The byes are here! Every fantasy player's favorite time of year, scouring their benches and waiver wires alike for stomachable replacements for some of their top contributors. A period of time that separates the drafters from the hunters, with real sleepers beginning to chip in. Let's see if we can help you find a few:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons (-1.5) (Thursday 10/3)
Last week's Thursday nighter was a bit of a dud, but higher hopes for this go round! Few teams in the league are flying as high as Tampa Bay right now, with Baker Mayfield playing some of the best ball in his career. Atlanta's defense has been pretty decent but they'll have their hands full with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans.
Bucky Irving seems to slowly be sliding into the RB1 spot for the Bucs too, looking more explosive and efficient thus far than Rachaad White. Both could realistically get double digit touches in what should be a competitive contest.
The Falcons' offense has been a bit suspect out the gate. Darnell Mooney's been a pleasant surprise, but Drake London and (especially) Kyle Pitts have been quiet. Bijan's had his flashes but seems to be less than 100% overall. The offensive line has been a little disappointing, as has Kirk Cousins. Tampa's secondary is exploitable, so it's a matchup this allegedly potent bunch should be able to have some success against.
Love the Bucs as hot dogs here. Just a little healthier and looking a little more functional overall. My initial thought was on the over too, we'll see how that settles.
Fantasy Starts: Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin
Fantasy Sits: Kyle Pitts, Kirk Cousins
Sleepers: Tyler Allgeier, Darnell Mooney
New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings (-2.5) (London)
To London we go for our second international game of 2024, featuring two teams on totally opposite ends of the vibe spectrum. Nobody is riding higher right now than the Minnesota Vikings, fresh off a decisive victory over their division rivals Green Bay. Can that momentum travel over to Europe?
Sam Darnold's play under center has been a huge part of their hot start, getting to square off with the organization that originally drafted him. The Jets' secondary is by far the best Darnold has encountered, so his performance will be a good litmus test of where he's actually at. Getting Jordan Addison back definitely helps though, providing another legit pass catcher to his fold-- not that Jettas needed much help. Look for Aaron Jones to have a productive morning too.
What kind of New York attack are we going to get here? Aaron Rodgers hasn't been able to get this group routinely going, struggling with any type of consistency through the first quarter of the year. This Brian Flores defense is going to make him work, particularly with their advanced blitzing. Rodgers is going to be throwing off platform a lot, limiting the 40-year old's upside. Breece Hall on bust alert as well versus the second ranked run D.
Favorite under of the week. Weird soccer pitch overseas, on top of the travel in general, two good defenses-- lock it in. Leaning toward the Vikings moneyline, but the Jets can't look this dysfunctional forever, right?
Fantasy Starts: Aaron Jones, Vikings defense
Fantasy Sits: Aaron Rodgers
Sleepers: Braelon Allen
Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears (-3.5)
One o'clock block, starting out in the Windy City with two teams who've been heavily linked over the last few seasons. Plenty of familiar faces in the house!
The Bears offense has actually looked pretty competent in recent weeks, finally establishing a ground game against the Rams. Carolina can absolutely be run on, so D'Andre Swift's ability to do so will be a key factor. Caleb Williams has been better as well recently and will surely be looking to get DJ Moore heavily involved against his former squad.
Andy Dalton and the Panthers came back to Earth a little last week versus a desperate Cincinnati team and a solid Chicago defense doesn't spell relief. Chuba Hubbard put in his claim to be the top dog in this backfield and should be able to find a little space against this front seven. If Dalton can't keep the defense honest though, expect loaded boxes.
By all accounts, the Bears swindled Carolina in the DJ Moore-multiple-#1 pick swap, but what better way to definitively prove it. Chicago wins at home, probably cashing the under in the process.
Fantasy Starts: D'Andre Swift, Chuba Hubbard
Fantasy Sits: Diontae Johnson
Sleepers: Bears Defense, Roschon Johnson
Baltimore Ravens (-2.5) at Cincinnati Bengals
Big time AFC North showdown between the last two teams to take the divisional crown. An 0-3 start had Cincinnati supremely desperate last week, pulling off what seemed to be a long overdue win. Still plenty of problems on that defense though, which Lamar Jackson will happily exploit. Lou Anarumo knows #8 well, but this is a hammer spot for the reigning MVP. Derrick Henry will continue his roll against this sieve of a run D.
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However, that Bengals offense can keep up. Joe Burrow's looking more comfortable with each passing game, connecting regularly with Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and, lately, tight end Erick All Jr. The Ravens pass defense is shaky at best, which plays right into Burrow's hands. Chase Brown is emerging as the go-to running back but will have some tough sledding against an imposing defensive line.
Leaning toward the over here, though there's definitely some vibes this'll be one of those trappy games that ends up like 19-17. Baltimore gets the W, delivering another blow to their floundering rivals.
Fantasy Starts: Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Ja'Marr Chase
Fantasy Sits: Zack Moss
Sleepers: Baltimore Defense, Erick All Jr.
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (-1.5)
You've probably got something more important to do with your Sunday then tuning in for this one.
Jacoby Brissett should outduel Tyler Huntley, despite Huntley having the far superior weapons, but don't hold your breath. Not even a box score worth looking at most likely. Word on the street is there's a lot of dysfunction in that Patriots locker room though-- starting to creep onto the field.
Dolphins win, under hits, ugly everywhere.
Fantasy Starts: New England defense, Antonio Gibson
Fantasy Sits: Jaylen Waddle, Rhamondre Stevenson
Sleepers: Ja'Lynn Polk
Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders (-3.5)
What a test this is lining up to be for the current OROY favorite, squaring off versus a talented yet fading Browns defense. Jayden Daniels is in a real position to bury Cleveland while firmly establishing himself as the face of not only Washington moving forward, but the NFL as a whole. The kid has been immaculate.
Second year running back Brian Robinson Jr.'s ascension has been a key part of the Commanders' success, gashing opponents at 4.7 yards a clip. The balanced attack has allowed Daniels to thrive in the pass game and through designated runs. He's now getting Terry McLaurin and Luke McCaffery involved, really diversifying the way they can attack you. Will Cleveland have an answer?
Deshaun Watson probably won't, even against this pathetic DC secondary. He's been slightly better than his stats indicate, but not nearly worth the price they paid for the predator. Nick Chubb's return to practice is an exciting development, but he won't be out there yet this Sunday. Amari Cooper should roast these corners, how many accurate passes he can receive remains to be seen.
Cleveland's back's against the wall, with a defense that could pose some real issues for an inexperienced quarterback, yet feels stupid to pick against Washington in this matchup. Leads me to believe the Browns cover be can't cash on the road, as Daniels musters a little late magic to bury the Browns.
Fantasy Starts: Amari Cooper, Brian Robinson Jr., Jerome Ford
Fantasy Sits: Zach Ertz
Sleepers: Austin Ekeler
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (-2.5)
All signs point to Joe Flacco starting down in Duval, which probably elevates the Colts play. The Jaguars secondary looked better against CJ Stroud, but have mightily struggled overall. Between Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce, it should be a real pick your poison game for Flacco through the air. Not having Jonathan Taylor doesn't help matters, but it shouldn't matter much against this bunch.
So what's Trevor Lawrence going to do? Indy doesn't exactly boast an elite (or even good) defense of their own, but the former #1 pick's looked uninspiring. Being able to establish balance with the run should open up the pass some, assuming Lawrence can hit his guys. Christian Kirk and Brian Thomas Jr. have been wasted on some premium opportunities by inaccurate throws.
Possibly a trappy over/under here, because 43.5 feels low. I'll take the bait and hammer the over plus the Colts in the road upset! Joe Flacco tears up an inferior set of corners, continuing the spiral
Fantasy Starts: Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Christian Kirk
Fantasy Sits: Trey Sermon
Sleepers: Tank Bigsby, Joe Flacco
Buffalo Bills (-1.5) at Houston Texans
A good old AFC slugfest to wrap up the one o'clock block, with two 3-1 teams squaring off for playoff positioning.
Josh Allen and the Bills are coming off a humbling experience in Baltimore last Sunday night and should be more than motivated for payback. Khalil Shakir not suiting up isn't ideal, but Allen has elevated his receivers well all season. Temper expectations for Dalton Kincaid though, against a defense that's allowed just 49 yards to opposing tight ends.
For as much hype as CJ Stroud had coming into his sophomore season, it has looked a little clunky down in Houston. Nico Collins is a well oiled machine, but the running game has lacked in Joe Mixon's absence. Buffalo might not be great against a physical rush attack, but they won't face that here. Stefon Diggs will be targeted in the red zone too, looking for revenge.
Was leaning toward the Bills all week and have flip flopped while writing this. They're a little too banged up to hang on the road, despite some Josh Allen heroics. Take the Texans as home dogs, hit the over and prepare your popcorn.
Fantasy Starts: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs
Fantasy Sits: The Dalton's (Schultz and Kincaid)
Sleepers: Keon Coleman
Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos (-3.5)
Bo Nix versus Gardner Minshew, quite a spot to find yourself in. No Davante Adams either for Las Vegas, as the sporting world patiently awaits that trade. Jakobi Meyers stranded on Surtain IIsland.
For what it's worth, Antonio Pierce has the Raiders defense playing really hard. The Broncos don't pack a ton of punch in that regard, but should have enough pieces as the game wanes on. This dull, dull game.
Vegas may cover late, we'll find out around 7 o'clock on the bottom ticker. Denver wins though and an under.
Fantasy Starts: Denver defense
Fantasy Sits: Jakobi Meyers, Zamir White
Sleepers: Bo Nix
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-7.5)
At a glance, this seems like one of the more fun matchups of the afternoon. The unfortunate reality is that Kyler Murray seems to forget how to play football every now and then for a quarter or more at a time, really struggling to lead this offense to any type of consistent attack. Even with the Niners banged up defense, it's hard to believe in the kid right now.
James Conner will struggle against a stout front seven, Trey McBride isn't 100% and will be seeing a heavy dose of Fred Warner. Marvin Harrison Jr. has the best matchup but Kyler doesn't like throwing him the ball. There'll be flashes but not enough to hang.
The Niners are getting back to health offensively, sans CMC. Jordan Mason's been a monster in his place and is set for another big workload. Brandon Aiyuk has to breakout at some point or another, right?! Seems like a slam spot here. Brock Purdy should be able to cook.
Calling for nice weather in Santa Clara, 69 degrees and sunny. Smells like an over and a Niners victory, pulling away after an early back and forth.
Fantasy Starts: Jordan Mason, Brandon Aiyuk
Fantasy Sits: Trey McBride
Sleepers: Michael Wilson
Green Bay Packers (-3.5) at Los Angeles Rams
Green Bay felt like as sure of a bet as any on Wednesday. The Rams defense has been abysmal, their offense is hurt and they really may be a good punch or two from shipping it in.
But Romeo Doubs got suspended for missing a team meeting, Christian Watson isn't going to play and Luke Musgrave isn't 100%. A thin complement of pass catchers for Jordan Love, who loves his variety. Not sure it'll matter much, but it should limit the damage the Packers can lay on.
Matthew Stafford's a gamer and Kyren Williams runs angry, so no way to totally count LA out, but they're mismatched on many fronts here. The Rams' quarterback isn't going to have much time in the pocket against a pretty sharp pass rush and doesn't have a lot to throw to anyway. Tutu Atwell's stepped up, but that's about it. If the hole gets dug early, it's going to be hard to dig out.
Which is kind of what we see happening. Love seemed to rediscover his form in the final quarter against Minnesota and should come into this one slinging. Leaning under too, by a hair.
Fantasy Starts: Tucker Kraft, Jayden Reed
Fantasy Sits: Matthew Stafford
Sleepers: Dontayvion Wicks
New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks (-6.5)
It'd be so much cooler if Malik Nabers was playing. Concussions suck and we hope he's back to 100% ASAP.
Big hit to Daniel Jones' stock, losing far and away his #1 target. Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton stand to benefit from that development, with some sleeper potential against an injured Seahawks defense. Eric Gray also will get some looks, as Devin Singletary seems unlikely to suit up. Hard to get excited about the G-Men on the road.
New York has an underrated defense that's going to have their hands full with this loaded Seahawks attack. Geno Smith hasn't been a world beater by any stretch, but they're moving the ball consistently enough. If he can avoid the turnovers, they should have no problem putting themselves out of reach.
Seattle with relative ease and the under. Not as fun a game as it could've been.
Fantasy Starts: Kenneth Walker, Seattle Defense
Fantasy Sits: Geno Smith
Sleepers: Darius Slayton
Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5)
How far the Cowboys have fallen, from Super Bowl hopefuls to 1-3 road dogs to a Justin Fields-led team. Only one direction to go? Jerry hopes anyway.
This Steelers' defense may have been exposed some by Joe Flacco and the Colts last week, showing a blueprint that the Cowboys could definitely match. They're going to need a big game out of CeeDee Lamb, which he should have no problem delivering. Thinking Jalen Tolbert and Jake Ferguson will be regularly contributing as well, helping alleviate the stress of a nonexistent running attack.
Dallas has some problems of their own on D, missing their top two defensive ends, some corners, a linebacker. Sheesh. I allowed Najee Harris to burn me with hope last week, which won't happen again tonight. Justin Fields though, could cook some on this injured unit, particularly with his legs as the Cowboys backup ends will struggle to contain him. George Pickens is due for a good highlight too.
Loving Dallas as road dogs, with their season essentially on the line. Not a believer in Dak, but this is a task he's up for.
Fantasy Starts: Jake Ferguson, Justin Fields
Fantasy Sits: Rico Dowdle
Sleepers: Jalen Tolbert
New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs (-5.5) (Monday 10/7)
Monday night showdown between the juggernaut from weeks 1-2 and the inevitable juggernaut that is Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs. Something's got to give!
Kansas City certainly misses Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice, looking completely lethargic in their 17-10 victory over the Chargers. New Orleans has some talent on the defensive side of the ball who should be able to key in on many of the things this depleted group of pass catchers tries to do. Mahomes though, can't count him out.
Derek Carr knows that full well, venturing back into Arrowhead donning black and gold, not his customary silver. He is 3-14 against the Chiefs, which is very bad, for those unaware. Much different trip than his previous 17, but not an endearing statistic. Alvin Kamara will have a hard time getting going, as should Chris Olave versus a pretty stout Steve Spagnuolo defense. There'll be small windows here and there, but Carr will surely miss most of them.
KC wins at home, but let's get New Orleans covering 5.5. The Chiefs aren't really scoring a ton right now and the Saints defense has some backbone to them.
Fantasy Starts: Chiefs Defense, Travis Kelce
Fantasy Sits: Kareem Hunt, Chris Olave
Sleepers: Justin Watson
On Bye: Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans
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@Choppinglines
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