Each week I’ll be using data from PFF and around the web to give some insight into IDP fantasy football, and how using these metrics can lead to finding undervalued players, potential breakouts and sleepers.
This week’s column looks at the strength of schedule for the remainder of the season for linebackers. With the fantasy playoffs just around the corner there is no better time to start being ruthless with lineup decisions, and understanding which teams and players will have the most advantageous schedule will certainly help with that.
Playing the Schedule
For most fantasy leagues the playoffs start in either Week 13 or 14, just a few weeks away, and end in Week 16. For the sanity of your league mates and yourself, I hope no-one is the victim of a Week 17 championship game. On that note, although I have included the data for Week 17 in the tables below, I have not factored in Week 17 to my analysis. It’s just there for completeness.
First things first, who are the best (and worst) matchups for linebackers? You might be surprised to find out that the tackle-friendly home stat crew in Buffalo hasn’t been the boon for linebackers you’d have expected, only allowing on average 32.6 points a week, the 19th best matchup. The No.1 matchup through the first ten weeks of the season is actually the Texans, the only team to concede more than 40 points a game (40.3), whereas as at the opposite end of the scale five teams averaged less than 30 points a game, with the Eagles (26.2) being the stingiest.
Points Allowed to Linebackers: Week 1 – 10
| Rk | Team | Total | Avg |
| 1 | HOU | 363 | 40.3 |
| 2 | STL | 358.5 | 39.8 |
| 3 | PIT | 397 | 39.7 |
| 4 | IND | 351.5 | 39.1 |
| 5 | NYG | 351.5 | 39.1 |
| 6 | CAR | 389.5 | 39 |
| 7 | NYJ | 380 | 38 |
| 8 | BAL | 378.5 | 37.9 |
| 9 | JAX | 378 | 37.8 |
| 10 | NO | 333.5 | 37.1 |
| 11 | SF | 315 | 35 |
| 12 | MIN | 315 | 35 |
| 13 | CHI | 313 | 34.8 |
| 14 | CLE | 309.5 | 34.4 |
| 15 | TB | 308 | 34.2 |
| 16 | ATL | 304 | 33.8 |
| 17 | DAL | 332.5 | 33.2 |
| 18 | KC | 295 | 32.8 |
| 19 | BUF | 293 | 32.6 |
| 20 | GB | 291 | 32.3 |
| 21 | SD | 288 | 32 |
| 22 | DET | 284.5 | 31.6 |
| 23 | ARI | 281.5 | 31.3 |
| 24 | CIN | 281.5 | 31.3 |
| 25 | SEA | 279.5 | 31.1 |
| 26 | MIA | 277.5 | 30.8 |
| 27 | OAK | 277 | 30.8 |
| 28 | DEN | 266 | 29.6 |
| 29 | TEN | 262.5 | 29.2 |
| 30 | NE | 258.5 | 28.7 |
| 31 | WSH | 249 | 27.7 |
| 32 | PHI | 236 | 26.2 |
| AVG | 312.5 | 31.2 |
Having established the data point, the next question is, which teams have the best and worst schedules.
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Ross Miles is a Lead Writer for Pro Football Focus Fantasy. Follow him on Twitter – @RossMilesNFL Need more specific advice, start/sit help or expert opinions on trades? Let us know on Facebook by joining the conversation
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