NFL Schedule Release: Strength of Schedule Winners and Losers for 2026

May 14, 2026

Jeffrey Becker - Imagn Images

Strength of schedule is a draft tool that can help when making decisions between several players at the same ADP, regardless of fantasy football format. There are several ways to calculate an NFL team’s SOS; the first is by using the combined records of a team’s opponents from the previous season.

This method does have its share of flaws, due to free agency, injuries, trades, and the NFL Draft. Using last year’s winning percentage method, here’s how all 32 teams pan out in terms of strength of schedule.

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Each team’s strength of schedule for the upcoming season ahead of Thursday’s schedule release: pic.twitter.com/81g7PQJ6ee

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 12, 2026

Sharp Football Analysis offers a different approach, one that uses projected win totals from Vegas. While neither method is perfect, using estimated data for the 2026 season gives us a more focused and current outlook rather than using last year’s information to attempt to predict what’s to come.

SOS Rank	Team	Vegas Win Total
1	Detroit Lions	10.5
2	New Orleans Saints	7.5
3	Cincinnati Bengals	9.5
4	Cleveland Browns	6.5
5	New York Jets	5.5
6	Baltimore Ravens	11.5
7	Philadelphia Eagles	10.5
8	San Francisco 49ers	10.5
9	Indianapolis Colts	8.5
10	Kansas City Chiefs	10.5
11	Denver Broncos	9.5
12	New England Patriots	9.5
13	Tennesee Titans	6.5
14	Buffalo Bills	10.5
15	Jacksonville Jaguars	9.5
16	Minnesota Vikings	8.5
17	Green Bay Packers	10.5
18	Pittsburgh Steelers	8.5
19	Las Vegas Raiders	5.5
20	Atlanta Falcons	7.5
21	Los Angeles Chargers	10.5
22	Seattle Seahawks	10.5
23	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8.5
24	New York Giants	7.5
25	Washington Commanders	7.5
26	Houston Texans	9.5
27	Chicago Bears	9.5
28	Los Angleles Rams	11.5
29	Dallas Cowboys	8.5
30	Carolina Panthers	6.5
31	Miami Dolphins	4.5
32	Arizona Cardinals	4.5

*table is taken from Sharp Analysis

Winners

Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow is likely out for revenge after a shortened 2025 season, and the Bengals schedule appears to be complying for him and his teammates. They feature the third-easiest schedule by last season's calculations and Vegas odds, with, of course, two contests against the Browns, along with dates with Miami, Tennessee, New Orleans, and Carolina. After a rough last season with just six wins, the Bengals are in a great spot for a 2026 bounce-back campaign.

Despite last year's output, three Bengals are being drafted in the top three rounds, with Ja'Marr Chase boasting a current Underdog ADP of 3.1, Chase Brown being drafted at 18.8, and Tee Higgins leaving boards at the 3.12 spot. Burrow is a sixth-rounder, so there is no discount there, either. The stacking pieces are all affordable, though, and we'll have a better picture of which ones to focus on as the summer rolls on.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens were already in a great spot talent-wise, but this schedule is a gift. Their first six opponents - the Colts, Saints, Cowboys, Titans, Falcons, and Browns - were all under .500 last season and combined for just 37 wins. The middle of the season gets a bit tougher, but if they can start hot, which is the opposite of 2025, they get a late Week 13 bye, and Baltimore has reached the playoffs in seven of the eight seasons where their bye has been in Week 10 or later.

Only one Raven sits in the first three rounds in ADP, and we all know you can't fade Derrick Henry (18.8). The rest of the fantasy pieces are quite affordable, with Zay Flowers next at 4.03. followed by Lamar Jackson at 5.06, but the steal for Baltimore is Mark Andrews, who is currently being drafted with an ADP of 128.7, despite the absence of Isaiah Likely.

Detroit Lions

After a disappointing 2025 season in which they failed to make the playoffs, the Lions drew the easiest schedule by Vegas odds. They get the NFC South and AFC East this season, two conferences that don't exactly instill fear in their opponents, with the exception of the Bills. Detroit is stacked with fantasy pieces, and there are players in all price ranges and all skill positions.

Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown will cost you a first, but Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta are nicely priced at 48.1 and 98.8, respectively. Isiah Pacheco, Isaac TeSlaa, and Greg Dortch make for nice late-round grabs for stacking.

Honorable Mention Winners: Chiefs, Saints, Browns

Losers

Miami Dolphins

My poor hometown team. Not only are they in a rebuild, but they have the second-toughest schedule by both methods used to calculate strength. You know it's bleak when only one player has an ADP above Round 12, and that 12th rounder is Malik Willis. De'Von Achane is worth the hefty ADP at 14.1, and a Miami stack is sprinkelable since their WR corps is so inexpensive. I wouldn't invest in many of the Dolphins' pieces in redraft this season due to the perfect storm of rough schedule draw, new coaching staff, and roster rebuild, but have at it in best ball because you never know until they play the games.

Arizona Cardinals

Speaking of rebuilds and bad bounces, the Cardinals are in a similar boat as Miami in 2026. Moving on from Kyler Murray and operating with a new coach, Mike LaFleur, Arizona's schedule ranks as the toughest by Vegas odds and the third most difficult by last year's records. They will face the Chargers, Seahawks, and 49ers, three of whom made the playoffs last season, right out of the gate. Both rookie RB Jeremyiah Love and Trey McBride will cost you a second-round pick on Underdog, but the rest of the Cardinals were already priced for the rebuild, most notably Marvin Harrison's drop to 6.09. James Conner at 213.5 is someone to grab, as he is not going away, and should still have enough of a role to outproduce his final round dart throw ADP.

Chicago Bears

The Bears' schedule reads the toughest by the traditional measure of win/loss records from 2025. Coming off the NFC North win, they of course get the Lions, Packers, and Vikings both at home and away, plus they will face the Bills, Dolphins, Seahawks, Eagles, and Jaguars, all on the road. Caleb Williams should be in for another jump in execution, but the toughness in schedule may play a factor in his weekly fantasy floor.

Chicago's five main fantasy pieces are being drafted in Rounds 4-6, making them stackable, but you have to commit. Kyle Monongai is the outlier here at 90.0, if you miss on one or more and want to add a nice later-round RB option.

Honorable Mention Losers: Broncos, Bills, Patriots