Here at NerdBall, we are constantly looking for ways to give you an edge in fantasy football. As part of that process, I developed my NEFF efficiency ratings to identify the best teams in the NFL based on an expansive list of statistical measures. Now, I’ve taken my NEFF ratings for pass and run defenses and created a strength of schedule for fantasy football.
The goal is to show what teams have waiting ahead of them to help you best evaluate your fantasy roster. I have two tables here. First shows the strength of schedule for the next four weeks and rest of the season. This gives you the ability to see who might be in for a rough couple of weeks production-wise.
I will also be updating each team’s season to date strength. This is a great tool for seeing if an underperforming player is playing poorly simply because of schedule or because they aren’t at the level we expected them to be.
The strength of schedule has been updated through Week 6.
Strength of Schedule Next 4 Weeks & Rest of Season.
1 = Hardest schedule strength, 32 = Easiest schedule strength
| Team | Av Pass Defense Rank Next 4 Weeks | Pass Defense Rank Next 4 Weeks | Av Run Defense Rank Next 4 Weeks | Run Defense Rank Next 4 Weeks | Av Pass Defense Rank Rest of Season | Pass Defense Rank Rest of Season | Av Run Defense Rank Rest of Season | Run Defense Rank Rest of Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 12.3 | 6 | 11.5 | 6 | 15.1 | 9 | 18.0 | 24 |
| Bears | 20.7 | 27 | 8.3 | 4 | 16.4 | 18 | 16.2 | 14 |
| Bengals | 16.0 | 15 | 15.3 | 14 | 14.5 | 8 | 16.3 | 15 |
| Bills | 22.7 | 30 | 26.7 | 32 | 19.0 | 28 | 15.3 | 9 |
| Broncos | 23.0 | 31 | 13.5 | 9 | 16.3 | 16 | 21.2 | 32 |
| Browns | 11.5 | 4 | 7.3 | 2 | 13.6 | 4 | 11.3 | 1 |
| Buccaneers | 18.3 | 21 | 10.7 | 5 | 15.6 | 13 | 13.2 | 5 |
| Cardinals | 13.0 | 8 | 20.3 | 23 | 17.9 | 24 | 17.8 | 21 |
| Chargers | 11.7 | 5 | 18.7 | 22 | 13.5 | 2 | 17.5 | 19 |
| Chiefs | 19.0 | 26 | 20.8 | 25 | 13.5 | 2 | 15.4 | 11 |
| Colts | 18.5 | 23 | 23.8 | 30 | 16.0 | 15 | 19.5 | 29 |
| Cowboys | 10.7 | 3 | 14.0 | 12 | 16.8 | 19 | 17.9 | 23 |
| Dolphins | 14.5 | 13 | 16.5 | 19 | 15.1 | 10 | 17.8 | 21 |
| Eagles | 9.8 | 1 | 21.0 | 26 | 18.8 | 27 | 18.7 | 27 |
| Falcons | 18.8 | 24 | 11.8 | 7 | 16.8 | 20 | 12.9 | 4 |
| Football Team | 16.7 | 16 | 6.7 | 1 | 18.4 | 25 | 15.7 | 12 |
| Giants | 13.3 | 9 | 23.7 | 29 | 18.5 | 26 | 19.0 | 28 |
| Jaguars | 18.3 | 21 | 12.3 | 8 | 17.5 | 21 | 16.7 | 16 |
| Jets | 12.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 3 | 17.8 | 23 | 14.3 | 6 |
| Lions | 13.7 | 12 | 15.7 | 16 | 13.4 | 1 | 14.7 | 7 |
| Packers | 20.8 | 28 | 21.8 | 27 | 15.4 | 12 | 18.1 | 25 |
| Panthers | 17.3 | 17 | 16.3 | 18 | 20.5 | 32 | 12.2 | 3 |
| Patriots | 10.3 | 2 | 20.5 | 24 | 15.9 | 14 | 16.8 | 17 |
| Raiders | 22.3 | 29 | 26.3 | 31 | 19.0 | 28 | 16.9 | 18 |
| Rams | 18.8 | 24 | 23.0 | 28 | 16.3 | 16 | 20.5 | 30 |
| Ravens | 13.3 | 9 | 17.7 | 20 | 14.2 | 5 | 11.7 | 2 |
| Saints | 25.5 | 32 | 15.5 | 15 | 20.3 | 31 | 15.3 | 10 |
| Seahawks | 17.3 | 19 | 15.0 | 13 | 14.4 | 6 | 17.5 | 20 |
| Steelers | 17.7 | 20 | 13.7 | 11 | 15.3 | 11 | 16.1 | 13 |
| Texans | 13.3 | 9 | 18.3 | 21 | 17.7 | 22 | 20.7 | 31 |
| Titans | 17.3 | 17 | 13.5 | 9 | 19.0 | 28 | 18.5 | 26 |
| Vikings | 15.3 | 14 | 15.7 | 16 | 14.4 | 6 | 14.9 | 8 |
Strength of Schedule 2021 Season to Date
| Team | Av Pass Defense Rank Faced | Pass Defense Faced Rank | Av Run Defense Rank Faced | Run Defense Faced Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 15.6 | 14 | 20.0 | 29 |
| Bears | 12.7 | 4 | 16.2 | 16 |
| Bengals | 16.2 | 18 | 16.8 | 21 |
| Bills | 24.3 | 32 | 20.7 | 30 |
| Broncos | 18.8 | 23 | 16.3 | 18 |
| Browns | 10.2 | 1 | 23.2 | 32 |
| Buccaneers | 17.4 | 21 | 14.9 | 12 |
| Cardinals | 15.8 | 16 | 18.8 | 24 |
| Chargers | 21.2 | 29 | 16.0 | 15 |
| Chiefs | 14.8 | 9 | 16.2 | 16 |
| Colts | 20.5 | 27 | 21.5 | 31 |
| Cowboys | 16.8 | 20 | 17.8 | 22 |
| Dolphins | 18.5 | 22 | 12.7 | 4 |
| Eagles | 20.2 | 26 | 14.7 | 10 |
| Falcons | 23.2 | 31 | 19.2 | 27 |
| Football Team | 14.8 | 9 | 18.8 | 24 |
| Giants | 19.4 | 24 | 12.2 | 3 |
| Jaguars | 14.2 | 8 | 16.7 | 20 |
| Jets | 15.2 | 13 | 13.0 | 5 |
| Lions | 11.0 | 3 | 14.3 | 9 |
| Packers | 13.5 | 5 | 11.7 | 1 |
| Panthers | 13.7 | 6 | 19.2 | 26 |
| Patriots | 20.7 | 28 | 15.7 | 14 |
| Raiders | 14.8 | 9 | 14.2 | 8 |
| Rams | 21.2 | 29 | 13.3 | 6 |
| Ravens | 15.0 | 12 | 19.3 | 28 |
| Saints | 19.8 | 25 | 16.4 | 19 |
| Seahawks | 15.8 | 16 | 14.0 | 7 |
| Steelers | 10.2 | 1 | 14.8 | 11 |
| Texans | 16.7 | 19 | 11.8 | 2 |
| Titans | 15.7 | 15 | 17.8 | 22 |
| Vikings | 13.7 | 6 | 15.5 | 13 |