2026 Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule

The 2026 fantasy football strength of schedule rankings below break down which passing and rushing attacks have the easiest path to fantasy points this season, both for the full season and the fantasy playoffs.

There is no perfect way to determine strength of schedule for the upcoming season.

Some are much better than others – such as our metric that relies on Vegas win totals – but even the best ones are not actionable for fantasy drafts.

Strength of schedule is difficult because teams change dramatically every season, especially on defense.

Simple turnover luck can help the worst passing defense in the league improve to a middle-of-the-pack unit the next season.

Teams also target their weaknesses during the offseason, so the worst defenses tend to add more talent than the elite ones from the season before.

All of that said, some of those strength of schedule failings can be mitigated by using efficiency numbers that take game script out of the equation, looking at each schedule critically, and focusing primarily on the extremes on either side.

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Full Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule, Passing:

Philadelphia topping this list is interesting for several reasons.

First, the uncertainty surrounding A.J. Brown leaves several key members of the passing game in limbo.

DeVonta Smith is obviously the most notable name in that group.

Over the last three seasons, Smith has averaged 2.58 yards per route with a target on 29.8% of his routes with Brown off the field.

Those numbers would have ranked third and fourth among qualified receivers last season.

That is an exceedingly small sample (171 routes), and the Eagles seemingly planned for Brown's exit by adding Dontayvion Wicks and drafting Makai Lemon in the first round.

Still, Smith stands to see a large increase in usage if Brown leaves, and he should face an easier-than-average schedule of opposing pass defenses.

Second, Jalen Hurts struggled as a passer last year, ranking 21st among qualified quarterbacks in EPA per pass attempt and 15th in passing fantasy points per game.

He will now likely be without Brown, and Lemon is a questionable fit because of his usage across the middle of the field in college.

Hurts ranked 32nd out of 33 qualified quarterbacks in the rate of attempts that targeted between the numbers last season, and his career 33.6% rate would have been last among that group.

Of course, there were play-calling issues in Philly last year, and the Eagles brought in a new coordinator for this season.

Third, Philly's playoff schedule is the exact opposite of their regular season schedule, as you can see in the playoff table below.

They get the Seahawks, Texans, and then the 49ers during the fantasy playoffs.

Seattle did lose some key pieces in the secondary, but we should still expect them to be among the best defenses in the league.

The Texans are as loaded as ever, so we have every reason to believe they will once again be a tough unit to pass against in 2026.

That means that even if it all comes together for Hurts and whatever receiving corps is left in Philly, it could fall apart again when it matters the most.

Full Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule, Rushing:

We saw a glimpse of a fully unleashed Jahmyr Gibbs last season, and now he is set to face what projects as the easiest schedule of run defenses in the league.

There is not much analysis to add for a player who is already being drafted at the top of the first round, but schedule potential is just another feather in Gibbs' cap.

Ashton Jeanty stands out as a more interesting conversation.

Jeanty got the usage we were hoping for as a rookie, ranking first among all qualified running backs in share of team running back carries (86.6%) and sixth among that same group in target share (14.8%).

The offensive line situation in Las Vegas held him back, but a new coaching staff and some additions up front bring hope for better efficiency moving forward.

The difficult schedule does throw a fly in the ointment, and the Raiders have a lower-tier 5.5 win total projection that suggests game script could once again be a concern for Jeanty.

The front office also added fourth-round pick Mike Washington Jr, which could mean Jeanty's share of the backfield work will not be quite as good in 2026, though it will likely still remain elite.

There are a lot of reasons to feel good about Jeanty heading into Year 2, but it is not as clean a case as a Jeanty supporter would hope.

Playoff Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule, Passing:

Kyler Murray will likely be one of the more interesting fantasy quarterbacks this season.

First of all, he has to win the starting job in Minnesota.

Everyone seems to assume that will happen, but J.J. McCarthy is a former first-round pick who still carries a lot of draft capital.

If McCarthy shows well in camp, it is in Minnesota's best interest for him to win the starting job.

Second, Murray has to play better if he is the starter.

Kevin O'Connell has proven to be something of a quarterback whisperer, but Murray has some serious red flags in his recent history.

All of that said, if Murray wins the starting job AND if he plays better under O'Connell, he will benefit from a relatively easy schedule of passing defenses both overall and in the fantasy playoffs.

In the playoffs specifically, Murray is slated to face the Lions, Commanders, and Jets.

The Lions were actually pretty good per pass faced last season, but they did give up a lot of touchdowns.

That put them 21st in fantasy points per game allowed to quarterbacks last year, while the Commanders (29th) and Jets (31st) were among the five best matchups for fantasy quarterbacks in 2025.

Both Washington and New York could be a lot better on defense this year given their additions, and some bad touchdown luck contributed to Detroit's ranking last year.

That means Minnesota's playoff schedule might not be as good as it looks right now when looking at last year's numbers, but Murray will still be in a good spot for the season as a whole if he is up to the task as the starter.

Playoff Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule, Rushing:

TreVeyon Henderson is an interesting fantasy case this year.

While he showed off his explosive playmaking as a rookie, he also saw his role decline during the season and then disappear in the playoffs as the Patriots leaned on the more reliable pass blocking of Rhamondre Stevenson.

Heading into Year 2, Henderson is going nearly 30 spots ahead of Stevenson in fantasy drafts as gamers chase the upside of the younger and more exciting back.

Is that wise?

Time will tell, but it certainly would not be the first time a more exciting rookie improves in key areas heading into his sophomore season and takes on a larger workload.

Even if he does, though, Henderson will face a tough gauntlet of the Chiefs, Jets, and Broncos to close the season.

The Chiefs and Jets both made additions to their defensive lines this offseason that suggest they will be good against the run, and the Broncos have as much talent as anyone on defense despite losing John Franklin-Myers in free agency.

This playoff schedule is not a reason to avoid Henderson in fantasy drafts, but it is worth knowing, especially if Henderson becomes a hot commodity on the trade market during the season.