The National Football League has a strength of schedule formula that's simple to understand ... take the opponents' records from the previous season, add up wins and losses and calculate a percentage. In fantasy football, there's a different method that evaluates a player's value.
Instead of team records, we use the number of fantasy points surrendered by opponents the previous year against a single position. For example, the New Orleans Saints allowed an average of 12.19 fantasy points per game to tight ends in 2015. As a result, any running back who faces them in 2016 receives 12.19 points. The bigger the overall point total, the easier the schedule.
While these ratings are not the be-all, end-all in determining a player's stock, owners can use them when picking between players with similar value and projecting potential sleepers or busts.
Fantasy points against rankings - TEs
1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
2015 Rank: 7
2016 FPA: 8.60
2. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers
2015 Rank: 4
2016 FPA: 8.51
3. Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2015 Rank: 28
2016 FPA: 8.36
4. Jared Cook, Green Bay Packers
2015 Rank: 34
2016 FPA: 8.29
5. Coby Fleener, New Orleans Saints
2015 Rank: 22
2016 FPA: 8.24
6. Ryan Griffin, Houston Texans
2015 Rank: 38
2016 FPA: 8.22
7. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers
2015 Rank: 11
2016 FPA: 8.21
8. Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions
2015 Rank: 13
2016 FPA: 8.19
9. Jacob Tamme, Atlanta Falcons
2015 Rank: 17
2016 FPA: 8.17
10. Jeff Heuerman, Denver Broncos
2015 Rank: 50
2016 FPA: 8.14
11. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings
2015 Rank: 14
2016 FPA: 8.12
12. Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts
2015 Rank: 60
2016 FPA: 8.11
13. Lance Kendricks, Los Angeles Rams
2015 Rank: 40
2016 FPA: 8.08
14. Zach Miller, Chicago Bears
2015 Rank: 20
2016 FPA: 8.07
15. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
2015 Rank: 12
2016 FPA: 8.06
16. Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans
2015 Rank: 5
2016 FPA: 8.02
17. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
2015 Rank: 10
2016 FPA: 7.96
18. Julius Thomas, Jacksonville Jaguars
2015 Rank: 15
2016 FPA: 7.94
19. Clive Walford, Oakland Raiders
2015 Rank: 30
2016 FPA: 7.88
20. Vance McDonald, San Francisco 49ers
2015 Rank: 31
2016 FPA: 7.74
21. Darren Fells, Arizona Cardinals
2015 Rank: 33
2016 FPA: 7.73
22. Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins
2015 Rank: 3
2016 FPA: 7.68
23. Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks
2015 Rank: 16
2016 FPA: 7.63
24. Benjamin Watson, Baltimore Ravens
2015 Rank: 8
2016 FPA: 7.60
25. Will Tye, New York Giants
2015 Rank: 25
2016 FPA: 7.54
26. Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills
2015 Rank: 19
2016 FPA: 7.29
27. Gary Barnidge, Cleveland Browns
2015 Rank: 2
2016 FPA: 7.26
28. Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals
2015 Rank: 6
2016 FPA: 7.23
29. Jordan Cameron, Miami Dolphins
2015 Rank: 29
2016 FPA: 7.22
30. Kellen Davis, New York Jets
2015 Rank: 83
2016 FPA: 7.13
31. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
2015 Rank: 1
2016 FPA: 7.11
32. Ladarius Green, Pittsburgh Steelers
2015 Rank: 18
2016 FPA: 6.87
Notes: Kelce finished with decent numbers last season, but he was inconsistent on a week-to-week basis. A schedule that includes games against the Raiders (2), Broncos (2) and opponents from the AFC South could help him in 2016. ... I love Fleener's upside in New Orleans' offense, and his cupcake of a schedule makes me love him even more as a No. 1 fantasy tight end. ... Fleener and Ebron should also benefit from their respective slate of games. ... Three of last year's top tight ends (Barnidge, Eifert, Gronkowski) have some of the least favorable schedules, but don't expect that to affect their value. ... Green has the worst schedule among tight ends, but his expanded role with his new team still makes him a major asset and well worth a middle- to late-round selection in drafts.
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Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
