Embodiments include methods for an access point to schedule wireless communication devices. Such methods include performing link adaptation by assigning respective modulation and coding schemes (MCS) for the wireless communication devices. Each assigned MCS is associated with a corresponding power back-off. Such methods include scheduling the wireless communication devices on transmission resources based on assignment of the wireless communications devices into two or more groups. Each group is scheduled on different transmission resources than used to schedule other groups. First wireless communication devices assigned a first MCS and a first power back-off are assigned to a first group. Second wireless communications devices assigned a second MCS and a second power back-off, and that meet a grouping criterion associated with the first power back-off, are assigned to the first group until a maximum size for the first group is reached. Other embodiments include access points configured to perform such methods.