X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

NFC East: Strength of Schedule Analysis & Players to Target or Avoid

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 NFC East 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. 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

NFC East - Strength of Schedule Breakdown

NFC East Opponents in 2015: NFC East, NFC South, AFC East

 

Dallas Cowboys - Players to Target & Avoid

The Cowboys offense must be in heaven with what they will see with their first six games. The Cowboys open with the Giants, and when they play each other, they usually make it a shootout. The last time these two teams scored a total of less than 28 points was in 2008. In week 2 the Cowboys get another divisional test at Philadelphia, which promises to be a high scoring affair. Weeks 3 and 4 are when you should be playing every single Dallas Cowboy you own. The Saints and Falcons are terrible on defense, so don’t do a double take if the Cowboys players put up whopping numbers. Dez Bryant, fresh off his new contract, will be having a lot of fun in those weeks and so will Tony Romo and Co. Bryant must be hoping he gets to go against Bradley Fletcher again when New England comes to Big D in week 5. He's looking to score heavily against Fletcher, after embarrassing him last season on national television. The Cowboys only face one great defense in the first half of the season, week 8 against Seattle.

The Cowboys have a very difficult fantasy football postseason against three tough defenses. Green Bay always plays tough at home and it will be frigid in December, and the Jets are expected to be a top-notch defense. To make matters worse, the Cowboys travel to freezing cold Buffalo in week 16 to take on a Ryan defense, which is championship week in the fantasy football world. Good luck producing high numbers against those top-tier defenses.

Players to Reach For

Joseph Randle could produce amazing numbers behind the Cowboys superb offensive line.

Players to Avoid

Darren McFadden is projected to have a 73% chance of getting injured this season. The Cowboys will also limit his touches to keep him healthy. I also don’t like Terrance Williams. Dallas News writer Tim Cowlishaw mentioned that Cole Beasley will be getting more catches in the slot which could hinder Williams’ production.

Players to Look to Buy Low

It will be tough to buy low on any Cowboys early on in the season. If Jason Witten becomes available for cheap, then jump on it. Witten is a very reliable tight end.

Players to Look to Sell High

After the first six weeks Bryant has a great chance as being the number one wide receiver in fantasy. Expect the Cowboys to have a really strong offense against the terrible defenses they face.

 

New York Giants - Players to Target & Avoid

The Giants open up with the Cowboys, a game where you’ll want to own every Giant. Manning has had some huge games in Dallas and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has another one to start the season. The Giants then get Atlanta and Washington, two of the worst ranked passing defense unit per DVOA last season.

Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz are looking at a great first three fantasy weeks. Shane Vereen may also get off to a fast start in those first three weeks so look to move him early on, as his value could jump to huge heights. Eli Manning will be targeting his big tight end, Larry Donnell, early on with the plethora of red zone opportunities the Giants should get.

In week 14 the Giants play in Miami, a defense on the rise that could put up a strong force against them. In week 15 the Giants are home against Carolina, which, again is another defense on the rise. The Giants play the Vikings in week 16 in Minnesota during the brutal cold time of December, and is also another defense on the rise. Basically, the Giants playoffs schedule are a swinging pendulum, three defenses looking better than last year but giving us no way of knowing whether they're going to get better or stay the same. 

Players to Reach For

Odell Beckham Jr. will have a monster year with his rookie season behind him.

Players to Avoid

Rueben Randle may have to battle for targets with Cruz, OBJ, and Donnell. 

Players to Look to Buy Low

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like any Giants player will be sitting in the buy low category. The entire offense starts off with an easy schedule across the board.

Players to Look to Sell High

A weak early schedule will make many Giants players look a lot better than they are. A second option like Cruz could be a big sell high if his numbers go through the roof.

 

Philadelphia Eagles - Players to Target & Avoid

I already wrote at length about the Eagles offense this season with Sam Bradford and even included glimpses of each player’s projection on offense. This could be a truly dominant offense and they begin their season with the putrid Falcons defense. Look for them to roll in that one and put up some monster numbers. Week 2 has the Eagles playing the Cowboys, and week 3 has them traveling to New York to play the Jets. The Jets will be a tough test for any offense this season.

Once the fantasy playoffs kick in, the Eagles might have some problems with Buffalo in week 14. They travel to warm Arizona in the wintery time of week 15, and return home to face Washington the week after. The Cardinals are a stingy defense, but I believe they will regress without Todd Bowles as defensive coordinator. The Eagles week 16 game is against Washington, a high scoring bonanza for any Eagles player. The Redskins defense might be one of the most undermanned units in the NFL.

Players to Reach For

Jordan Matthews could be in for a big year in this great offense.

Players to Avoid

The running back situation will get very annoying for fantasy owners. Not knowing how the carries will be divided between DeMarco Murray and Ryan Matthews will drive you crazy.

Players to Look to Buy Low

The NFC East in general is just not looking like a division with a lot of easy players to buy for cheap. The luckiest situation is DeMarco Murray struggling as they enter week 3 and almost definitely having a poor game against one of the best run defenses in the league, dropping his value a lot like Eddie Lacy's did last year.

Players to Look to Sell High

On the other hand if Murray or Matthews get off to hot start, you should explore trading them. As described above, it could be a running back carousel.

 

Washington Redskins - Players to Target & Avoid

Washington opens with Miami and St. Louis at home. That's the only hard start this entire division has and the Rams shut out Washington, 24-0 last season. The Redskins then see the Giants in week 3, on a Thursday night. Washington will have 3 days of rest and will have to travel, so look for a low scoring game from Washington. The Giants will be able to take advantage of Washington easily.

Washington takes on the Bears in week 14 who ranked 28th in defensive DVOA last season. That could be a nice game for Washington’s offense, but then in week 15 they get the Bills defense. In week 16, Washington travels to Philly, a poor but improving defense with this offseason seasons moves. Schedule-wise, this is a decently easy set of playoff opponents but the Redskins team might make it hard for themselves.

Players to Reach For

There isn't a player on this offense worth making those kinds of moves for. 

Players to Avoid

Griffin has a 61% chance of getting injured this season. He's already shown his fragility through the preseason, and every other season of his career. It's safe to just let the dream go.

Players to Look to Buy Low

Alfred Morris could have a nice quiet season.

Players to Look to Sell High

Cornerback on Wide Receiver matchups during the first two weeks might end up in DeSean Jackson's favor, and maybe that streak can continue into the Giants. But it's always been DeSean's fantasy M.O. to try be sold high.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

CFB

Eric Singleton Jr. Questionable For Saturday
Braden Schneider

Limited in Training Camp
Lars Eller

Recovering From Abdominal Procedure
Nick Jensen

in Danger of Missing Start of Season
Brandon Montour

to Miss Two Weeks After Ankle Surgery
Gabriel Landeskog

a "Full Go" for the Season
Samuel Girard

Avalanche Hope to Have Samuel Girard Available for Start of Season
Mackenzie Blackwood

Out Week-to-Week
Alex Tuch

Day-to-Day With Undisclosed Injury
Jordan Greenway

to Sit Out Training Camp
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Considered Day-to-Day
Simon Edvinsson

to Miss a Couple of Weeks
Mikael Backlund

Signs Two-Year Extension
Connor Ingram

to Be Waived by Mammoth
Zach Hyman

Misses Start of Training Camp
Nick Paul

Out Until November
Kris Letang

Cleared for Training Camp
David Pastrnak

Out for Start of Training Camp
Matthew Tkachuk

Expected to Be Out Until December
NBA

Trevelin Queen Joins Chinese Team
Damian Lillard

Not Rushing His Return
Brooklyn Nets

Keon Johnson Waived by Nets
Justin Verlander

Plans to Pitch in 2026
Junior Caminero

Day-to-Day With Back Tightness
Will Smith

Won't Return When First Eligible
Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest