Heavy bye weeks: scrambling, trading
The next two weekends will test virtually every fantasy owner’s mettle.
Six teams will enjoy byes in Week 8 and another six in Week 9. The challenging fortnight begins with the Aaron Rodgersless Packers and Carson Palmer-less Cardinals joining the Jaguars, Rams, Giants, Titans, you and me on the couch.
Following that, the Bears, Browns, Chargers, Vikings, Patriots and Steelers will be idle.
Few fantasy teams will have sufficient depth to field a full starting lineup without working the waiver wire. Savvy owners planned ahead and made a preemptive move or two to minimize the number of transactions required this week. If this weekend isn’t your concern, be sure to look at your Week 9 schedule to see whether you should be making an early swap at kicker, defense, tight end or other bench player.
Admittedly, at this stage of the season, the pickings are thin, but some value can be had, especially when considering defensive units facing beleaguered offenses. The Eagles (owned in less than half of all leagues) are a safe bet against the winless 49ers. The Bengals should have some success against the Colts. And the Saints should continue their defensive renaissance against the pass-challenged Bears.
This is also prime time for trading, as most owners will be scrambling just like you. Catch ’em while you can Matt Moore, QB, Dolphins: Many Dolfans got what they’ve wanted when Moore replaced injured Jay Cutler on Sunday. Moore isn’t going to erase the memory of Dan Marino, but he brings experience and a steadier hand to the passing game. For those with injury or byeweek issues at QB, Moore could deliver Thursday night. And if he soars, Cutler’s return could be “delayed.” Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington, RBs, Raiders: Marshawn Lynch had been disappointing enough before he got himself ejected and left those who trusted him in their starting lineups with a big fat zero. Richard and Washington presumably will share the load Sunday against the Bills, and with the passing game seemingly back in fine form, they both have a chance to excel. As the more versatile of the two, Richard is option 1(a) to Washington’s 1(b). Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris, RBs, Cowboys: The Zeke Elliott saga continues to unfold in the courts, and he will play Sunday. But it seems increasingly likely that Elliott’s six-game suspension is imminent. The Cowboys haven’t tipped their hand on who will start in his place, but my expectation is for a committee approach, with the proverbial “hot hand” taking the lead. Both backs are, therefore, worth owning. Kenny Stills, WR, Dolphins: Stills has speed and skill, but he is frustratingly inconsistent. If Sunday’s game is any indication, he and Moore have built a strong chemistry in practice. If DeVante Parker remains out and Cutler takes time to heal, Stills could add to his Week 7 performance. Don’t be fooled Drew Stanton, QB, Cardinals: Not only should you not put your fantasy team in Stanton’s hands, but with Arizona’s bye week on tap, you can safely release any of your Arizona receivers not named Larry Fitzgerald. This passing game without Palmer at the helm is going to get even uglier than it has been for most of this season. Travis Benjamin, WR, Chargers: The speedster dazzled on his punt-return TD and 42-yard TD reception — but keep in mind the latter was Benjamin’s only catch of the day. That gives him a total of 14 receptions on the season — an average of two per game. He’s the definition of boom or bust, and it’s mostly bust.