Fantasy Football Buy, Sell, Hold: Malik Nabers, De'Von Achane and More

The 2026 NFL schedule has just been released, and I am here to warn you: Do not put too much weight into a team's strength of schedule for fantasy purposes.

With that being said, I am also here to put some weight on it (with a caveat).

The caveat: Use each team’s strength of schedule as a singular stone to be added to a balanced scale.

That is: When determining how schedules affect fantasy values, think of it as one additional layer towards 'tipping the scales' on a player's question marks. We have plenty of stones to consider in totality:

Player projections
Personnel changes
Injury history
Previous performances
Player ADP/trade cost
Yards after catch
Target share

Fantasy football strength of schedule alone does not make (or break) a fantasy player. But it can be used as an additional layer of verification in your processes when buying, selling or holding players. And on those "tough to decide" players, it might be the final stone that tips the scale.

Let's take a few examples, shall we?

Buy These Players In Fantasy Football

Tyler Shough | QB | NO

The late-season breakout has big shoes to fill. Specifically, his own.

Last season, we caught glimpses of Shough's ceiling with 300-plus-passing-yard games and his rushing TD upside. But it's important to note that we didn't really see Shough hit his stride in fantasy until the final six weeks of the season.

Even then, Shough never eclipsed more than a few low-20-point games during those "great" weeks. But he comes into 2026 with:

Nine full NFL starts under his belt
An elevated offense built around him (Helloooo, Travis Etienne & Jordyn Tyson)
Second-year OC Kellen Moore, who helped get the Saints offense to a level of play that ranked first in the league for pace of play

Schedule-wise, the Saints start the season with two road games against juggernauts (DET & BAL), which will be a huge test. But their strength of schedule still ranks as the second-easiest in the league.

For a late-round QB, he's got all the pieces to surprise us with QB1 upside.

Oh, did I mention the Saints made one of Dwain McFarland's Fantasy Football Breakout Offenses?

Oh, and did I mention that the last time New Orleans faced Detroit in Week 1, they won a Super Bowl?

TIP THE SCALES, BABY!

Tee Higgins | WR | CIN

I know Higgins is not the star of the show, but he's more than just Ja'Marr Chase's sidekick. And there's a reason the Bengals decided to make Higgins' 2025 contract extension one for the books, getting him paid like a top-10 receiver.

Which WR under 1,000 yards scored the most TDs in 2024? You guessed it. Tee Higgins.

Which WR under 1,000 yards tied the second-most TDs in 2025? You guessed it. Tee Higgins.

With a "top-five easiest schedule", it's easy to want in on all of Cincinnati's offense in general. But unless you have an early pick in redraft, you're not getting Ja'Marr Chase. And unless you're willing to give up an arm and a leg, you're not getting Chase in dynasty.

So … Why not go for the wideout who outscores him?

Sell These Players In Fantasy Football

Malik Nabers | WR | NYG

Alright. You got me. This has nothing to do with the Giants' schedule release and everything to do with Malik Nabers' recent "clean-up" procedure that has effectively moved his reported return from training camp to Week 1.

Nabers is falling down the boards, folks!! If the drop suits ya, take it. But me? I'm out on principle alone. There are whispers that Nabers could start the season on PUP, while Giants fans are still asking about his "toe issue" that is like "a mosquito that doesn't want to go away" and hasn't gone away since his days at LSU.

As a Louisiana native, I don't take Mosquito comps lightly. Those f*ckers suck.

But if you need the final stone: The Giants' schedule is brutal, too.

De'Von Achane | RB | MIA

Like I was saying, sometimes a team's strength of schedule is the final piece needed to move your needle in an otherwise "torn" situation.

And the scales? Oh, they're tipping in a bad direction for newly-paid De'Von Achane.

While he's inarguably talented, Achane is arguably the only offensive threat in Miami.

"But Cooter! They signed a WR in the draft!" Oh, you mean Chris Bell with their sixth pick of the draft? Too bad MIA didn't spend any of their THREE picks in Rounds 1-2 on a WR. But I digress.

Back to Achane: He's coming off a fantastic season (ru: 238-1,350-8, rec: 85-488-4) that has unfortunately kept his ADP/price tag elevated. While paying the price feels worth it in some scenarios, I've found myself on the fence all offseason long. That is, until the schedule dropped.

Miami has one of the top-five worst strength of schedules in 2026. That, along with MIA's offensive woes, is just the nudge I needed to steer clear of Achane's early-Round 2-RB7 price tag.

Hold These Players In Fantasy Football

Breece Hall | RB | NYJ

While Breece Hall's three-year contract extension is much better news for the Jets than it is for his fantasy managers, it's hard to ignore the success he had on an otherwise unsuccessful team:

T-11th in rushing attempts (243)
15th in rushing yards (1,065)
2025 was his first 1,000+-rushing-yard season
17.4 touches per game
13.0 fantasy ppg in PPR

The Jets found nearly all of their success in 2025 through Hall, who looks to continue his dominant role in their offense. Here's to hoping Geno Smith and newly-drafted TE Kenyon Sadiq & WR Omar Cooper can make opposing defenses respect the Jets' passing game enough to free up some space for Hall in the run game.

Jeremiyah Love | RB | ARI

You can tell me that the Cardinals have a top-five toughest strength of schedule in 2026, but you (whoever you are) also told me that Ashton Jeanty's offensive line was going to ruin his fantasy debut.

Sometimes, players' situations aren't enough to stifle their fantasy production. Love is Fantasy Life's consensus RB14 in our fantasy football rankings, and Arizona's schedule isn't enough to tip the scales for me this time.