Our Featured Pros experts break down the biggest 2026 fantasy football schedule winners and losers, highlighting which teams and players to target to start off strong and finish with the championship.
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2026 Fantasy Football Schedule Winners and Losers
Which notable player/team has favorable EARLY matchups in 2026 and should see a boost in value?
Philadelphia Eagles
“Jalen Hurts and his team of pass catchers have a great start to the season. Washington allowed the 3rd-most fantasy points to quarterbacks in 2025; the Eagles got them in Week 1 and again in Week 8. Their Week 2 matchup is the Tennessee Titans, who allowed the 5th most fantasy points to Quarterbacks. Their first eight weeks also include the Rams, Cowboys, Bears, Panthers, and Jaguars.”
– David Heilman (Dynasty Trade Calculator)
“The Eagles play their first three games — and six of their first nine games — against opponents that were among the eight most generous teams to opposing wide receivers in 2025. Philly opens with games against the Commanders, Titans and Bears, who respectively allowed the sixth-most, seventh-most and third-most fantasy points to opposing WRs last season. Then, in Weeks 7-9, the Eagles have divisional games against the Cowboys (most), Commanders (sixth-most) and Giants (eighth-most). Assuming the Eagles trade A.J. Brown at some point, the soft early-season could help DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon get off to fast starts.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Minnesota Vikings
“The Vikings open up at home vs the Packers. At first glance, that might not appear to be the best matchup, but there’s a good chance that all-pro Micah Parsons might start out the season on the PUP list. Without Parsons, the Packers’ defense is vulnerable. Week 2 is a road game in Chicago, which failed to address their pass rush and rush defense needs. Weeks 3 and 4 are in Tampa and a home game vs Miami. Neither of which should scare anyone. Week 5 is in New Orleans, and after a Week 6 bye, they host the Colts; both seem like decent matchups on paper.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
“Jahmyr Gibbs had a rough end to the fantasy football season last year, costing managers who leaned on him all year championships. Gibbs should return to fantasy prominence with a wonderful start to the NFL season. The Lions start the season facing the Saints, Bills, Jets, Panthers, and Cardinals. Gibbs is an elite talent and has been gifted a chance to earn back the trust of the fantasy community at the start of the 2026 fantasy football season!”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
Los Angeles Chargers
“The Chargers DST. The schedule opens up with two layups. Cardinals/Raiders. Fire up that Bolts DST across all fantasy formats.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
“Looking at it early on, it is incredibly hard not to like what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to start the season. Starting off with a trip to the Bengals, who struggled mightily on defense last season, is about as good as it gets. Cleveland then comes to Tampa in a Baker Mayfield revenge game, a tough matchup on paper, but Baker will be up for it, followed by matchups against Minnesota, Green Bay, and then a trip to Dallas to close out Week 5. To start out the season, this Bucs offense should have no problems putting up points, making the likes of Mayfield, Bucky Irving, Emeka Egbuka, etc., very appealing.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
Who is a player/team facing an EARLY difficult schedule that fantasy managers should be aware of?
Bo Nix (QB – DEN)
“Bo Nix has the lowest-rated matchup schedule per the Athletic. Their scale is 1-100, 1 being bad and 100 being good. Jalen Hurts is at 100, and Bo Nix is all the way down to a 1. The next lowest is Patrick Mahomes with a 16. Nix will start the season off on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs, whom they play again in Week 8. In between those games, they have the Chargers, Seahawks, and 49ers.”
– David Heilman (Dynasty Trade Calculator)
“Last year, the Denver Broncos were one of the best teams in the NFL, and Bo Nix became a fantasy hero, finishing at QB7, exciting owners for his future in the league! Then, the NFL schedule was released, giving Bo Nix and the Broncos a brutal start to the NFL season, starting with games against the Chiefs, Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, Chargers, and Seahawks. Owners can still lean on him for the long haul, as he got a new alpha receiver in Jaylen Waddle and will have boom games later in the year with teams like the Dolphins, Jets, Raiders, and Panthers.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
TreVeyon Henderson (RB – NE) | Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE)
“Fantasy managers willing to invest in TreVeyon Henderson or Rhamondre Stevenson have to reckon with not only an uncertain division of labor but also with a rough early-season schedule. The Patriots open on the road against the team that beat them in the Super Bowl, the Seahawks. Seattle ranked No. 1 in DVOA against the run last season and gave up the second-fewest fantasy points to RBs. The Patriots then get a Week 2 matchup against the Steelers (No. 6 in DVOA vs. the run, sixth-fewest fantasy points allowed to RBs) and a Week 3 matchup against the Jaguars (No. 4 in DVOA vs. the run, third-fewest fantasy points allowed to RBs).”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Jacksonville Jaguars
“The Jaguars open up at home with all-pro DE Myles Garrett and the Browns. Then they go to Colorado to face the Broncos. A Week 3 home game vs. the Patriots isn’t terrible; however, a Week 4 road game in Cincinnati vs. the Bengals’ revamped defensive line could be problematic. In Weeks 5 and 6, they host the Eagles and Texans, two of the better units in the league.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
“The Jaguars face a very challenging start to the season with matchups against top defensive units, Cleveland, Denver, and New England, their first three games in a row. Then, after a positive matchup versus the Bengals, the Jags head to the UK for two straight games against the Eagles and the Texans. That is five of their first six games against top-tier defenses, woof. Early struggles by the Jags offense could create decent buy-low opportunities after their Week 7 bye, but to start out, it looks like a gauntlet for Jacksonville.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
Indianapolis Colts
“The Colts have the biggest improvement in their overall schedule compared to 2025 (from 28th to 9th). Daniel Jones is expected to be ready for Week 1. However, Ravens/Chiefs/Texans isn’t super ideal to start the year (third-toughest schedule to start the season).”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
For the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17), which notable player/team jumps out as having a particularly easy schedule?
Dallas Cowboys
“The Dallas Cowboys are the No. 1 team, and they get three dome games. It is very hard to predict what teams will look like in December, but one thing I want for my offense is a dome. We saw the Broncos and Patriots game and how those offenses performed. Dallas gets the Rams, Jaguars, and Giants. The lowest total of all three is 49.5; we should see some Cowboys on the championship rosters. Fantasy Football Championship rosters to be clear.”
– David Heilman (Dynasty Trade Calculator)
“The Cowboys have one of the best Week 15-17 schedules. At the Rams, home versus the Jaguars and home versus the Giants. 3 dome games for a potential shootout team.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
Arizona Cardinals
“A Week 14 bye should have the Cardinals well rested for a stretch of games against the Jets, Saints and Raiders in Week 15-17. The Jets ranked 31st in defensive DVOA last season and allowed the third-most fantasy points to RBs. The Saints had a middle-of-the-pack defense last season and shouldn’t pose many daunting fantasy matchups in 2026. The Raiders gave up the ninth-most fantasy points to both RBs and WRs last season.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Kansas City Chiefs
“I don’t know if I’d use the term easy, but it’s not terrible. In Week 15, the Chiefs host the Patriots. In Week 16, Kansas City hosts the 49ers. And in Week 17, they go on the road to face the Chargers. All three opponents can put up points, which could turn these games into shootouts. The Chiefs’ only road game in that stretch is in Los Angeles, but there are worse places to deal with crowd noise than a stadium that’s usually filled with more visiting fans than home fans.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
Tyler Shough (QB – NO)
“Tyler Shough went from being a player that many thought the Saints made a mistake drafting due to age and injury history to the QB1 for the team! Many owners come into the season excited for what the Saints offense will do and are targeting Shough in the later rounds. Owners who do so and build a playoff team around him will be rewarded with a playoff schedule of the Buccaneers, Cardinals, and Falcons, which should produce QB1 numbers for the 2nd year quarterback and lead teams with strong positional players to a fantasy championship! (As a bonus, they play the Panthers in Week 14 for teams that need that extra win to make the playoffs!)”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
“The New Orleans Saints have a top-3 schedule full stop, and the playoff schedule for their fantasy stars is no different. Two division games against the Falcons and Bucs present good opportunities for the likes of Etienne, Olave, Tyson, etc., to produce points when it counts. Sandwiched into those division contests is a home date with the Arizona Cardinals, who could be on full tank watch at that point of the season. Buy into New Orleans, and even with two tough games against Detroit and Baltimore to start, hold onto the Saints and let the good times roll.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
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