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Going nowhere

Browns unable to take advantage of easy schedule

At 1-3, the Browns are just one of the lesser teams. But they’ve struggled despite also playing the easiest schedule. They’ve lost to the Giants and Raiders, and they barely snuck past winless Jacksonville.

Cleveland’s four opponents, in fact, have gone only 2-10 in their other games. That makes the slow start even more troubling. It may be getting Nick Chubb back at practice this week, but this isn’t a team that will be turning things around.

Deshaun Watson (pictured) is the headliner of Cleveland’s problems. He’s got a bad contract, and he can’t seem to get back to where he was at early in his career with the Texans.

The Bills are the other team that’s benefitted thus far from scheduling, with its wins coming against Arizona, Miami and Jacksonville. Buffalo’s opponents are 3-9 in other games.

The Bucs, Broncos and Ravens, on the other hand, have thus far played the hardest schedules (based on wins and losses, anyway). Those teams have all played four games against teams with a combined 9-3 record in their other games.

SCHEDULING, WINS (G 1-4)
TeamWLPct
Cleveland210.167
Buffalo39.250
Carolina48.333
Dallas48.333
Jacksonville48.333
Las Vegas48.333
Miami48.333
NY Jets48.333
Tennessee48.333
Chicago57.417
LA Rams57.417
New England57.417
New Orleans57.417
Washington57.417
Cincinnati66.500
San Francisco66.500
Seattle66.500
Arizona75.583
Detroit75.583
Green Bay75.583
Houston75.583
Kansas City75.583
NY Giants75.583
Philadelphia75.583
Pittsburgh75.583
Indianapolis84.667
LA Chargers84.667
Minnesota84.667
Atlanta93.750
Baltimore93.750
Denver93.750
Tampa Bay93.750

It’s early in the season, but the current win-loss record indicate the Patriots, Eagles and Bengals will play the easiest schedules the rest of the way. (Most of the rest of the way, anyway; with fantasy leagues tending to be over before Week 18, I’m leaving those games out.)

As things stand, the Falcons and 49ers should be playing the hardest schedules coming up.

SCHEDULING, WINS (G 5-16)
TeamWLPct
New England1929.396
Philadelphia2028.417
Cincinnati2127.438
Miami2127.438
Minnesota2127.438
Washington2127.438
Indianapolis2226.458
LA Chargers2226.458
Denver2325.479
Houston2325.479
Pittsburgh2325.479
Seattle2325.479
Tampa Bay2325.479
Arizona2424.500
New Orleans2424.500
Tennessee2424.500
Baltimore2523.521
Buffalo2523.521
Detroit2523.521
Green Bay2523.521
Jacksonville2523.521
LA Rams2523.521
Las Vegas2523.521
NY Jets2523.521
Cleveland2622.542
Dallas2622.542
Kansas City2622.542
NY Giants2622.542
Carolina2721.563
Chicago2721.563
Atlanta2820.583
San Francisco2820.583

If we’re using points rather than wins, the Eagles, Giants and Cowboys project to play the easiest schedules going forward. (The 49ers coming next, confirming that there are lies, damn lies and statistics.)

Cleveland, Baltimore and Kansas City (by the numbers) should have the hardest schedules for the remainder using points scored.

SCHEDULING, POINTS (G 5-16)
TeamAvg
Philadelphia24.61181
NY Giants22.51079
Dallas22.51078
San Francisco22.41077
Tampa Bay22.41075
Chicago22.31071
Pittsburgh22.31071
New England22.31068
Miami22.21067
Minnesota22.01058
Washington22.01057
Green Bay22.01055
NY Jets22.01055
Houston22.01054
New Orleans21.71043
Tennessee21.71042
Seattle21.41028
Detroit21.41027
Arizona21.31021
LA Rams21.21019
Denver21.11014
Buffalo21.11012
Carolina20.91005
Jacksonville20.8999
Atlanta20.6991
Indianapolis20.6991
Cincinnati20.4979
LA Chargers20.4977
Las Vegas20.2971
Kansas City20.2968
Baltimore19.9953
Cleveland19.8950

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index