WR Strength of Schedule Analysis - Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Matchups (2026)

November 6, 2026

Bruno analyzes the 2026 fantasy football WR strength of schedule. Find the best rest-of-season matchups and wide receivers to target in trades.

Pittsburgh has the most favorable remaining schedule for wide receivers in this analysis. Houston has the best fantasy-playoff run. Buffalo sits at the opposite end, with a difficult month ahead and two especially tough matchups during Weeks 15–17.

The opportunities are different, too. DK Metcalf is coming off a one-catch game, while Luther Burden III has caught 19 passes over Chicago's last three outings. Both have appealing December schedules, but the recent production gives us very different places to begin a trade conversation.

Jacksonville offers the most useful combination of immediate help and a favorable playoff schedule. Tennessee's next three opponents look even better on average, but the Titans are off this week. That distinction matters for managers trying to cover a Week 9 lineup opening.

Fantasy Strength of Schedule Process

These matchup ratings combine four measures, with each receiving equal weight:

1. Full-PPR offensive points allowed to wide receivers per game.
2. Opponent-adjusted points allowed over the full season.
3. Opponent-adjusted points allowed over each defense's last three games.
4. The share of opposing targets going to wide receivers.

The opponent adjustment compares a WR group's score against a defense with its average in its other games. Return touchdowns are excluded. The four component ranks determine a defensive matchup rank from 1, toughest, to 32, easiest.

Schedule scores average those opponent ranks across games in each window. Byes are excluded from the average, with the number of available games shown separately. These are schedule ratings, not weekly player rankings.

2026 Rest-of-Season Fantasy Strength of Schedule

Pittsburgh leads the Weeks 9–17 schedule with an average opponent rank of 24.1, followed by Jacksonville at 22.3 and Tennessee at 21.9. Buffalo is last at 10.9.

The charts show each team's opponents, the matchup rank for each defense, and the average schedule score. Bye weeks are listed separately.

2026 Fantasy Strength of Schedule Time Frames

• Next Four Weeks: Weeks 9–12
• Stretch Run: Weeks 13–14
• Fantasy Playoffs: Weeks 15–17

Fantasy Football - Next Four Weeks Strength of Schedule

Tennessee: attractive after the bye. The Titans face Jacksonville in Weeks 10 and 12, with Dallas between those meetings.

Those defenses rank 30th and 29th in this model, giving Tennessee the best average matchup score over the next four weeks.

Wan'Dale Robinson caught six passes for 57 yards and a touchdown against Cincinnati after totaling only 29 receiving yards across his previous two games. His 20 targets over Tennessee's last three outings led the team's receivers.

Carnell Tate caught 11 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown across Weeks 6 and 7, then missed Week 8 with a shoulder injury after not practicing all week.

The Week 9 bye gives him extra recovery time, but his Week 10 availability remains unsettled.

I'd pursue Robinson for PPR depth coming out of the bye. Tate has produced more receiving yards this season, but his shoulder makes him a less straightforward acquisition right now.

Jacksonville: four games, including two against Tennessee. The Jaguars visit Baltimore and Tennessee, travel to the Giants, then host the Titans in Week 12. They also have no remaining bye before the fantasy playoffs.

Parker Washington had only one catch for 16 yards against Indianapolis, while Jakobi Meyers finished with two for 24. Jacksonville won 42-7, and Trevor Lawrence attempted just 14 passes before Quinn Ewers added three.

Washington still leads the receivers with 22 targets over Jacksonville's last three games, compared with 16 for Meyers. He has averaged 13.6 offensive PPR points per appearance this season.

I'd prioritize him if both receivers were available at a similar cost.

Baltimore: the schedule and quarterback situation point in different directions. Jacksonville, the Chargers, Carolina, and Houston give the Ravens the third-best schedule in this window. None ranks among this model's 16 toughest WR matchups.

Joe Fagnano, however, is making his first NFL start against Jacksonville after injuries to Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.

Zay Flowers went without a catch on five targets in Week 8, after drawing 11 targets in each of the previous two games.

Baltimore is also reportedly finalizing a trade for Jacoby Brissett. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the deal is expected after Thursday's game.

Flowers' recent target share is still 29.7%. I'd consider a discounted offer after that catchless game, but Baltimore's quarterback change is substantial enough that I would not pay for his earlier production simply because the schedule is favorable.

Buffalo: the difficult stretch starts immediately. Minnesota, the Jets, Miami, and Kansas City all rank among the 10 toughest WR matchups in this analysis. That leaves Buffalo with the lowest next-four-weeks score, 5.3.

Khalil Shakir has 15 targets over the Bills' last three games. I'd prefer Washington at a comparable price for the next month, especially when those players are competing for a final starting spot rather than a long-term bench role.

Fantasy Football Stretch Run Strength of Schedule

Washington has the best two-game combination. The Commanders visit Tennessee in Week 13 and host Houston in Week 14, drawing defenses ranked 32nd and 27th.

Arizona and Indianapolis have slightly higher averages, but each plays only once during this window.

Antonio Williams caught five of seven targets for 54 yards against Philadelphia. Treylon Burks had three catches for 81 yards, while Stefon Diggs scored his fifth touchdown of the season.

Williams is my preferred developmental addition from that group. He led the team in targets in Week 8, and Washington has already lost Terry McLaurin for the season.

Diggs remains the more established PPR option for a contender seeking help sooner.

Arizona's opening comes after a difficult month. The Cardinals get Philadelphia in Week 13, then take their bye. First, they have to navigate Seattle, the Rams, Kansas City, and Washington, a stretch ranked 30th out of 32.

Michael Wilson has 30 targets over Arizona's last three games, a 25.2% share.

He caught eight passes for 111 yards and a touchdown against Dallas while playing through two broken ribs. He remained limited at Wednesday's practice.

Arizona placed Kendrick Bourne on injured reserve Tuesday after a reported broken leg, further thinning a receiving corps that had already lost Jalen Brooks to IR.

Gardner Minshew has also replaced Jacoby Brissett as the starter after throwing for 188 yards and three touchdowns in relief against Dallas.

Wilson's targets and the depleted receiving corps keep him on my trade list ahead of Week 13. I'd approach him as a longer-term addition, with the ribs and difficult November matchups complicating his immediate value.

Pittsburgh's favorable run continues through December. Houston and Jacksonville in Weeks 13 and 14 lead into Baltimore, Carolina, and Tennessee during the playoffs. Every opponent in those five games ranks 20th or lower.

Metcalf caught one pass for four yards against Cleveland, but still had six targets. Pittsburgh's tight ends accounted for 129 of Aaron Rodgers' 172 passing yards, leaving little for the receivers in a 27-6 win.

Metcalf has 27 targets over the Steelers' last three games, with Germie Bernard at 22. I'd investigate Metcalf's price during Pittsburgh's Week 9 bye.

Bernard has caught 19 of those 22 targets for 144 yards and a touchdown. He is worth pursuing in deeper PPR leagues for the same December stretch.

Fantasy Football Playoffs Strength of Schedule

Houston has the cleanest three-game run. Jacksonville, Philadelphia, and Green Bay rank 30th, 31st, and 28th. Houston is the only team with three playoff opponents all rated among the five easiest WR matchups.

Nico Collins has averaged 15.2 offensive PPR points in five appearances. His latest game was a two-catch, six-yard disappointment against the Giants before Houston's Week 8 bye, which could make the acquisition conversation easier.

The Texans have added Marvin Harrison Jr. and brought Tank Dell back into the rotation. That makes Collins my preferred target here, rather than buying a supporting receiver solely for the December opponents.

Collins has 24 receptions for 329 yards and three touchdowns despite missing two games.

Chicago's receivers have production to pair with the schedule. The Bears visit Buffalo, then host Green Bay and Detroit. Those opponents rank 21st, 28th, and 24th, giving Chicago the third-best playoff score.

Burden has 19 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns over the last three games. Rome Odunze has 11 receptions for 195 yards during that span.

Burden also leads the recent target split 21 to 15, making him my first choice for a playoff-focused trade.

Denver's buying window could come later. Miami and the Jets make Weeks 13 and 14 difficult, before the Broncos draw Las Vegas, Buffalo, and New England in the playoffs. All three December opponents rank 21st or worse.

Jaylen Waddle has 20 targets over Denver's last three games, compared with 12 for Courtland Sutton. Waddle would be the receiver I'd seek if those two difficult late-season opponents produce a discount ahead of Week 15.

The Chargers have the hardest playoff schedule. San Francisco, Miami, and Kansas City give them an average matchup rank of 5.3.

Ladd McConkey just caught four passes for 86 yards against the Rams, his best yardage total of the season. Houston offers another favorable matchup in Week 9, followed by Baltimore in Week 10.

I'd use that two-game opportunity to explore offers for McConkey before the playoff schedule turns against him.

One rating deserves extra care: Atlanta's recent numbers benefit from Tampa Bay completing no passes in torrential rain.

The Falcons rank seventh in this model, but that unusual game makes me less willing to treat a matchup with Atlanta as a decisive reason to avoid a receiver.

The two full heat maps below show where those favorable and difficult stretches sit across the remaining schedule. Pittsburgh and Jacksonville offer the broadest appeal; Houston is the stronger target for managers already building around Weeks 15–17.

Make sure to follow Bruno on X: @MuleKickSports.

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