With fewer than 20 shopping days left before Christmas, many are searching for the perfect gifts for those on their lists.
Others, like loyal TT&T readers, also are seeking out the most advantageous matchups — while avoiding some of the scarier contests — for the looming fantasy playoffs.
In the majority of leagues, postseason play kicks off Week 15 and runs through Week 17 when most of the 2021 champions will be crowned.
With that very stretch under the microscope, this week’s TT&T is utilizing The Huddle’s extremely useful Fantasy Strength of Schedule tool and breaking down at the easiest and toughest postseason itineraries for each of the five main fantasy positions: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and team defense/special teams. The 10 easiest and 10 toughest schedules are listed for each, followed by some quick-hitting takeaways on what jumps out from the rankings.
All statistics and rankings are for point-per-reception formats through Week 13.
But one final and important note here:
When we’re talking about favorable matchups or tough fantasy schedules for players, we’re primarily referencing those flex, WR3 and second QB starting candidates — i.e. the borderline starters that fantasy general managers have been agonizing over weekly for most of the season.
A relatively tough fantasy postseason slate for Joe Mixon, for example, doesn’t mean you should be looking to bench fantasy’s third highest-scoring running back for any reason. Or, on the flip side, a tasty-looking playoff itinerary for Noah Fant doesn’t mean he should be automatically supplanting Travis Kelce as your starting tight end.
In short, the playoff matchups and fantasy strength of schedule should be used as tiebreaker for two or three similarly ranked players, not as start-or-sit rankings in themselves.
Quarterbacks
Easiest Week 15-17 fantasy QB schedules
1) Eagles, 2) Washington, 3) 49ers, 4) Dolphins, 5) Steelers, 6) Cardinals, 7) Giants, 8) Jets, 9) Cowboys, 10) Rams
Notable
- Second-year Philly QB Jalen Hurts, who ranks eighth at the position with an average of 24.3 fantasy points per game, missed his first start of the season Sunday with an ankle injury and now has the Week 14 bye to get an extra week of rest of recovery. Hopefully that means he’ll be back at helm in Week 15 for the first of two matchups in three weeks against a Washington defense that been improved of late but is still surrendering the most fantasy points per contest (24.4) to opposing quarterbacks.
- On the other side of the Keystone State, the reportedly retiring Ben Roethlisberger ranks only 24th among quarterbacks with an average of 18.4 fantasy points per outing. But the Huddle’s SOS tool also indicates that the Steelers have faced the toughest fantasy QB schedule to date. Big Ben, though, has picked things up of late, eclipsing his season average in three of his last four contests and now faces the fifth-easiest fantasy QB itinerary in the fantasy playoffs. He’ll most certainly be back in the QB2 conversation for the postseason.
Toughest Week 15-17 fantasy QB schedules
1) Falcons, 2) Patriots, 3) Colts, 4) Panthers, 5) Bills, 6) Texans, 7) Jaguars, 8) Chiefs, 9) Broncos, 10) Ravens
Notable
- With the surging success of the Colts (four wins over their last five games) since Halloween, fantasy GMs might be tempted to stream Carson Wentz in a 12-team league or plug him as a second QB in a two-quarterback league following Indy’s Week 14 bye, but Wentz only ranks 23rd at the position over that Week 9-13 span with an average of 15.8 fantasy points per game. And, coming out of the bye, two of the four toughest fantasy QB matchups await in the Patriots and Cardinals.
- With just three total TDs (all passing) and one 20-point-plus fantasy game over his last three contests, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is slumping at the worst possible time for fantasy (and reality) purposes. Baltimore’s fantasy postseason itinerary doesn’t figure to offer any relief, either, as the Ravens face three bottom-half fantasy QB defenses (Packers, Bengals and Rams) during that stretch.
Running backs
Easiest Week 15-17 fantasy RB schedules
1) Jaguars, 2) Bears, 3) Lions, 4) Broncos, 5) Chiefs, 6) Rams, 7) Dolphins, 8) Colts, 9) Washington, 10) Texans
Notable
- Broncos rookie RB Javonte Williams paced all Week 13 fantasy backs after piling up 29.8 points with a 178 total yards and a TD on 29 touches Sunday night in K.C. Coupled with the fourth-most-favorable fantasy RB playoff schedule, Williams has all the makings of a league winner, but do remember RB Melvin Gordon missed Sunday night’s game with a hip issue and that the veteran did average 14.2 touches to Williams’ 13.1 when they both were active over Denver’s first 11 contests. The genie likely is out of the bottle now with Williams, who should be the Broncos’ lead back going forward, but if healthy, Gordon will still be involved as well.
- Chicago’s David Montgomery has been a low-end RB2 this season, averaging 14.5 fantasy points per game after finishing 2020 as the fourth-best fantasy back with 264.8 total points (17.7 per outing). But he did put up a season-high 28.1 points, including eight receptions for 51 yards, in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals. That could be a sign of things to come with Da Bears owning the second-most-favorable fantasy postseason RB schedule with a three-week stretch, featuring games against the less-than-formidable run defenses of the Vikings, Seahawks and Giants.
Toughest Week 15-17 fantasy RB schedules
1) Panthers, 2) Raiders, 3) Saints, 4) Bengals, 5) Vikings, 6) Packers, 7) Steelers, 8) Patriots, 9) Ravens, 10) Cardinals
Notable
- Fantasy GMs hoping to plug the Panthers’ Chuba Hubbard into lineups with Christian McCaffrey now out for year best beware that he would face easily the toughest fantasy postseason stretch with back-to-back-to-back games against the Bills (seventh toughest fantasy matchup for opposing RBs), Bucs (No. 14) and Saints (No. 1). Yikes …
- The Raiders’ Josh Jacobs enjoyed his first 20-point game of the season Sunday with 24 in the loss to Washington, including a career-high nine receptions. No. 2 back Kenyan Drake also was lost for the remainder of the season Sunday with a fractured ankle, meaning the Silver & Black figure to lean on Jacobs even more down the stretch. However, that stretch won’t be an easy running back road with games against the Browns, Broncos and Colts — three of the 11 most unfavorable RB defenses — during the fantasy postseason.
- With the second-most touches in the league with 274 to date, Steelers rookie RB Najee Harris is likely going to remain locked into fantasy playoff starting lineups. But expectations certainly need to be tempered. Harris’ production has slipped noticeably over his last five games with only two TDs and average of 14.7 fantasy points (16th at the position) during that span. Harris’ fantasy postseason itinerary doesn’t figure to help matters, either as he will be facing two of the eight toughest fantasy RB matchups (Titans and Browns) in Weeks 15 and 17, respectively.
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Wide receivers
Easiest Week 15-17 fantasy WR schedules
1) 49ers, 2) Jets, 3) Dolphins, 4) Eagles, 5) Titans, 6) Cardinals, 7) Bears, 8) Packers, 9) Rams, 10) Steelers
Notable
- Among wideouts since Week 9, only Vikings stud sophomore Justin Jefferson (125.96) has accumulated more fantasy points than Elijah Moore (100.30), the Jets’ rookie second-round pick who has a position-most five scoring grabs during those five games. And with matchups against the Dolphins and Jaguars — two of the league’s seven most-permissible defenses when it comes to points allowed to fantasy wide receivers — to open the fantasy playoffs, Moore is primed to remain in smash mode.
- Dolphins first-round pick Jaylen Waddle is another rookie wideout enjoying a late-season roll as he’s totaled the fifth-most fantasy points (93.7) since Week 9. And, like Moore, his fantasy playoff stretch sets up as a tasty one as well with matchups against the Jets, Saints and Titans — the latter two ranking among the five most favorable matchups for fantasy wideouts.
- And speaking of Miami wide receivers and their favorable stretch-run schedules, don’t forget about DeVante Parker as a No. 3/flex option. Parker played in only this second game Sunday since Week 4 and caught all five of his targets for 62 yards. He has averaged 15.1 fantasy points per game over his last three outings.
Toughest Week 15-17 fantasy WR schedules
1) Falcons, 2) Colts, 3) Broncos, 4) Panthers, 5) Bengals, 6) Chargers, 7) Patriots, 8) Jaguars, 9) Bills, 10) Washington
Notable
- After a hot first half of the season, the Colts’ Michael Pittman Jr. has averaged only 12 fantasy points since Week 9 to rank 27th among wide receivers. And his fantasy postseason itinerary isn’t going to lend itself to getting back on track with matchups against the Patriots, Cardinals and Raiders, who all rank among the 11 least-favorable matchups for fantasy wideouts.
- In three games since Week 10, Broncos wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick have combined to total 24 receptions, 260 yards and no TDs for aggregate average of 16.8 total fantasy points per contest. And with one of the most rugged Week 15-17 schedule stretches (Bengals, Raiders, Chargers) for fantasy WRs, it’s going to be tough to trust any Denver wideout as a starter in the fantasy playoffs.
Tight ends
Easiest Week 15-17 fantasy TE schedules
1) Washington, 2) Broncos, 3) Cardinals, 4) Giants, 5) Rams, 6) Jets, 7) Browns, 8) Saints, 9) Bengals, 10) Bears
Notable
- With opposing defenses figuring to focus on containing the Cardinals’ and Rams’ talented wide receiver corps, tight ends Zach Ertz and Tyler Higbee are two fringe TE1 starters who are set up to feast during the fantasy playoffs. The Cardinals have one favorable matchup (vs. the Colts in Week 16) and two neutral contests, while the Rams have two favorable games (vs. Seahawks in Week 15 and vs. the Ravens in Week 17) sandwiched around an unfavorable draw (vs. the Vikings in Week 16).
Toughest Week 15-17 fantasy TE schedules
1) Falcons, 2) Bills, 3) Titans, 4) Cowboys, 5) Colts, 6) Panthers, 7) Vikings, 8) Seahawks, 9) Dolphins, 10) Steelers
Notable
- The Cowboys’ Dalton Schultz has been a surprise standout, ranking sixth at the position with 134 total fantasy points to date. But with the Cowboys’ trio of top wideouts finally looking to be healthy and intact for the stretch run, Schultz could see fewer passes headed his way in the coming weeks, especially with the fourth-toughest projected fantasy tight end playoff schedule.
Defensive/Special Teams
Easiest Week 15-17 fantasy D/ST schedules
1) Bengals, 2) 49ers, 3) Chargers, 4) Jaguars, 5) Bills, 6) Buccaneers, 7) Seahawks, 8) Dolphins, 9) Chiefs, 10) Broncos
Notable
- This is where a fantasy strength of schedule lookahead is especially useful with the abundance of week-to-week defensive/special teams unit streaming.
- Before the season, it would’ve been close to unthinkable that fantasy playoff matchups against the Ravens and Chiefs would be considered favorable, but K.C. and Baltimore both rank among the 12 most charitable offenses in terms of total giveaways on the season. Add those two in with a not-so-scary Week 15 matchup with the Broncos, and you have the Bengals team defense fantasy playoff schedule that ranks as the position’s most favorable.
- The 49ers and Chargers currently rank 15th and 20th, respectively, in terms of team defense fantasy points per game, but both will play the Texans (the sixth most favorable matchup for team D/STs) in the fantasy playoffs while the Niners also face the Falcons (fourth) and the Bolts also get the Chiefs (seventh)
Toughest Week 15-17 fantasy D/ST schedules
1) Bears, 2) Browns, 3) Washington, 4) Panthers, 5) Eagles, 6) Rams, 7) Packers, 8) Cowboys, 9) Falcons, 10) Vikings
Notable
- The Rams, fantasy’s second-best D/ST a year ago, certainly boast some of the league’s most recognizable defensive names in Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey. But do note that they open the fantasy playoffs with back-to-back games against the Seahawks and Vikings, two of the league’s six least favorable matchups for team defenses.
- The Washington D/ST is playing better of late but has certainly been no great shakes all season, ranking 26th with an average of 4.3 fantasy points per outing. The Football Team’s fantasy postseason slate makes it even more unusable as it’s the only team D in the league with three unfavorable matchups (vs. the Eagles twice and Cowboys once) in the playoffs.