures to be a part of the game plan as the pass-catching back, both options will figure into the run game, and their early-season slate is quite juicy. Before their Week 7 bye, Washington faces the Eagles, Cowboys, Seahawks, Colts, Giants, and 49ers, three of which are in the top-10 of most fantasy points allowed last year.
Wide Receivers
There will likely be some overlap in this category with the QB group, but the overall results are enough to make a meaningful difference. The Cowboys, Ravens, and Colts allowed the most receiving yards to wide receivers in 2025, with Dallas, Detroit, and Chicago allowing the most receiving touchdowns, and the Cowboys (39.3 FP/G), Colts (36.2 FP/G), and Ravens (36.0 FP/G) allowing the most fantasy points to the WR position last year.
Christian Watson / Jayden Reed / Matthew Golden
The Packers face the Bears (35.9 FP/G) and Lions (35.8 FP/G) twice in 2026, plus play the Cowboys (39.3 FP/G) and Rams (33.0 FP/G) this year, which means that they have six matchups against defenses in the top-11 of fantasy points allowed to wide receivers.
Carnell Tate / Wan’Dale Robinson
On the surface, including pass catchers from an offense that you know will need to throw the ball a lot doesn’t seem like an in-depth take. However, the Titans have a favorable schedule for their wide receiver room this year, giving rookie Carnell Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson a chance to do some damage this season.
Tennessee plays eight games against defenses that sit in the range of 1st-most to 15th-most allowed fantasy points to WRs last year, including two divisional matchups each against the Colts (36.2 FP/G) and Jaguars (31.2 FP/G).
Tight Ends
The final piece to the puzzle is the tight-end position; while less important than wide receivers (unless in a TEP league format), tight ends do offer a positional advantage if you know what to look for. Last season, the Bengals, Colts, and Cardinals allowed the most receiving yards to opposing TEs, while the Bengals, Commanders, and Buccaneers allowed the most receiving TDs to opposing TEs, and the Bengals (21.0 FP/G), Cardinals (17.0 FP/G), and Steelers (16.7 FP/G) allowed the most fantasy points to the TE position in 2025.
Terrance Ferguson / Colby Parkinson
While the Rams tight end depth chart still needs to be worked through, the emergence of Terrance Ferguson in training camp for the Los Angeles Rams has been tough to ignore. While Colby Parkinson looks to be in line as the TE1, Ferguson is clearly the best tight end prospect on the roster and will likely see his role continue to grow.
The Rams face the Commanders once, as well as the 49ers, Cardinals, and Seahawks twice, and all seven matchups are against teams in the top 12 in most points allowed to tight ends. Specifically, the Cardinals and Commanders are among the top-5 worst against tight ends.
Pat Freiermuth
It is a bit surprising to have a tight end included on this list who is currently going undrafted in redraft formats, but Pat Freiermuth is in a great spot to retake his spot in fantasy relevance. Not having to deal with Jonnu Smith anymore, Freiermuth gets to face the Bengals twice, Colts, Buccaneers, Jaguars, and Titans, teams that finished in the top-12 of most points allowed to the TE position last year. Freiermuth is a perfect dart throw at the end of your drafts, and you can absolutely scoop him up from your league’s waiver wire in dynasty formats for TE depth.
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