I only take into account s.o.s when dilberating between 2 pretty even players. I only look at the last 3 weeks of the season though, as those are playoff weeks.
all these guys make good points and bring up things to consider:
1. playoff weeks - grab a sleeper or too playing a hou or det these weeks and my biggest determining factor for even players
2. div - if they play in a division that is defesively tough or big on offense this can be a factor as well (shootouts vs shutouts)
3. sos - i do look at this but this has some to do with the division they play in. this should only be used when deciding between two guys of equal quality although i usually use #1 for the last factor
4. byes - this can be very important but i usually wait on this because i dont like passing up talent to cover a bye (can screw you with an injury) so only in the last few rounds will this come into play and anyway by that point its a crap shoot if you even use the guys
all in all i think anytime you ignore any of these you are wasting good knowledge but remember not to pass on a good player just to fill a bye week either. the guy who does the most research usually comes away better at the draft, so do your homework!
good points...i've only used sos more or less during the season to judge starters....during the draft is a different story...hmmm...i guess its studyin time...or maybe snack time and then study time....oh and don't forget nap time!!
I do look at strength of schedule. For team defenses, for instance, it can be a very large factor. I have to agree with stormriders, though, that in general the playoff weeks are the most important to look at (even without those end-of-season byes we used to see).
We actually have an article in the works that deals with this (time to replace the April Fool's Point of View ): last season, I was convinced that the key to winning my league was drafting Aaron Brooks, who faced the Vikings, Bengals and Panthers in the last three weeks. Funny how things work out...
I think strength of schudule is a huge factor in determining who wins a fantasy league. I've played 4 years and won my league 3 times, and I should have won the other if not for injuries.... I always take strength of schedule into consideration (especially playoff weeks) when deciding between 2 closely matched players. For example, I'd probably take Alexander over Deuce this year for that reason, and would rank Koren Robinson high on my receiver list for the same reason. I haven't checked out the playoff weeks yet, though. Just my 2 cents.
When drafting, you should not take strength of schedule into consideration. However, during the season, it's a good idea to trade for players that are in position to play a weak defense in your leagues playoffs. That's my take on it.
The front page poll that went up a day or two ago also asks this question; so far, a lot of folks are saying they do have an eye on the schedule when drafting...
when deciding between two players in the later rounds, strength of schedule could make hte difference between which of the two guys you choose, but overall, don't take it too seriously.
Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL anymore, every year there will be plenty of surprises and duds. Let's take a look at last year.
When schedules were looked at last year, anyone who had the Bears on their schedule circled that as a TOUGH defensive matchup. Well, they sucked last year, and as the year went on, you WANTED to start players against them.
Atlanta and Carolina were supposed to have bad D's last year, but actually played quite impressively.
The Patriots were coming off a Super Bowl victory due to the strength of their defense. WHere did that get them? WEll, LT and RIckey ran for over 200 yards against them, while Holmes had 181 yards.
The point is that it is just too difficult to tell who are gonna be the tough teams next year. We have an idea heading into the season, but things don't always go according to our predictions.
When looking at the strenght of schedule, take it for what it's worth, but don't get too caught up in it. Don't take Matt Hasselbeck over Aaron Brooks just because of strength of schedule.
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by stormriders » Thu Apr 10, 2003 1:22 pm 
): last season, I was convinced that the key to winning my league was drafting Aaron Brooks, who faced the Vikings, Bengals and Panthers in the last three weeks. Funny how things work out...
