We’ve previously published an article series analyzing and grading all the NFL defenses, division by division. Now we’re going to look at the strength of schedules of each NFL team, division by division, to help you identify players with the best matchups vs. the league’s weakest defenses.

Today we provide AFC West strength of schedule analysis. For each team, we will identify players that we like and don’t like. You will see four categories: players to target, players to avoid, players to buy and players to sell. Let’s get to it.

Editor’s Note: Be sure to read more about fantasy football strength of schedule (SOS) analysis, broken down by division and team, to prepare for your drafts and dominate your leagues. 

AFC West – Strength of Schedule Breakdown

Denver Broncos - Players to Target and Avoid

The Broncos have the benefit of being one of the most reliable sources for fantasy production. Between Peyton Manning, Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, C.J. Anderson, and even Owen Daniels, this is a team that is going to score a ton and spread the ball around accordingly. The thing is, with the exception of Daniels, you're going to have to select all of your Broncos fairly early in your draft so there won't be many weeks you're considering benching a player you spent a high draft pick on. That makes it a little tougher to analyze their schedule as it relates to draft value.

Denver might start the year with a tough three games against the Ravens, Chiefs, and Lions but overall their schedule isn't all that bad. Matchups against the Bears and Steelers could turn out to be shootouts while playing the Raiders twice certainly makes things easier. This is another team that is essentially matchup proof so when the time comes for a tough weekly opponent, you're just going to have to roll with it and hope for the best.

Players to Reach For

Demaryius Thomas is a borderline first round pick so I have no issue if you want to reach for him as the second wide receiver taken after Antonio Brown. I also wouldn't be opposed to going after Peyton Manning a round early to lock up an upper tier QB, especially if you play in a league with a more quarterback friendly scoring system.

Players to Avoid

I don't think there's any player I would completely avoid on Denver assuming their respective values line up appropriately. As an example, I'm not going to take Emmanuel Sanders if Randall Cobb is still on the board but have no issue making Sanders my WR1 in a 12 or 14-team league if he's the best guy available. The only player I wouldn't want to own on the Broncos this year is Cody Latimer. There's been some reports that he might not even be the team's third wide receiver at the start of the season so I'd rather spend my draft pick fliers on other players.

Player to Look to Buy Low

Tight end Owen Daniels reunites with his former coach Gary Kubiak who utilized him effectively in both Houston and Baltimore. If you're waiting on tight end, Daniels is the perfect candidate to select as a late round starter and you could probably convince his owner to trade him to you as part of a package deal early in the year. Once Daniels starts reeling in touchdowns for Kubiak it might be too late to buy low.

Players to Look to Sell High

No one expects Emmanuael Sanders to finish as the sixth best fantasy receiver again this year so if he starts out hot, I might look to move him for a player expected to break out mid-season. In looking at the schedule, maybe you can ship out Sanders right after a shootout with the Green Bay Packers in Week 8 and cash those chips in before he comes back down to reality.

Oakland Raiders - Players to Target and Avoid

Between running back Latavius Murray and rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper, the expectation is that the Oakland offense should be an improvement over what we're used to. The great part about that is that despite being viewed as possibly legitimate fantasy contributors, neither player is being drafted too high. That's good news when you consider the fact that the Raiders have a tough schedule, playing the likes of Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Cleveland to start the season. That's three tough defenses in a row with games against the Jets, Lions, and Broncos twice on deck.

The positive takeaway from seeing players like Murray and Cooper with tough matchups is that given where you select them, there's a good chance you'll have alternatives on your bench in those weeks. When Murray encounters a stout run defense like the New York Jets, take a gander at your RB3 and consider inserting him into your lineup instead. You can do the same with Amari Cooper but something tells me he'll be more consistent than his running back counterpart given his potential. A tough schedule isn't a reason to avoid a player entirely but you should just construct your roster accordingly. If you end up owning any Raiders this season, make sure you have some depth behind them.

Players to Reach For

Amari Cooper has legitimate high-end WR2 potential in a PPR league so I have no issue going after him in the fourth round in that format. He's going to get a ton of targets and his only true competition is a disappointing Michael Crabtree.

Players to Avoid

I would avoid quarterback Derek Carr in anything but a deep two-quarterback league. I think he could turn out to be a serviceable real-life NFL quarterback but as far as fantasy is concerned, there are plenty of better options out there.

Players to Look to Buy Low

Latavius Murray won't be as flashy of a name as Cooper so it wouldn't shock me if you can get him for cheap early into the season, especially if the Raiders struggle in those first three tough games.

Players to Look to Sell High

Honestly, if either Murray or Cooper start the year off hot, I'm probably going to just ride it out and hope for the best. I suppose if you end up taking a flier on Michael Crabtree and he starts producing you can attempt to to get something for him but I doubt he's going to hold enough value to even bother.

San Diego Chargers - Players to Target and Avoid

With the exception of Melvin Gordon, the San Diego Chargers have kind of put together a rather boring offense in terms of fantasy production. Quarterback Philip Rivers finished 2014 as the 12th best fantasy quarterback and has been basically pushed aside for shinier new toys at the position like Ryan Tannehill and the rejuvenated Eli Manning. The team's wide receiver corps is also fairly suspect after witnessing Keenan Allen suffer the dreaded sophomore slump. Malcolm Floyd was just okay last year but the most interesting pass catchers to keep your eye on this year are backup tight end Ladarius Green and veteran receiver Stevie Johnson. Green could easily claim the starting position over Antonio Gates while Gates is suspended and Johnson heads to a Chargers team that gives him the best quarterback he's played with in years. Both players should be viewed as late round sleepers at their respective positions independent of their strength of schedule.

And speaking of their schedule, the Chargers actually have some favorable matchups that should be on your radar for sneaky lineup decisions. If your main starters are hurt or injured, don't be afraid on rolling the dice on Allen, Floyd, or Johnson at wide receiver when the Chargers face the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5 or the Chicago Bears in Week 9 as both teams struggled mightily against the pass in 2014. I'd say you can view the Chargers as the type of team that lends itself to ideal plug-and-play situations. You won't want to depend on any particular player every single week but throwing in one of their WRs into your lineup in a tasty matchup would be ideal.

Players to Reach For

I'm a believer in Melvin Gordon this year so if I'm in a 12-team league or deeper and decide to wait on running back, Gordon is a guy I'd target a round early. Other than that, you can probably get the rest of your Chargers fairly cheap.

Players to Avoid

Unlike Gordon, I'm not a big fan of Keenan Allen. Players who explode their rookie season only to go through major setbacks in their sophomore campaign are usually a no-go for me. We've seen the likes of Trent Richardson and Doug Martin struggle to recapture their rookie stardom and I'm afraid that Keenan Allen may join that group of players.

Players to Look to Buy Low

Both tight end Ladarius Green and Stevie Johnson are going to be fairly cheap in fantasy drafts which translates to easy buy low candidacy early on in the season. With Green, you're going to want a serviceable backup tight end in the event Gates reclaims the starting gig upon returning so maybe pair him with someone like Heath Miller just in case. With Johnson, I honestly believe there's a chance he turns out to be the team's number one wide receiver this year so he's a guy I'd look to stash on my bench with my last pick or steal away from an uninterested owner in an early deal.

Players to Sell High

I hate to pile on Keenen Allen here but losing roughly 300 receiving yards and cutting your touchdown total in half from your first year to your second isn't going to make me have any faith in you. If he starts out hot, I'd send him packing to a WR-needy owner.

Kansas City Chiefs - Players to Target and Avoid

The stat you've likely heard ad nauseam by now is that the Kansas City Chiefs didn't throw a single touchdown pass to a wide receiver last season. The entirety of their pass-catching production came from running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Travis Kelce. That said, the team brought in Jeremy Maclin who reunites with his former head coach Andy Reid. It's a move that should prove to be beneficial for the Chiefs as they were desperate for a quality starter at the position.

The trio of Charles, Kelce, and Jeremy Maclin could very well turn out to be a solid offensive force this year provided Alex Smith stays consistent. Charles and Kelce are likely going to be your best options at their respective positions so I wouldn't let a matchup like Baltimore or Detroit scare me away. I would, however, considering benching Jeremy Maclin if my bench can afford it. As much as I believe in Maclin as a WR2 this year and a PPR monster, if I have the appropriate depth, there's no reason to force feed Maclin into my lineup when they play the Bills or Chargers, two opponents with a tough passing defense. Overall though I wouldn't be too concerned about owning any Chiefs this year as they're a fairly underrated offensive threat.

Players to Reach For

I'm all in on Jeremy Maclin so I'd be fine taking him as my WR2 in round five, even over the likes of Amari Cooper and Andre Johnson. Again, this is a player that's going to get a ton of targets and could be a PPR machine.

Players to Avoid

Much like the Denver Broncos, I'm not really avoiding any of the big names in Kansas City as long as their value shakes out. Alex Smith could even end up being a serviceable bye week fill-in or low-end QB2 option so I wouldn't say I'd be avoiding him like the plague. I'm just not going to roster him with the intention of starting him every week.

Players to Look to Buy Low

I still think you can get Maclin fairly cheap for what I expect out of him this year. Backup running back Knile Davis is also someone going late in drafts that would have tremendous value if anything were to happen to Jamaal Charles. If you don't own Charles yourself, it might be difficult to keep Davis on your roster all season but still, he's worth owning in all leagues just in case.

Players to Look to Sell High

Again, I'm likely rolling with Charles, Kelce, and Maclin if I own them in any league where their production starts being of value. That said, if I manage to scoop up an emerging tight end off the waiver wire, I'd send out some feelers around the league on Travis Kelce. He's a big name that will garner some interest and if you can afford it thanks to roster depth, maybe it's worth trading him for an upgrade at a different position.

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