The release of the 2023 NFL schedule is a critical event in the fantasy football world. It’s an opportunity to analyze the matchups and get a glimpse of who will benefit and who will suffer based on early-season favorability and projected betting win totals.
2023 NFL Schedule Release: Every Team’s Schedule & Bye Week 
While the strength of the schedule should not be the only factor considered, it can be a valuable tiebreaker when deciding between two players. Additionally, understanding bye weeks and fantasy playoff matchups can be the difference-maker in some formats, such as Underdog’s Best Ball Mania IV and the FFPC FantasyPros Championship.
In this article, we’ll examine some potential fantasy football winners and losers, as well as takeaways from the newly released schedule.
- NFL Schedule Release: Fantasy Football Player Winners & Losers
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2023 NFL Schedule Release
Let’s examine the fantasy football impact and takeaways form the 2023 NFL schedule release.
2023 NFL Schedule Release Winners
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Per SharpFootball, the New Orleans Saints have the easiest schedule based on Vegas’ forecasted win totals. And when it comes to the start of the schedule, no team has it easier over the first six weeks. The first six matchups are the Titans, Panthers, Packers, Buccaneers, and Patriots and Texans. They then get to Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Chicago and Minnesota before their bye week.
easiest schedule the first 6 weeks:
1. Saints
2. Eagles
3. Bengals
4. Falcons
5. 49ers
6. Bears
7. Ravens
8. Colts
9. Lions
10. CowboysBY FAR the easiest schedule the first 6 weeks is for the Saints
4 road games, but they don't play a single team expected to win 8+ games pic.twitter.com/4rLsshJDlr
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 12, 2023
The schedule on paper is extremely soft, and that is going to benefit their main fantasy pieces such as Derek Carr and Chris Olave. It also makes RBs behind Alvin Kamara enticing between Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller if/when Kamara serves his suspension.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Per FantasyPros’ strength of schedule tool, the Jaguars boast the No. 1 SOS for fantasy quarterbacks and fantasy WRs. The 2023 calendar is great for quarterback Trevor Lawrence to take another leap in Year 3. Jacksonville has the 9th-easiest schedule overall.
TENNESSE TITANS
Derrick Henry will EAT in the fantasy playoffs. Week 15 and Week 17 he faces off against the Houston Texans, who he routinely rushes for 200-plus yards against. The soft playoff matchups also present an opportunity for rookie Tyjae Spears in the best ball format, as he could see an expanded role down the line if Henry were to suffer an injury at any point during the season.
Overall, the Titans have the No. 3 strength of schedule for fantasy running backs.
ATLANTA FALCONS
The Atlanta Falcons have the second-easiest schedule based on Vegas’ forecasted win totals per SharpFootball. The schedule from Weeks 1-5 is extremely favorable toward the Falcons’ ground game with matchups versus the Panthers, Packers, Lions, Jaguars and Texans. The Dirty Birds should be off to a hot start with rookie RB Bijan Robinson leading the offense.
Although it won’t be just a strong start for the Falcons, considering they also boast the easiest schedule from Week 9 onward. Robinson sure smells like a best-ball playoff winner with the Panthers, Colts and Bears teed up in the fantasy playoffs.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Jonathan Taylor is thrilled about the Colts’ schedule. He opens the year versus the Jaguars and Texans. JT also has the No. 1-easiest schedule for fantasy RBs per FantasyPros’ strength of schedule tool and a juicy Week 17 playoff matchup versus the Las Vegas Raiders. Perfect time to buy the dip and target the talented Colts running back.
DETROIT LIONS
Amon-Ra St. Brown is going to FEAST. The Lions own a top-10 schedule for the entire season and through the first 6 weeks of the year. With no Jameson Williams and a slate of favorable defensive matchups that include KC, SEA, ATL, GB, CAR and TB to open the year, there will be no stopping the burn from the Sun God himself.
Detroit is tied with Jacksonville with the most favorable SOS for WRs this season.
The projected positive game scripts early on also favor the Lions RB duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.
BUFFALO BILLS
Still not convinced that Dalton Kincaid can’t deliver as a rookie? Well, if the schedule has anything to say about it, the first-round pick will have a productive year with the No. 1 fantasy SOS for tight ends tied with the Eagles and Steelers.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Like many of the teams in the NFC South, the Carolina Panthers also have a very easy schedule. It’s the third easiest per projected win totals. But more specifically, they own a top-three schedule for fantasy WRs and an above-average schedule for fantasy QBs. It bodes well for Bryce Young and company to deliver some fantasy goodness. And virtually all of the Carolina WRs – Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark and Jonathan Mingo – are free in drafts.
However, it should be noted that their schedule to open this year ranks 25th, while it ranks 3rd-easiest from Week 9 onward. The playoff schedule is also favorable (ATL, GB and JAX). Considering we see rookies’ production increase as the season continues, Mingo could be a massive difference-maker in the best ball formats if he ascends to WR1 status in Carolina.
from November 1st onward, no one plays a more difficult schedule than the Buffalo Bills
not only do they play 6 of 8 games vs teams projected to finish the year with a winning record…
they play 4 of their final 6 games on the road pic.twitter.com/k1JViAfYbZ
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 12, 2023
CHICAGO BEARS
Perks of holding the No. 1 pick, Chicago has the fifth-easiest schedule overall. They also boast a juicy playoff schedule (CLE, ARI, ATL) that could benefit whichever Bears RB emerges later down the line.
2023 NFL Schedule Release Losers
NEW YORK GIANTS
Big Problems in Big Blue. Per SharpFootball on Twitter, the Giants are playing seven of their first 10 games on the road this season. Last year, they boasted the NFL’s easiest schedule preseason.
With the Giants’ schedule dramatically more difficult than last season, we could see them fail to live up to the expectations that they set after making the postseason in 2022. They have the third-most difficult SOS for fantasy QBs, which could make life difficult for Daniel Jones.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Per SharpFootball, the New England Patriots have the toughest schedule based on Vegas’ forecasted win totals. It’s a tough scene for the once every-year AFC East champions, that find themselves at the bottom looking up at the rest of their division. Things start tough right off the bat, with a home opener versus the Eagles, followed by matchups versus the Dolphins (primetime) and Aaron Rodgers-led Jets in New York. They close the first month of the year at Dallas. Woof.
From a fantasy perspective, it suggests that the Patriots will be facing more negative game scripts. That favors more volume in the passing game, which aligns with what we have seen historically from Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. Likely bodes well for running back Rhamondre Stevenson to build off his strong 2022 receiving numbers.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
The Washington Commanders are relying on a combination of quarterbacks Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett to bring them back to relevance in the NFC East. However, that will be easier said than done. They have the 32nd-ranked S0S for fantasy QBs and the 27th-ranked schedule based on their opponent’s forecasted win totals.
Ergo, do not draft RB Brian Robinson Jr. The two-down grinder back will struggle to see volume if Washington finds itself trailing game after game. You are much better at selecting Washington’s receiving back Antonio Gibson at a later ADP. Washington has the toughest SOS for RBs in 2023.
NEW YORK JETS
Aaron Rodgers going to the Jets might not reap the rewards many think – at least not right away. New York has the toughest schedule through the first six weeks of the season per SharpFootball. They also own a bottom-six schedule for fantasy QBs, per FantasyPros’ strength of schedule tool.
ARIZONA CARDINALS
The Cardinals are not only a dumpster fire, but they also are tied with the Las Vegas Raiders with the worst schedule for fantasy WRs this season. Despite their horrible record in 2022, they don’t benefit whatsoever from a soft 2023 schedule that ranks 21st among all 32 teams. DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown (among others) might be in a rude awakening catching passes from non-Kyler Murray Cardinals quarterbacks.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
It could be tough sledding for the Raiders in 2023. They have the 4th-most difficult schedule overall (31st after Week 9) with bottom-five fantasy SOS for WRs and QBs.
2023 NFL Schedule Release: Bye Weeks
The bye weeks kick off starting in Week 5 with 4 teams on bye – Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Week 6 is tied with Week 13 with the most teams on bye (6).
Whether you call it Bye-Armageddon or the Bye-Apocalypse, the reality of six teams on bye leading up to the fantasy playoffs is not ideal. However, the schedule makers did fantasy managers a favor by pushing it back to Week 13, not Week 14.
The Week 13 bye weeks include Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants.
Week 14 features just two teams on byes this year between the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders. Thank you schedule makers.
2023 NFL Schedule Release: Playoff Matchups to Target
Take this with a grain of salt because so much can change between now and when the fantasy playoffs kick-off. But for some best ball tournaments like BBM IV and the FFPC where Weeks 15-17 are weighed heavily in the prize pool outcome, it’s important to acknowledge the games with high-scoring potential in those weeks.
From a holistic view, teams such as Dallas, Detroit, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Los Angeles Chargers, and Minnesota have plus-matchups from Weeks 15-17.
Week 17 Matchups to Target
- DET @ DAL
- MIA @ BAL
- TEN @ HOU
- CAR @ JAX
- LV @ IND
- ARI @ PHI
- NO @ TB
- CIN @ KC
- GB @ MIN
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