The San Francisco 49ers currently hold the fifth pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. At 4-11, the 49ers have locked in no worse than the eighth pick of the draft. They are tied with the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers, and wins by either of those teams would allow the 49ers to move up with a loss.
If the 3-12 Tennessee Titans or 3-12 Cleveland Browns were to lose, they could move into a tie with the 49ers. The Titans current strength of schedule is .492, while the Browns are at .533. I haven't specifically run the numbers, but I'm pretty sure it is mathematically impossible for the 49ers to catch the Titans in SOS. I don't even know if they can catch the Browns either given how deep into the season we are. More than likely, the 49ers will not be able to climb higher than No. 3 in draft order.
That being said, here is a full rundown of the NFL's Week 17 schedule. As I did last week, here is a look at each game and our specific rooting interest.
New York Jets (10-5) @ Buffalo Bills (7-8): The 49ers did not play either team. The Jets and Bills both played the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans, and the Jets also played the Browns. If we want to hope for the 49ers to have a lower SOS than the Browns, a Jets win would help. Rooting interest: Jets
New England Patriots (12-3) @ Miami Dolphins (5-10): The 49ers did not play either team. The Patriots and Dolphins each faced the Titans and Cowboys, while the Dolphins also faced the Chargers. We want to see San Diego's SOS increase. Additionally, given that the 49ers could beat the Rams, I'd like to see 5-10 teams get bumped back. Rooting interest: Dolphins
New Orleans Saints (6-9) @ Atlanta Falcons (8-7): The 49ers beat the Falcons earlier this year, so we want to see the Falcons lose to weaken the 49ers SOS. The Cowboys played both teams, so they would get a win and a loss with this result. Rooting interest: Saints
Baltimore Ravens (5-10) @ Cincinnati Bengals (11-4): The 49ers played both teams, so they get a win and a loss, assuming there is not a tie. However, given that the 49ers could very well beat the Rams on Sunday, I'd prefer to bump a 5-10 team back a little bit. Rooting interest: Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6) @ Cleveland Browns (3-12): The 49ers played both teams this season, so even though the 49ers likely won't be able to catch the Browns in SOS, we can still root for them to win. Rooting interest: Browns
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10) @ Houston Texans (8-7): The 49ers did not face either team. The Jaguars faced the Chargers this year, so a Jaguars win boosts the Chargers SOS. Additionally, a Jaguars win bumps another 5-10 team back. Rooting interest: Jaguars
Tennessee Titans (3-12) @ Indianapolis Colts (7-8): The 49ers cannot catch the Titans in SOS, but the Titans did play the Browns as well. A Titans win boosts Cleveland's SOS. Rooting interest: Titans
Washington (8-7) @ Dallas Cowboys (4-11): Pretty simply. A Cowboys win would drop them behind the 49ers if San Francisco loses. Rooting interest: Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles (6-9) @ New York Giants (6-9): The 49ers faced the Giants, so a Giants loss would weaken the 49ers SOS. We want that. Rooting interest: Eagles
Detroit Lions (6-9) @ Chicago Bears (6-9): The 49ers played both teams, and both teams played the Chargers. Essentially, either team winning will have the same result. The only value to this game is that the loser will be on the 49ers schedule for 2016, due to the NFL's scheduling formula. Rooting interest: Lions
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-9) @ Carolina Panthers (14-1): Both teams played the Cowboys, and both teams played the Titans, so either result has the same impact on the 49ers. We can take this beyond the draft for picking a team. If the Panthers lose and the Arizona Cardinals win, the Cardinals get home field in the NFC. I'd prefer the Cardinals over a lot of teams, so I'm pulling for that. Rooting interest: Buccaneers
Oakland Raiders (7-8) @ Kansas City Chiefs (10-5): There really isn't a ton to take from this. The Raiders and Chiefs both played the Chargers twice, and Browns once. The Chiefs also faced the Titans, so for pure draft rooting, we'd want to see the Chiefs win to boost Tennessee's SOS. Rooting interest: Chiefs
San Diego Chargers (4-11) @ Denver Broncos (11-4): This is another simple one, like the Cowboys. If the 49ers lose, a Chargers win drops them back of San Francisco. Rooting interest: Chargers
Seattle Seahawks (9-6) @ Arizona Cardinals (13-2): Personally, I'd like to see the Cardinals get home field advantage. However, the Seahawks also faced the Cowboys, so a Seahawks win would increase the Cowboys SOS. If the Cowboys lose on Sunday (or they and 49ers both win), every extra win on their SOS helps. Rooting interest: Seahawks
Minnesota Vikings (10-5) @ Green Bay Packers (10-5): The 49ers played both teams, so a win by either team has the same result. Both teams also played the San Diego Chargers, but the packers also faced the Cowboys. We want to see the Cowboys SOS increase. Rooting interest: Packers