Fantasy Football Playoff Schedule: Five Wide Receivers With the Easiest Schedules

Your pass-catching posse can never have enough depth heading into the postseason.
Fantasy Football Playoff Schedule: Five Wide Receivers With the Easiest Schedules
Fantasy Football Playoff Schedule: Five Wide Receivers With the Easiest Schedules /

The fantasy football playoffs are just around the corner, and it’s time to start looking ahead. If this NFL season has taught us anything, it’s to be prepared.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at which wide receiver rooms have the best matchups for the fantasy football playoffs. If you have a lot of these players, you are probably in good shape! However, it is always wise to pick up some depth in case of injury. As you go through waivers in the coming weeks, consider picking up the available receivers below as potential flex plays should the need arise.

(Opponents for Weeks 15-17 in parentheses)

CeeDee Lamb/Brandin Cooks (BUF, MIA, DET)

Those who have Lamb are feeling pretty, pretty good right now. Not only has the receiver put up some massive numbers across the last few games, his schedule indicates that won’t stop in the playoffs when you need him most. A shootout with Detroit in Week 17 looks awfully likely. Now is also a good time to consider grabbing Cooks, who has been getting more involved in this high-octane Dallas offense.

Brandon Aiyuk/Deebo Samuel/Jauan Jennings (ARI. BAL, WSH)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings
Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports

The Commanders in Week 17? Sign me up. Those with Aiyuk or Samuel are looking good for the championship week. Should anything happen to either of those studs, Jennings becomes worth a look.

Zay Flowers/Odell Beckham Jr./ Rashod Bateman (JAX, SF, MIA)

This Todd Monken offense has been hard to predict from week to week, but it certainly looks like a great schedule on paper. San Francisco has even been more generous to receivers of late. Flowers should be started, and OBJ should be on your waivers list. He’s been coming on strong for a few weeks now, leading all Baltimore wide receivers with 15 targets, two touchdowns and 212 total receiving yards across the past three contests. OBJ exploded for a season-high 116 yards last Thursday vs. the Bengals and I’m willing to bet on his experience. With Mark Andrews likely out for the season, Beckham’s veteran presence and ability should not remain on the waiver wire for your fantasy playoffs.

Marquise Brown/Michael Wilson/Rondale Moore (SF, CHI, PHI)

Depending on health, this list could also include Greg Dortch. Chicago and Philadelphia have been especially generous of late, and Kyler Murray looks like he’s in it to win it. Hollywood is likely already rostered, but many leagues still have Wilson, who will work on the outside, and Moore, who will work out of the slot, still available. As each week goes by, Kyler will likely only get better, and I’m making some insurance moves now for these receivers.

Cooper Kupp/Puka Nacua/Tutu Atwell (WSH, NO, NYG)

It’s a great playoff schedule for Kupp and Nacua, who have already proven they are studs even in tougher matchups. These three teams are bottom-seven vs. wideouts across the last four weeks of play, so fire them up with confidence, and consider adding Atwell now in deeper leagues.

Others: DK Metcalf/Tyler Lockett/Jaxon Smith-Njigba (PHI, TEN, PIT), Darius Slayton/Wan’Dale Robinson/Jalin Hyatt (NO, PHI, LAR), Michael Pittman/Josh Downs/Alec Pierce (PIT, ATL, LV)

Fantasy Football Playoff Schedule: Five Tight Ends With the Easiest Matchups

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Jennifer Piacenti
JENNIFER PIACENTI

Jennifer Piacenti is a fantasy sports and betting analyst for Sports Illustrated. She serves as a host for Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio and has her own podcast, “Waiver Wired,” on the Extra Points podcast network. Piacenti is also a featured expert on MLB Network’s “Bettor’s Eye” and is a member of the esteemed Tout Wars, the fantasy baseball battle of the experts. She is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and is a 2020 Scott Fish Bowl finalist.