2025 NFL Schedule Release: Fantasy Winners and Losers

The 2025 NFL schedule is set, and there’s a lot to unpack. For fantasy football purposes, matchups matter, especially at the start of the season and during the fantasy playoffs. Consider, too, the dreaded NFL bye weeks along the way. Let’s take an early look at how the 2025 NFL schedule release may impact the fantasy football season ahead.

Fantasy Takeaways of the 2025 NFL Schedule Release

The first four weeks of the season set the tone for the fantasy football season. Racking up wins before NFL bye weeks begin and injuries rear their ugly head is crucial. On the flip side, stacking losses may influence reckless add/drop or trade decisions. Let’s start by looking at teams that have the easiest and the hardest schedules across the first month taking into consideration matchups and the team’s own offense.

Five Easiest NFL Schedules for Fantasy Football: Weeks 1-4

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

vs. CAR, at CIN, vs. HOU, at SF

Liam Coen will make his head-coaching debut for the Jaguars at home against the Panthers. Carolina (31.4) is the only team that allowed over 30.0 points per game last season, and they didn’t do enough this offseason to drastically improve. Nor did the Bengals (25.5), who were one of nine teams to allow over 25.0 points per game. The Texans are a tough matchup, but at least it’s at home and the Jags could find an early groove on offense by Week 3.

4. Denver Broncos

vs. TEN, at IND, at LAC, vs. CIN

The last time we saw the Denver Broncos, they scored just seven points against the Bills in a Wild Card loss. They should fare much better to start this season, especially in home matchups against the Titans and Bengals. Bo Nix averaged 36.5 pass attempts and two passing touchdowns in two games against the Chargers in 2024, and Los Angeles lost Poona Ford and Joey Bosa to free agency. Overall, the Broncos have arguably the best defense in the league. That should lend to a favorable time of possession for their offense that added Evan Engram, rookie RJ Harvey, and others this offseason.

3. Minnesota Vikings

at CHI, vs. ATL, vs. CIN, vs. PIT

Minnesota will have to get through a Monday night matchup with the Bears first in what is expected to be J.J. McCarthy’s first regular season start. None of the Vikings’ first four opponents is a clear-cut, top-five defense, let alone top-10. Minnesota has a lot of firepower on offense, and it could be on full display early this season.

2. New England Patriots

vs. LV, at MIA, vs. PIT, vs. CAR

The Patriots are one of just two teams to play three of their first four games at home. The Raiders are a tough draw with Maxx Crosby hunting down Drake Maye, but the Raiders secondary is one of the more questionable in the league. The Panthers are already a known advantageous matchup, but the Steelers could be as well, especially if their offense can’t stay on the field. It may be tough trusting Patriots players in early season fantasy lineups with a new coaching staff and new names on offense. There could be some low-cost, high-upside value here with the schedule, though.

1. Buffalo Bills

vs. BAL, at NYJ, vs. MIA, vs. NO

Buffalo are the other team with three of their first four games at home. There’s no doubt that playing the Ravens at full strength in Week 1 will be difficult. These two teams have highly potent offenses and combined for 52 total points in their January Divisional Round matchup. At worst, the Ravens jump out to a lead and force the Bills to play catchup. Buffalo should then hit the ground running against the Jets, Dolphins and Saints, because neither team has a legitimate answer for Josh Allen. He scored 10 total touchdowns in four combined matchups against the Jets and Dolphins last season. There hasn’t been much change from last year’s Bills offense in Josh Allen’s MVP season.

Five Hardest NFL Schedules for Fantasy Football: Weeks 1-4

5. Kansas City Chiefs

vs. LAC (Brazil), vs. PHI, @ NYG, vs. BAL

The Chiefs’ toughest matchups in the first month against the Eagles and Ravens are both at home. That’s good. However, if they are without Rashee Rice due to a potential suspension, that’s bad. Kansas City is running it back with most of their 2024 offense in 2025. That includes 35-year-old Travis Kelce and a backfield of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, neither of whom averaged more than 3.7 yards per carry last season. Patrick Mahomes may have to do a lot of heavy lifting especially early on.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

at NYJ, vs. SEA, at NE, vs. MIN (Ireland)

Whether it’s Mason Rudolph, Aaron Rodgers or some other QB to be named, the Steelers lack firepower in the passing game even after trading for DK Metcalf. The Jets still have strong pieces on defense and a new defensive-minded head coach in Aaron Glenn. The Seahawks are a tough matchup and the only one at home since the Steelers take on the Vikings, the toughest of their first four matchups, in Ireland.

3. New York Giants

at WAS, at DAL, vs. KC, vs. LAC

The Giants begin the 2025 season on the road in back-to-back games against NFC East opponents. Malik Nabers, the player with the most fantasy value on the Giants, will face cornerback matchups of Marshon Lattimore/Mike Sainristil, Trevon Diggs/DaRon Bland and Trent McDuffie over the first three weeks. That’s with quarterback Russell Wilson backed up by Jameis Winston and rookie Jaxson Dart. All of the Giants’ first four opponents are 2024 playoff teams that should all be just as competitive this season.

2. Tennessee Titans

at DEN, vs. LAR, vs. IND, at HOU

Rookie quarterback Cameron Ward draws a brutal matchup against the Broncos on the road for his NFL debut. His first month in the league is bookended by a tough matchup with the Texans on the road. The 2025 Titans offense will have its growing pains. It may be best to see how the first two weeks turn out in the Ward era, especially with Tennessee’s passing game, before plugging Titans players confidently into fantasy lineups.

1. Cleveland Browns

vs. CIN, at BAL, vs. GB, at DET

It’s hard to envision an efficient Browns offense with the players they have in place. The biggest issue is quarterback. They currently have Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders on the roster. Regardless of who starts any of the first four games, Cleveland is likely playing catchup against all four opponents. The Ravens, Packers and Lions specifically are three defenses it will be hard to play catchup with.

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Three Easiest NFL Schedules for Fantasy Playoffs: Week 15-17

3. Baltimore Ravens

at CIN, vs. NE, at GB

Making the fantasy football playoffs is no sure thing. A lot can change throughout the season. However, if all goes well, there is plenty of fantasy firepower on the Ravens’ offense and their fantasy playoff schedule is favorable. The Bengals and Patriots have exploitable defenses and by Week 17, the fantasy finals, you’re starting your studs from Baltimore.

2. Seattle Seahawks

vs. IND, vs. LAR, at CAR

The Seahawks have two home matchups in December against the Colts and Rams. They’ll have already played the Rams earlier in the season. A matchup with the Panthers, home or away, is a huge benefit to all Seahawks players in Week 17 with a fantasy league title on the line.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

vs. ATL, at CAR, at MIA

The Buccaneers should be a top-scoring offense as is. They also have the best fantasy playoffs schedule by far. There’s very limited travel as they remain very close to home. The Falcons, Panthers and Dolphins are all exploitable matchups for big name playmakers.

Three Hardest NFL Schedules for Fantasy Playoffs: Weeks 15-17

3. Chicago Bears

vs. CLE, vs. GB, at SF

Chicago has a lot of potential playmakers and two home games to begin the fantasy playoffs. However, after an early Week 5 bye, there’s a lot of football to be played beforehand. The Browns, Packers and 49ers are no pushovers on defense, either.

2. Cleveland Browns

at CHI, vs. BUF, vs. PIT

After claiming the Browns have the hardest start to the fantasy season, the fantasy playoffs are no easier. The Bears, Bills and Steelers are all playoff hopeful teams with good defenses. It’s hard to imagine the Browns have many, if any, set-and-forget players this late in the season.

1. Green Bay Packers

at DEN, at CHI, vs. BAL

Hopefully any fantasy rosters relying on Packers earn a first round bye for the fantasy playoffs. Avoiding the Broncos in Denver would be nice, but playing the Bears in Chicago then hosting the Ravens makes for a tough stretch. This is also after Green Bay drew an early Week 5 bye.

Bye Week Breakdown

I never recommend drafting fantasy football rosters with NFL bye weeks in mind. The roster you think you may have during certain bye weeks could look completely different as the season progresses. However, there are some benefits to analyzing which teams have byes and where following the 2025 NFL schedule release.

As first glance, Week 8 stands out with six NFL teams on bye. That’s about halfway through the fantasy season. It could be worse as this sort of heavy bye week has sometimes taken place in Weeks 12, 13 and 14 in the past.

Week 5 also stands out, especially in regard to the running backs. Bijan Robinson, Josh Jacobs and others get an early break, but then have 12-straight weeks of play assuming they are on fantasy finals rosters.

Another week to think carefully about is Week 14 with four teams on bye. This is the final week of the fantasy football regular season. On the plus side, the players on these four teams will hopefully stay healthy and available for the first 13 games of the season. Unfortunately, if you don’t have a playoff spot locked up by Week 14, players like Christian McCaffrey, Malik Nabers, Tetairoa McMillan, George Kittle and others can’t help in a must-win matchup.

(Our Daniel Kelley did a deep dive on the bye weeks coming out of the schedule release to find the worse one of the season.)

Revenge Game Narratives

Justin Fields and the Jets will host the Steelers in Week 1. There is still a chance Aaron Rodgers signs with Pittsburgh. Both starting quarterbacks could face off against the teams they played for last season.

DK Metcalf and the Steelers will host the Seahawks in Week 2. As of now, Mason Rudolph is set to be the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh. Regardless, Metcalf will surely command plenty of targets against the team that drafted and recently traded him.

Cooper Kupp signed with the Seahawks, so he gets not one but two matchups against the Rams this season in Weeks 11 and 16 after spending the first eight years of his career, and winning a Super Bowl, in Los Angeles.

Sam Darnold and the Seahawks will host the Vikings in Week 13. There shouldn’t be any bad blood here, but Darnold and J.J. McCarthy have a little extra to prove and play for in this one.

Stefon Diggs returns to Buffalo in Week 5 in his first season with the New England Patriots. He is returning from a season-ending ACL tear, but should be ready to go, if not sooner, for his first of two matchups with the Bills.

Najee Harris and the Chargers host the Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 10. Pittsburgh let Harris walk in free agency. It’s possible rookie Omarion Hampton claims the lead back role for Los Angeles by this point, though.

After losing on a game-ending Hail Mary last year, the Bears travel to Washington for a rematch with the Commanders. Another matchup between Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels!

Fast Facts from the 2025 NFL Schedule

The Kansas City Chiefs are the first team in NFL history to play in five prime-time game over the first eight weeks of the season with seven total prime-time games. They also play on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you needed another reason to believe Travis Kelce is retiring at the end of the season, this is probably it.

For the first time ever, a team will play back-to-back games abroad. The Minnesota Vikings have a Week 4 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ireland, then face the Cleveland Browns in London in Week 5. This could be a foreshadow to establishing an international NFL franchise.

The Dallas Cowboys are the first team in NFL history to play four Thursday games in a single season. They open the season on Thursday in Philadelphia against the Eagles. Then Dallas has Thursday games in Week 13 (vs. KC), Week 14 (at DET), and Week 17 (at WAS).

In total, the Los Angeles Chargers will travel approximately 37,086 miles this season. That’s the most of any team in the league. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals will travel approximately 8,753 total miles, the fewest of any team.