Last night the NFL released the schedule for the 2023 season. While we’ve known each team’s opponents for months, we now know which weeks they will face each opponent. Now, fantasy players know the fantasy playoff matchups and which NFL players have easy or tough matchups those weeks.
2023 NFL Schedule Release: Every Team’s Schedule & Bye Week 
While plenty will change between now and the last month of the fantasy football season, let’s look at which players have an easy or difficult schedule for the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 14-17).
All stats are based on PPR scoring.
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2023 NFL Schedule Release
Let’s review the 2023 NFL schedule release to find the potential fantasy football impact for the upcoming season.
Difficult Schedules
- Week 14 vs. Packers
- Week 15 vs. Saints
- Week 16 vs. Eagles
- Week 17 vs. Rams
While Jones ended last year as the QB9, averaging 18.1 fantasy points per game, he only had four top-10 finishes. Furthermore, the young quarterback had five weekly finishes as the QB20 or lower last season. Meanwhile, his fantasy playoff schedule is challenging. Jones faces four teams who ranked in the top 12 for the fewest fantasy points allowed to quarterback last year.
His toughest matchup is in Week 16 against the Eagles, who held quarterbacks to only 11.5 fantasy points per game in 2022, the third-fewest in the NFL. More importantly, Jones had only 169 passing yards and one touchdown in his lone matchup against Philadelphia last season.
- Week 14 vs. 49ers
- Week 15 vs. Eagles
- Week 16 vs. Titans
- Week 17 vs. Steelers
Walker’s fantasy value took a hit a few weeks ago when the Seahawks used a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Zach Charbonnet. After averaging 15.9 fantasy points per game last year as the starter, fantasy players had high hopes for the star running back this season. However, those hopes have taken another hit. Walker’s fantasy playoff schedule is brutal.
The 49ers gave up the fewest fantasy points per game to running backs last year, while the Titans surrendered the third-fewest. More importantly, Walker averaged only 7.7 fantasy points per game against the 49ers last season. Meanwhile, the Steelers ranked 10th in the fewest fantasy points allowed to running backs in 2022.
- Week 14 vs. Panthers
- Week 15 vs. Giants
- Week 16 vs. Rams
- Week 17 vs. Buccaneers
Many fantasy players likely have Kamara on their do-not-draft list, given his incoming suspension. Furthermore, the star running back averaged only 2.7 yards after contact last season, a career-low. Unfortunately, the bad news doesn’t stop there. Kamara’s fantasy playoff schedule is atrocious. He has three matchups against teams that finished in the top eight for the fewest fantasy points allowed to running backs.
Meanwhile, the Rams were an average team last year. However, Kamara had only 42 rushing yards and 12.9 fantasy points against Los Angeles in 2022. More importantly, the star running back has averaged only 5.4 fantasy points per game over his past two matchups against the Buccaneers.
- Week 14 vs. Texans
- Week 15 vs. Dolphins
- Week 16 vs. Commanders
- Week 17 vs. Browns
Before everyone yells at me on Twitter, a challenging fantasy playoff schedule is NOT a reason why you shouldn’t draft a player. However, Wilson does have a poor fantasy playoff schedule this year. He has matchups against the Texans, who surprisingly held wide receivers to the fifth-fewest fantasy points last season. Wilson also faces the Browns, who gave up the sixth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2022.
Yet, the star receiver torched Cleveland last year for eight receptions on 14 targets for 102 receiving yards and two touchdowns, scoring a career-high 30 fantasy points in the contest. While the playoff schedule is less than ideal, Wilson should get drafted as a top-15 wide receiver.
- Week 14 vs. Dolphins
- Week 15 vs. Texans
- Week 16 vs. Seahawks
- Week 17 vs. Texans
After a disappointing rookie season, many are excited to see what Burks does this year. While the Titans have set him up to see a massive targets share in 2023, the second-year receiver has a challenging fantasy playoff schedule. Burks faces the Texans twice, who gave up the fifth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers last season. More importantly, the young receiver was held without a reception in his only matchup against Houston last year.
Meanwhile, Burks will also face Tariq Woolen and the Seahawks in Week 16. Seattle held wide receivers to the third-fewest fantasy points per game in 2022. Fantasy players who pick the second-year receiver in redraft leagues should trade him away before their league’s trade deadline.
- Week 14 vs. Ravens
- Week 15 vs. Commanders
- Week 16 vs. Saints
- Week 17 vs. Rams
Fantasy players should be excited about the potential upside with Waller in New York this year, given the team’s lack of go-to wide receivers. However, the star tight end missed 41.2% of the games over the past two years because of injury. Meanwhile, his fantasy playoff schedule is awful. Waller faces three teams ranked in the top 10 in fantasy points surrendered to tight ends last season.
Furthermore, the Saints and Commanders were the top two teams at limiting tight ends to fantasy points in 2022. While Waller is a popular pick this year, fantasy players should consider trading him away at the trade deadline for an impact running back and a tight end with fantasy friendly playoff schedule.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
