East Coast people know. There is no feeling like a random warm day in February. It’s enough to provide you with hope that better days are ahead, and we got the fantasy football version of that with the NFL schedule being released. Now that we know who is playing whom and when, we have new data to analyze and projections to run. In terms of the AFC West, some big-name players picked up value in sneaky ways while others lost some steam.
How the 2026 NFL Schedule Release Impacts Fantasy Football
Denver Broncos Fantasy Football Schedule Analysis
Bye: Week 10
The tricky part with the Broncos has little to do with their schedule. They have three running backs who could lead them in scoring this season and five receivers who, assuming all enter the season on this roster, have levels of upside.
Bo Nix is how I anticipate getting exposure to this offense, understanding that he’s the one with less risk and will benefit from the number of options that this team has. I’ve got him pushing for low-end QB1 value, and while the competition late in the season is high, the idea that he may have to match Josh Allen (Week 16) and Drake Maye (Week 17) score for score has me encouraged.
The Jonah Coleman hype train will likely get moving as the summer progresses, and I think he’s a sneaky winner. Denver opens the season with three straight games against defenses that were top 10 a year ago in success rate against running backs.
MORE: Simulate the season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor and Season Simulator
JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey will likely open the season atop this depth chart, but a slow start is certainly possible given how the schedule plays out, and that could open the door for getting the rookie more involved.
I have Harvey ranked as the back to roster from this backfield, but when you factor in cost, I think it’s possible that Coleman is the best get on draft day.
Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Football Outlook
Bye: Week 7
Hierarchy is the name of the game in Los Angeles, not much different than what I laid out for Denver. Ladd McConkey is my highest-ranked receiver, but we saw last year that the role of top target earner in this offense can vary.
Oronde Gadsden impressed for stretches last season, but if the team was confident that they could rely on him to level up in a meaningful way, would they have inked David Njoku to a deal?
I expect McConkey and Gadsden to separate from their competition with time, and that is why I’m drafting them with confidence. The Bolts have nothing but weather-friendly games in December (an elite run-out with road games against the Bucs, Raiders, and Dolphins) and fantasy managers won’t have to fear the road trip to Denver (Week 18).
If you were interested in this Justin Herbert-led attack before the schedule was released, I think you’re even more ready to invest now. Omarion Hampton is a rock-solid RB2, and I’ve got McConkey finishing this season much closer to his rookie numbers (82-1,149-7) than his up-and-down sophomore campaign (66-789-6).
I’ve currently got him ranked ahead of Tee Higgins, Garrett Wilson, and everyone’s favorite 2026 breakout candidate in Luther Burden.
Kansas City Chiefs Fantasy Football Projections
Bye: Week 5
Kansas City gets a tough matchup to open the 2026 season (vs. Broncos), but each of the next three games projects as favorable (Colts, Dolphins, and Raiders) before joining the Panthers for the first bye week of the season.
That’s about as good as you can ask for as this team works to bring back Patrick Mahomes (torn ACL). If you’re like me in believing that this team is more likely to peak later than earlier, you have to like what you see on this schedule in terms of competition.
- Week 12 at Josh Allen
- Week 13 at Matthew Stafford
- Week 14 at Joe Burrow
- Week 15 vs. Drake Maye
- Week 16 vs. Brock Purdy
- Week 17 at Justin Herbert
The Chiefs have throttled down in years past, and that has cost us fantasy points at the most critical time. That doesn’t appear likely to be the case down the stretch in 2026. I have Rashee Rice ranked as my WR6 and truly believe he’s live to crack the top tier if the offseason goes off without a hitch.
Personally, I’m not drafting Travis Kelce as a top-12 option at the position this season, but there certainly is the case to be made for him to peak at the right time with this team needing to put points on the board in December.
Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy Football Schedule Breakdown
Bye: Week 13
Exiting last season, this looked like the Ashton Jeanty/Brock Bowers show.
Exiting the draft, this looked like the Ashton Jeanty/Brock Bowers show.
Exiting the schedule release, this looks like the Ashton Jeanty/Brock Bowers show.
Vegas doesn’t go on bye until Week 13, so if you were waiting for a soft landing spot with two weeks of prep for Fernando Mendoza to make his first NFL start, you’re not likely to get it. Coming out of the off week are home games against the Chargers and Broncos, not exactly advantageous spots for an offense that figures to go through ups and downs all season long.
Jeanty navigated a brutal situation as a rookie, and I expect him to be better from the jump this season. Bowers joins Trey McBride as the top of the TE mountain in both redraft and dynasty formats, and that’s not going to change for years to come.
You’re drafting those two and plugging them in weekly. Jeanty currently sits as my RB6 and is a player I’m actively targeting now that there is hope at the QB position and thus the potential for this offense to improve with time.
