This is the NFL, so things can change pretty fast. But given the release of the 2017 schedule, we thought we'd start delving into the Fantasy takes that you should know about long before you even think about drafting.
Best four schedules
Worst four schedules
Teams with three-game homestands
- Arizona: Week 12-14 - JAC, LAR, TEN
- Atlanta: Week 12-14 - TB, MIN, NO
- Buffalo: Week 13-15 - NE, IND, MIA
- Carolina: Week 14-16 - MIN, GB, TB
- Cincinnati: Week 12-14 - CLE, PIT, CHI
- Dallas: Week 11-13 - PHI, LAC, WAS
- Houston: Week 4-6 - TEN, KC, CLE
- Jacksonville: Week 13-15 - IND, SEA, HOU
- Kansas City: Week 14-16 - OAK, LAC, MIA
- Los Angeles Chargers: Week 2-4 - MIA, KC, PHI
- Oakland: Week 5-7 - BAL, LAC, KC
- Philadelphia: Week 7-9 - WAS, SF, DEN
- San Francisco: Week 9-12 - ARI, NYG, bye, SEA
Teams with three-game road trips
- Atlanta: Week 7-9 - at NE, at NYJ, at CAR
- Cincinnati: Week 9-11 - at JAC, at TEN, at DEN
- Denver: Week 7-9 - at LAC, at KC, at PHI
- Minnesota: Week 12-14 - at DET, at ATL, at CAR
- New England: Week 13-15 - at BUF, at MIA, at PIT
- Philadelphia: Week 13-15 - at SEA, at LAR, at NYG
- San Francisco: Week 4-6 - at ARI, at IND, at WAS
Teams with three-plus opponents coming off a bye
- Giants: Week 6 (at DEN), Week 7 (vs. SEA), Week 9 (vs. LAR), Week 11 (vs. KC)
- 49ers: Week 6 (at WAS), Week 7 (vs. DAL), Week 9 (vs. ARI)
- Lions: Week 6 (at NO), Week 9 (at GB), Week 10 (vs. CLE)
Weeks with six teams on bye (aka Byenados)
- Week 8: ARI, GB, JAC, LAR, NYG, TEN
- Week 9: CHI, CLE, LAC, MIN, NE, PIT
- Week 11: CAR, IND, MIA, NYJ, SF, TB
Teams with early-season byes
Teams with late-season byes
Teams with most prime-time games
- Six: Kansas City, including four in five weeks between Weeks 4 and 8.
- Five: Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Green Bay, New England, Oakland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington.
Teams with most games indoors
Teams with most games on turf
- Falcons have the most with 13.
- Bills, Colts, Lions and Texans have 12
Schedule quirks
- The Browns and Jaguars are the only teams not playing on a Thursday this year. You can probably figure out why.
- The Patriots play five of six on the road after their Week 9 bye, and four of them are going to be tough: at DEN (SNF), at OAK (Mexico), vs. MIA, at BUF, at MIA (MNF) and at PIT. The Raiders and the Dolphins will both come off their byes for their Patriots games in that span.
- Four of Denver's first five games are at home, with a Week 5 bye mixed in. That's followed by a three-week road-trip, which is then followed up by home game No. 5 against the Patriots. Not saying it's bad for the Broncos, just unusual.
- Miami's season might be decided within a three-week span when they play at the Patriots, vs. the Broncos and vs. the Patriots in Weeks 12 through 14. Miami also plays three straight prime-time games in Weeks 8 through10.
- Not to be outdone, the Steelers play four straight in prime time from Week 11 through 14, three of which are at home!
- The 49ers don't leave home the entire month of November.
- The Colts play the NFC West in four of their first five games -- a gimme at home against the Browns is mixed in there.
- Five of first seven games for the Vikings are at home.
- The Bengals play three straight on the road in Weeks 9 through 11, then three straight at home Weeks 12 through 14.
- Three teams will play the week after their game in London: the Ravens, Jaguars and Dolphins. The Saints, Vikings and Browns will have a bye following their trip abroad.
- Technically, the Raiders have TWO three-game homestands -- a traditional one in Weeks 5 through 7 and another in Weeks 11 through 13. But that Week 11 game is in Mexico against the Patriots and doesn't really count as a home game.
- Five of the Falcons' final six games are in their own division. None of their first eight games are against NFC South rivals.
