Players With The Worst Fantasy Football Playoff Schedules (2024)
With the 2024 fantasy football playoffs just around the corner, it’s vital to be prepared. One way that you can do that is by digging into players with good and bad matchups. Today, we’ll be taking a look at a few players who have the worst fantasy football playoff schedules on paper. We’ve used our free fantasy football tools to help do this.
Worst Fantasy Football Playoff Schedules 2024
There are many reasons why one could be having a successful fantasy football season. Perhaps you drafted well? Did you pick up some savvy players off the waiver wire? Made some wise lineup start/sit decisions all year? Maybe it was a combination of all three.
Regardless, you clinched a playoff spot or are close to clinching one. Hopefully, your league runs its playoffs between Weeks 15-17. If not, you need to have a serious conversation with your commissioner. If you’re like me, you have already looked at your fantasy teams and players’ upcoming playoff schedules.
Every year some players have favorable playoff matchups and ones who don’t. In this article, we’ll be looking at players who have the worst fantasy playoff schedules.
Joe Mixon – RB Houston Texans
Mixon has been nothing short of sensational this season. His ADP before the season began was RB15 and 44 overall. Currently, Mixon is the RB4 even though he missed three games due to an ankle injury. Impressively, he is averaging 18.6 fantasy points per game, which is the third highest among running backs.
Odds are, Mixon helped you to win a few weeks in your league. Well, I hate to break it to you, but Mixon’s playoff schedule is one of the hardest if not THE hardest among running backs. All in all, he faces three top-10 rushing defenses.
The easiest game (and I use that word loosely) is during Week 15 when the Texans face off against the Miami Dolphins. They are the 10th-ranked rushing defense in the league.
If you manage to advance to the semi-finals in your league, then Mixon gets a matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs and their third-ranked rushing defense.
If by some miracle you advance to the championship finals, the matchup actually gets tougher for Mixon and not easier. The Texans face off against the Baltimore Ravens and their second-ranked rushing defense.
Mixon may have gotten you to the fantasy playoffs. However, I don’t see Mixon getting you far in them or being on many, if any championship teams. It will be difficult to sit someone like Mixon, but it’s worth tempering your expectations.
Houston Texans Fantasy Playoffs Schedule:
- Week 15 – vs. Dolphins (10th ranked rushing defense)
- Week 16 – at Chiefs (#3)
- 17 – vs. Ravens (#2)
Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce – WRs Indianapolis Colts
There are a multitude of reasons that I don’t like the Colts receivers during the fantasy playoffs.
While Josh Downs seems to have emerged as the WR1 for the Colts this year, he does have three games with less than six fantasy points.
Trying to figure out which receiver will emerge out of the Colts trio for any given week is proving to be challenging. In Week 10, it was Alex Pierce who led the group, then Josh Downs in Week 11 followed by Michael Pittman in Week 12. Every week is a roll of the dice with this trio.
As well, sophomore quarterback Anthony Richardson hasn’t thrown for multiple touchdown passes since Week 1, where he threw two of them.
Did I also mention that the Colts have one of the toughest playoff schedules for receivers? Notably, Denver is the easiest matchup out of the three games as they are “only” ranked as the seventh-best passing defense.
In the fantasy playoffs semi-finals, the Colts go up against the number one ranked passing defense in the league in the Tennessee Titans and if you survive and advance to the championship match in Week 17, they face off against the Giants who are the fourth-ranked passing defense.
Ultimately, there are simply too many obstacles for the Colts receivers to overcome to be relevant in the fantasy football playoffs. You may be better off just sticking with Jonathan Taylor out of the Colts players during the fantasy playoffs.
Indianapolis Colts Fantasy Football Playoff Schedule:
- Week 15 – at Broncos (7th ranked passing defense)
- Week 16 – vs. Titans (#1)
- 17 – at Giants (#4)
Joe Burrow QB and Ja’Marr Chase WR – Cincinnati Bengals
Unless the Bengals are playing in a winter wonderland like the Browns/Steelers Thursday night game in Week 12, there is absolutely no way I would consider benching Burrow and Chase.
In the fantasy playoff quarterfinals, the Bengals go up against the Tennessee Titans and their #1-ranked passing defense. The good part about this matchup is that it is in Tennessee and away from the cold and harsh elements.
The best matchup for the Bengals passing game is in the semi-finals in Week 16 against the Cleveland Browns whose passing defense is in the middle of the pack. However, it is a game in mid-December in Cleveland where weather could play a factor.
If you survive those two matchups and make it to your championship game, the Bengals face off at home against the Denver Broncos and their seventh-ranked passing defense.
Chase has the unenviable matchup of possibly being shadowed by All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain. This game also takes place at the end of December in Cincinnati where weather conditions could wreak havoc on the Bengals’ passing attack.
Burrow has been a top-three quarterback all season and Chase is currently the WR1. Both have the weekly capability and ceiling to help you win your match all by themselves.
I am not advocating benching them – not at all. But temper your expectations when it comes to the fantasy playoffs with this dynamic duo.
Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Football Playoff Schedule:
- Week 15 – at Titans (#1 ranked passing defense)
- Week 16 – vs. Browns (17th)
- 17 – vs. Broncos (7th)
Ultimately, the fantasy football playoffs are an exciting and nerve-wracking time for you, your league, and your fellow managers. If you have been playing fantasy football long enough (like myself) you know that the fantasy playoffs are unpredictable and anything can happen.
This is probably the only time that I hope my analysis and predictions don’t come to fruition – for you or for me. Good luck this year in your fantasy football playoffs.
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