The NFL schedule is out, which means we’re one step closer to the fantasy season, including the fantasy playoffs. There will be plenty of change between now and then, but we can identify early winners and losers for the fantasy playoffs.
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NFL Schedule Release: Fantasy Football Playoffs
Best
San Francisco 49ers
The headlines from the release of the 2025 NFL schedule have been about the 49ers ‘winning‘ the easiest schedule award. And while those records will change from one year to the next, the 49ers players appear to have a juicy fantasy playoff schedule.
For starters, they have a bye in Week 14, which is typically the week before the fantasy playoffs start. Not only have the 49ers won three straight games coming off a bye, but running back Christian McCaffrey managers should be thrilled that whatever future injury he suffers, he’ll have time to heal.
San Francisco will start the fantasy playoffs at home against the Titans, who are coming off the worst record in the NFL. The 49ers then hit the road for their only away game in five weeks at Indianapolis, but it’s indoors, and the Colts had a middle-of-the-road defense last season and aren’t expected to fare much better. They could also be in the middle of a lost season at that point, while the 49ers are playing for something.
San Francisco will wrap up the fantasy season at home against the Bears, whom they put 38 points on last season. Brock Purdy threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns in that one and will be in a good position to do so again.
Carolina Panthers
Using last year’s records, the Panthers do have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL in 2025, including for the fantasy playoffs. And like the 49ers above, they have a bye week in Week 14, so any slightly banged-up Panther will have two weeks to get healthy.
It’s then on to New Orleans for the Panthers’ only road game in five weeks. Luckily, the Saints’ defense ranked just 21st in DVOA last season. They’ll also be indoors and on turf, which could mean fireworks break out for Bryce Young, Tet McMillan and others. Next is a home game against the Buccaneers, whom Bryce Young had his best game against last season. He threw for nearly 300 yards and a touchdown and added another on the ground. Seattle comes to town the following week, which will be a tough matchup, but it’s at home with the Seahawks doing the cross-country travel instead of the Panthers.
It should be a very good Christmas for Panthers players and their fantasy managers.
Worst
Green Bay Packers
Should Jordan Love or other Packers be at the helm of a playoff fantasy team, they’re walking into a bear of a schedule, pun intended. Not only will they be up against some of the top defenses from 2024, but they’ll be outside in December. And while that might be an advantage if the Packers were playing at home, they’ll be on the road for most of the month.
The Packers will first travel to Denver in Week 15 and play in the notoriously loud Empower Field at Mile High. Awaiting them is a top-five defense from 2024 that only got better this offseason. The Broncos added Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, and others in free agency and spent their first-round pick on Jahdae Barron, so the chances are good they’ll be elite again.
Green Bay then spends another December weekend outdoors in Chicago against a division rival who has vastly improved their defense. Not only did the Bears spend nearly $90 on linemen Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo, but they brought in former Saints coach Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator. Allen regularly led top-10 defenses as either head coach or defensive coordinator and was considered a big win for new Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson. Quarterback Jordan Love has played a Dennis Allen-led team twice in his career, going 38 for 72 for 441 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, but both were in Green Bay instead of on the road.
Speaking of Green Bay, the Packers do head home for Week 17 but host the Baltimore Ravens, who finished sixth last season in defensive DVOA and only really lost corner Brandon Stephens, who had a 55.8 grade via PFF. In all, the Packers and their managers will have a Long December.
Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, when healthy, is and has been a top-10 fantasy quarterback. Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb has been a top-10 fantasy receiver for the last three seasons. But if either is going to make another appearance in your fantasy playoffs, be prepared for some tough matchups.
The Cowboys will be at home in Week 15 against the Vikings, a top-two defense (by DVOA) last season and a defense that only allowed 300-plus passing yards four times all year and multiple passing touchdowns just six times. Oh, and they added Jonathan Allen to shore up the middle of the defensive line. Dallas stays home again in Week 16 but welcomes another tough defense in the Chargers, who were even stingier against the pass, allowing just one 300-yard passing game.
Dallas gets a break from the tough defenses in Week 17 but will be on the road against the Commanders, a division rival, on Christmas Day. For his career, Prescott has just 10 touchdowns in seven career games at Washington and will be playing former Cowboys defensive coordinator / current Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn for the first time.
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