RADIO
Planning too far in advance to align your fantasy football players for an optimal playoff performance comes with many pitfalls. Even from the initial publication of this article, one week ago, so much has already changed in terms of NFL defense versus position stats.
Regardless, positioning yourself for good fortune in Weeks 15 through 17 should be a key piece of your strategy if you're in line to make the fantasy playoff bracket. Fantasy players still have time to trade for names with sparkling postseason schedules, and your competitors who might think their rosters are set could be ignoring prime opportunities to upgrade their complementary pieces -- even if only for a single week in the future.
Which teams have the best schedules for Weeks 15 through 17? What widely available players might be solid stash targets ahead of time for the stretch run?
Prep For Fantasy Football Playoff Success
Here are some important notes about my methodology and how I set the rest of the article up:
- Rankings for fantasy points allowed per game to the given position are based on 0.5 PPR (half-point-per-reception) leagues. Composite schedule rankings are determined by prospective opponents' average points allowed to the position across the three games.
- Data was updated as of Tuesday, 11/27/24.
- Numbers in parentheses next to opponent names reflect how favorable the matchup ranking is ("1" means the best possible matchup, "32" is the worst, etc.).
- For free agents, I'll target players in Yahoo! Fantasy Football leagues with rostered percentages of 50% or lower.
- We may see wild swings in these stats allowed heading into Weeks 15-17. My recommendations aim to provide context behind these numbers that will account for and withstand any changes.
- I will not include one-week streamers, as they are covered week to week in RotoBaller's fantasy waiver wire and sleepers reports.
Now let's plan for a successful fantasy football playoff run!
Best Quarterback Fantasy Playoff Schedules
Most Favorable QB Matchups: Weeks 15-17
These rankings didn't change much from the first update, with TEN-TB-NYG-CAR swapping from the previous TEN-NYG-CAR-TB.
The Raiders join the top five, displacing the Falcons.
| Rank | Team | W15 Opp | vQB Rk | vQB PPG | W16 Opp | vQB Rk | vQB PPG | W17 Opp | vQB Rk | vQB PPG | AVG Rk | AVG PPG |
| 1 | Titans | CIN | 3 | 21.3 | IND | 13 | 17.2 | JAC | 1 | 23.3 | 5.7 | 20.6 |
| 2 | Buccaneers | LAC | 14 | 17 | DAL | 4 | 21.2 | CAR | 6 | 20 | 8 | 19.4 |
| 3 | Giants | BAL | 5 | 21.1 | ATL | 7 | 19.8 | IND | 13 | 17.2 | 8.3 | 19.37 |
| 4 | Panthers | DAL | 4 | 21.2 | ARI | 23 | 16 | TB | 2 | 22.4 | 9.7 | 19.87 |
| 5 | Raiders | ATL | 7 | 19.8 | JAC | 1 | 23.3 | NO | 22 | 16.1 | 10 | 19.73 |
Best Fantasy Playoffs QB Waiver Wire Pickups
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (9% rostered, Yahoo! Leagues)
- W15: Bengals (5)
- W16: Colts (9)
- W17: Jaguars (3)
If you're digging this deep, you might as well chase a high ceiling. These go-for-broke options fit perfectly for those with limited options and chasing upside in Superflex/2QB.
This second-year slinger unleashed on the Chargers in Week 10 (18-for-23, 175 yards, two passing TD, 41 rushing yards). Though the Titans traded away DeAndre Hopkins, they still boast Calvin Ridley and two pass-catching running backs, giving Levis plenty of outlets that match up well with these weak secondaries.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (4%)
- W15: Cowboys (4)
- W16: Cardinals (18)
- W17: Buccaneers (1)
Carolina's renewed trust in the 2023 NFL Draft's No. 1 pick has revived his sophomore season. Young hasn't been startable for 1QB leagues yet, but he's progressed across his past three games, highlighted by a 224-yard, two-touchdown effort in Week 8.
Adam Thielen's return marginally makes up for the trade of Diontae Johnson. The emergence of three significant rookies -- WR Xavier Legette, WR Jalen Coker, and TE Ja'Tavion Sanders and the presence of RB Chuba Hubbard (and eventually Jonathon Brooks) offer up enough offensive contributors to position Young for competent numbers for at least one of these weeks.
In Superflex/2QB setups, this schedule against weak pass defenses should put Young into the No. 2 starter conversation and put him on the list for deeper, desperate QB teams.
Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys (5%)
- W15: Panthers (6)
- W16: Buccaneers (2)
- W17: Eagles (28)
The Cowboys rank eighth in aggregate matchup ranking, just below the table.
Maybe even that cringe-inducing Eagles matchup could produce a heavy volume day that resembles Rush's past two games (64.4% completion rate, 300.5 passing yards, 3:1 TD:INT). Jerry Jones seems intent on not moving away from Rush to try out Trey Lance.
Dallas' likely losing game flows and lack of a consistent run game should continue forcing Rush to heave the rock often.
Tommy Devito, New York Giants (7%)
- W15: Ravens (5)
- W16: Falcons (7)
- W17: Colts (23)
Now we're deep into firm Superflex/2QB territory that we're even forced to consider Daniel Jones' replacement. DeVito (forearm) is questionable for Thanksgiving, and we'll see if the Giants stick with him into the fantasy postseason. However, any quarterback throwing to Malik Nabers could serve in a pinch.
New York should be throwing plenty late in ... likely all three of these games, so Tommy Cutlets could trip into at least one 20-point week.
Aidan O'Connell, Las Vegas Raiders
- W15: Falcons (7)
- W16: Jaguars (1)
- W17: Saints (22)
It'd be unfair to ignore the Raiders' Week 15-16 duo of ripe matchups.
Unfortunately, I prefer Rush and Devito over O'Connell. Not even Brock Bowers is enough to convince me otherwise.
If you need to figure out whether O'Connell can help your team, good luck.
Best Running Back Fantasy Playoff Schedules
Most Favorable RB Matchups: Weeks 15-17
The Lions replace the Chargers in the top five. Everyone else remains the same.
Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are on just about no waiver wires, but Montgomery's shoulder injury could make his immediate availability murky.
Carolina's duo of Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks is too widely rostered. Of course, so is Breece Hall (but not his Jets backfield mate).
Arizona's backfield presents interesting stash candidates, and the Raiders will likely continue to confuse fantasy players.
| Rank | Team | W15 Opp | vRB Rk | vRB PPG | W16 Opp | vRB Rk | vRB PPG | W17 Opp | vRB Rk | vRB PPG | AVG RK | AVG PPG |
| 1 | Jets | JAC | 2 | 26.1 | LAR | 8 | 22.2 | BUF | 3 | 24.5 | 4.33 | 24.3 |
| 2 | Cardinals | NE | 11 | 21.6 | CAR | 1 | 27.1 | LAR | 8 | 22.2 | 6.67 | 23.6 |
| 3 | Panthers | DAL | 4 | 23.9 | ARI | 12 | 21.5 | TB | 9 | 22 | 8.33 | 22.5 |
| 4 | Lions | BUF | 3 | 24.5 | CHI | 14 | 21.1 | SF | 10 | 21.7 | 9 | 22.4 |
| 5 | Raiders | ATL | 23 | 18.7 | JAC | 2 | 26.1 | NO | 5 | 23.1 | 10 | 22.6 |
Best Fantasy Playoffs RB Waiver Wire Pickups
Braelon Allen, New York Jets (32%)
- W15: Jaguars (5)
- W16: Rams (21)
- W17: Bills (2)
The 6-foot-1, 235-pounder stole the spotlight from Breece Hall earlier this season with some big performances but has faded to the background in recent weeks, notably since Todd Downing replaced Nathaniel Hackett as offensive play-caller.
Still, getting ahead of a Hall injury or favorable game flows could pay off against at least one of the pair of top-five pushovers. The Jets could lean more strongly on Allen to kill the clock against the Jags; attack the Rams' weak middle of the defense; and keep Josh Allen off the field versus Buffalo.
Trey Benson (26%), Arizona Cardinals
- W15: Patriots (11)
- W16: Panthers (1)
- W17: Rams (8)
Locking in elite handcuffs should already be part of your Weeks 15-17 running backs strategy. Benson happens to have a tantalizing matchup trio, too.
Should James Conner miss time, Benson and Emeri Demercado (0%), who could have more receiving duties, would immediately vault into the flex tiers, with Benson potentially sniffing an RB1 fantasy ceiling down the stretch.
Best Wide Receiver Fantasy Playoff Schedules
Most Favorable WR Matchups: Weeks 15-17
The Bears' wideouts are all nearly universally rostered, but other teams provide promising plug-and-play options.
| Rank | Team | W15 Opp | vWR Rk | vWR PPG | W16 Opp | vWR Rk | vWR PPG | W17 Opp | vWR Rk | vWR PPG | AVG RK | AVG PPG |
| 1 | Raiders | ATL | 4 | 30.9 | JAC | 3 | 32.8 | NO | 6 | 30.1 | 4.33 | 31.3 |
| 2 | Giants | BAL | 1 | 34.7 | ATL | 4 | 30.9 | IND | 15 | 26.8 | 6.67 | 30.8 |
| 3 | Packers | SEA | 16 | 26.6 | NO | 6 | 30.1 | MIN | 2 | 33.7 | 8 | 30.1 |
| 4 | Bears | MIN | 2 | 33.7 | DET | 9 | 29.3 | SEA | 16 | 26.6 | 9 | 29.9 |
| 5 | Titans | CIN | 13 | 27.6 | IND | 15 | 26.8 | JAC | 3 | 32.8 | 10.33 | 29.1 |
Best Fantasy Playoffs WR Waiver Wire Pickups
Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers (15%)
- W15: Seahawks (11)
- W16: Saints (10)
- W17: Vikings (3)
Jayden Reed (93%) and Christian Watson (58%) do not qualify, and Romeo Doubs (49%) sustained a concussion in Week 12, making him questionable for the foreseeable future.
This places Wicks into possible redemption territory after preseason helium made him a bit too popular for what his role was going to be.
This offense can support WR2 numbers for three wideouts depending on game script, and should Doubs or the other two miss action during the fantasy playoffs, Wicks could deliver huge numbers.
Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants (49%)
- W15: Ravens (1)
- W16: Falcons (9)
- W17: Colts (12)
As usual, Robinson sees a boost in PPR formats due to most of his action coming around the line of scrimmage. Still, Robinson sits as the likely No. 2 target for whoever takes snaps for New York.
I'm not sure I fully trust him against the Ravens, even with that No. 1 matchup ranking. However, Robinson could play a huge role versus Atlanta in Week 16: The Giants may try to avoid Falcons CB A.J. Terrell, who could shadow star wideout Malik Nabers.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans (12%)
- W15: Bengals (13)
- W16: Colts (15)
- W17: Jaguars (3)
With Will Levis progressing the past three weeks and DeAndre Hopkins' trade opening up targets, Westbrook-Ikhine has stepped up. Even before DHop was shipped away, Westbrook-Ikhine has hung around, averaging 4.7 targets per game over his last six outings.
That may not seem like a ton of looks, but Levis has looked more frequently downfield toward the 6-foot-2, 211-pounder, giving the fifth-year snare a career-high 1.71 yards per route run.
In formats that more heavily value big plays, even this modest increase in attention could pay off in a WR3 or flex spot.
Best Tight End Fantasy Playoff Schedules
Most Favorable TE Matchups: Weeks 15-17
The Cowboys replace the Denver Broncos in these rankings, just in time for a widely available possible difference-maker to emerge. Let's look at options beyond the universally rostered Trey McBride (Cardinals), David Njoku (Browns), and Cade Otton (Buccaneers).
| Rank | Team | W15 Opp | vTE Rk | vTE PPG | W16 Opp | vTE Rk | vTE PPG | W17 Opp | vTE Rk | vTE PPG | Avg Rk | Avg PPG |
| 1 | Cardinals | NE | 15 | 9.7 | CAR | 1 | 15.5 | LAR | 9 | 11.2 | 8.3 | 12.13 |
| 2 | Titans | CIN | 2 | 12.9 | IND | 8 | 11.4 | JAC | 6 | 11.6 | 5.3 | 11.97 |
| 3 | Browns | KC | 4 | 12 | CIN | 2 | 12.9 | MIA | 14 | 10.2 | 6.7 | 11.7 |
| 4 | Cowboys | CAR | 1 | 15.5 | TB | 5 | 11.9 | PHI | 30 | 6.3 | 12 | 11.23 |
| 5 | Buccaneers | LAC | 22 | 8.5 | DAL | 18 | 9.3 | CAR | 1 | 15.5 | 13.7 | 11.1 |
Best Fantasy Playoffs TE Waiver Wire Pickups
Luke Schoonmaker, Dallas Cowboys (11%)
- W15: Panthers (1)
- W16: Buccaneers (6)
- W17: Eagles (30)
With Jake Ferguson (concussion) out, Schoonmaker has averaged 7.0 targets, 4.5 receptions, and 55.5 receiving yards with a touchdown in Week 12. Schoonmaker has garnered plenty of trust from Cooper Rush, and the Cowboys' offense leans on the tight end position beyond CeeDee Lamb's targets.
Ferguson might return by the time the playoffs come around, but the Week 15-16 stretch is too favorable to not at least try to snag Schoonmaker with the mindset to quickly replace him.
Theo Johnson, New York Giants (1%)
- W15: Ravens (11)
- W16: Falcons (12)
- W17: Colts (8)
Though the Giants fell out of the matchup top five, the rookie continues to see his role tick upward.
This freak athlete has garnered six targets in each of his past three games, including Devito's first start in the post-Daniel Jones era during Week 12.
By the time this window rolls around, he could establish himself as a more consistent option if Devito or Drew Lock want to rely on him as an extension of the run game, similar to Wan'Dale Robinson, to complement Malik Nabers.
Best D/ST Fantasy Playoff Schedules (Streaming)
Best Fantasy Playoffs D/ST Waiver Wire Pickups
Cincinnati Bengals
- W15: Titans
- W16: Browns
- W17: Broncos
Though I recommended Levis to capitalize on the Bengals' Week 15 matchup, Cincy should still achieve plenty of fantasy points through potential sacks and takeaways.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- W15: Chargers
- W16: Cowboys
- W17: Panthers
Tampa Bay likely will struggle against Justin Herbert and the Bolts in Week 15, but the subsequent two games against likely punting teams are too tasty to pass up stashing them on benches. (Rarely do I suggest holding two D/ST pieces, but when planning for the long term in a playoff chase, I'll allow it.)
Facing Cooper Rush or Trey Lance with the Cowboys and Bryce Young with Carolina offers up plenty of chances for even a Bucs defense with holes to add fantasy points via sacks and takeaways.
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