Health permitting, the Texans’ schedule should allow Foster to find the end zone often in 2015
What were you doing at 8pm ET on April 21? If you say clicking refresh on your favorite sports site for the NFL schedule release, then you will be glad you’re here. In a matter of minutes last night, the NFL landscape began taking shape as teams found out when they would run up against one another. More importantly, you found out what week you can spend a Sunday doing something else besides watching your favorite team.
In either case, fantasy players around the globe have a unique relationship to the schedule. This is where fantasy championships can be won or lost. Take a look at Weeks 14-16. Baltimore, Cleveland and St. Louis all will face the Seahawks with Cleveland and St.Louis going to Seattle. As if the relevant fantasy players on those teams weren’t mediocre enough… I digress, the point is we realize the schedule has an impact, so we’ve asked the experts three questions on what type of impact the schedule will have and on who. Read on to find the pundits’ responses.
View our updated Strength of Schedule Ratings 
Q1. Which notable player has favorable matchups in 2015 and should see a boost in value?
Arian Foster (RB, HOU)
“Based on average fantasy points allowed per game in 2014, Arian Foster has the third most favorable schedule overall for running backs in 2015. Foster, who will be 29 in August, has other issues, mostly dealing with staying on the field, having missed 11 games over the past two seasons. But as long as he’s healthy, he has the matchups to succeed.”
– Sablich Brothers (The New York Times)
DeAndre Hopkins (WR, HOU)
“The Houston Texans have handed the keys to their receiving game over to Hopkins and he has a reasonably soft schedule this year. Their divisional opponents aren’t that intimidating, as the Colts often find themselves in shootouts, and the Titans and Jags both finished 2014 no higher than 15th in passing yards allowed per game. Add in the fact that they’ll draw the NFC South, a division that featured three bottom-10 passing units a year ago and with no obvious offseason leaps having taken place, easily half of Nuk’s games could come against bottom-10 units in 2015.”
– Jon Collins (Fantasy Sports LR)
Drew Brees (QB, NO)
“None. Not to be glib, but judging SOS is a fool’s errand. There is too much change with defensive schemes/coaching/personnel to judge SOS on last year. You CAN look at indoor vs. outdoor, home/away, byes and weather though, and for that reason, Drew Brees has 12 indoor games and will be undervalued due to the Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills departures.”
– Jake Ciely (RotoExperts)
Matt Ryan (QB) /Julio Jones (WR, ATL)
“I am looking at Atlanta and Matt Ryan/Julio Jones. They open the year with three NFC East opponents (vs. Eagles, at Giants, at Cowboys) and finish against Tampa Bay, Carolina twice, Jacksonville and the Saints. If Atlanta can stay healthy this year, you have to love Ryan and Jones. I can see top 5 for both.”
– Ken Zalis (Pressbox)
Q2. Who is a player facing a difficult schedule that fantasy owners should be aware of?
Ben Roethlisberger (QB, PIT)
“Going off of last year’s data, Roethlisberger has the toughest fantasy schedule of any quarterback heading into 2015. Those relying on Big Ben in a Week 16 championship game in Baltimore will not sleep easy the night before.”
– Sablich Brothers (The New York Times)
Tony Romo (QB, DAL)
“Yes, I’ll still answer after my first response. I’ll say Tony Romo and Ben Roethlisberger. The Cowboys second half has a disjointed schedule with a Thanksgiving Day, Monday night and Saturday game, including 5-of-8 games on the road. That can mess with a team and offense. With Pittsburgh, every game from November 1 on is outdoors and in cold weather. Not ideal at all.”
– Jake Ciely (RotoExperts)
DeMarco Murray (RB, PHI)
“The Philadelphia Eagles draw the stiffening defenses of the AFC East, and while they’ll compliment that with the soft defenses of the NFC South, they close the season with BUF-ARI-WSH in Weeks 14-16. The first two units project to remain strong, and Washington was quietly strong in 2014 and invested heavily on that side of the ball in 2015 free agency (while losing Brian Orakpo). It isn’t the worst schedule on the board, but those teams are rough against the run in particular, and when you couple that with the presumed downgrade in line play, loss of reps, and the toll that high workload took in 2014, there is reason to temper expectations on DeMarco Murray in Chip Kelly’s offense.”
– Jon Collins (Fantasy Sports LR)
Lamar Miller (RB, MIA)
“Miller will face 10 teams that finished in the bottom half vs. Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs last year (i.e. the stingiest). In Weeks 12 and 13 as the playoff push rolls in for fantasy teams, Miller draws the Jets and Ravens. I was high on Miller last year, but the schedule is as tough as it gets for a RB.”
– Ken Zalis (Pressbox)
Q3. For the fantasy playoffs (weeks 14-16), is there a notable player that jumps out as having a particularly easy schedule?
C.J. Anderson (RB, DEN)
“Should Anderson hold onto the starting running back job in Denver until Week 14, he’ll begin the fantasy playoffs with a beautiful matchup against the Oakland Raiders, who yielded 24.1 fantasy points per game to running backs in 2014. The Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16 is pretty favorable as well.”
– Sablich Brothers (The New York Times)
Cam Newton (QB) / Kelvin Benjamin (WR, CAR)
“Dan Quinn’s arrival in Atlanta should help the defense, as should the additions on that side of the ball (including scheme-fit Justin Durant at linebacker), but I still don’t see a lot of threats in the secondary. Carolina will get them twice in Weeks 14 and 16 and draw the Giants’ poor unit in between. I like Cam Newton and Kelvin Benjamin, who claimed to struggle mentally with the rookie wall in 2014, but should be prepared to close strong in his second season, to finish well.”
– Jon Collins (Fantasy Sports LR)
Matt Cassel (QB) / E.J. Manuel (QB, BUF)
“The Buffalo Bills take a trip through the NFC East in Weeks 14 – 16 with Philly, Washington and Dallas on the schedule. Those 3 teams finished 3rd, 1st and 11th respectively in allowing to the most points to opposing QBs. With the addition of Shady McCoy and the continuing growth of Sammy Watkins, if a QB can emerge in Buffalo, that player (Matt Cassell, EJ Manual, Rookie to be drafted…) could emerge as a fantasy savior in 2015.”
– Ken Zalis (Pressbox)
Baltimore Ravens / Philadelphia Eagles
“Both the Ravens and Eagles are home for all three weeks and only facing one division opponent (coincidentally both on Week 16). As I said, a factor like this is much more meaningful this far off than judging a team on schedule strength.”
– Jake Ciely (RotoExperts)
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Thank you to the experts for taking the time and answering some questions, for more great info from the experts, you can follow them on Twitter. Be sure to also check out our updated 2015 Strength of Schedule calendar.
