Fantasy Strength of Schedule - Fantasy Football SOS

When most people think of fantasy strength of schedule, they think about the ranking that comes out every year based solely on won/loss records from the previous season. That's a quick and easy way to gage what the upcoming season might hold for a team playing in the NFL. But the fact is a truly accurate fantasy football SOS goes much deeper than the won/loss column from a year ago. In fact for fantasy strength of schedule purposes you need to toss records right out the window. Consider this: What if Team #1 had to face ten of the top twelve defenses in the NFL on their way to an 8-8 record. Meanwhile Team #2 had the bottom seven defenses on their schedule and they finished with an 11-5 record. The won/loss records point to Team #2 as being the stronger team. But is that true in reality? Maybe, maybe not. And how does a won/loss record relate to fantasy football points? The answer is it doesn't. The point here is for an accurate fantasy football SOS you need to look past the wins and losses and
concentrate on team statistics and fantasy football points given up by each team the previous season. Then you need to consider the impact that coaching changes, free agency, and rookies will have on the upcoming season.

I'm not suggesting that you create your own fantasy strength of schedule chart. There are plenty of fantasy information services that provide excellent fantasy football SOS data. A reliable fantasy strength of schedule should take the following into consideration:

1) Fantasy football points given up by each team the previous season. This data should be covered on a position by position basis. In other words fantasy points given up to RBs, QBs, WRs, TEs, Ks, and Ds.
2) Coaching changes
3) Free agent movement
4) Rookie draft
5) Playing environment(natural grass, artificial turf, dome)
6) Home vs. road schedule analysis
7) Upcoming season schedule vs. previous season schedule. This analysis should indicate whether a team can expect more or less fantasy production out of a given position.

The chart that you use should break down fantasy football SOS by position. The chart should tell you how many easy and difficult games each position on a given team will expect. The chart should break down the season on a weekly basis. It should also indicate how easy or difficult the schedule is for a given position early in the NFL season, late in the fantasy regular season, and during the fantasy football playoffs.

In general fantasy strength of schedule serves four purposes:
1) Fantasy football SOS is used in tweaking pre-season fantasy draft rankings.
2) Strength of schedule is used as a draft tool to build a fantasy football team that will have a hot start to the season.
3) SOS is used on a weekly basis to choose starting lineups and to pick up a starting TE, K, or D if the regular starter is on bye week and no reserve occupies the roster.
4) Fantasy football SOS is used as a tool to tweak teams in preparation for the fantasy playoffs. Future match-ups must be considered when evaluating mid to late season trades and waiver wire pickups.

While fantasy strength of schedule is one factor to consider when tweaking fantasy football draft rankings, there are many more that require your attention. Follow the fantasy football draft cheat sheet link below to find the article titled "How to Tweak Fantasy Football Draft Sheets".

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Fantasy Strength of Schedule