A brutal bye week is upon us, and lineups are tougher and tougher to predict, but we are going to give it our best shot. This list will exclude the every-week lineup starters, like Josh Allen, Derrick Henry, Mark Andrews, etc. Let’s get into it.
Teams on Bye: Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, and Los Angeles Rams
"STARTS" OF THE WEEK: QB
Matt Ryan vs Tennessee Titans
The Colts are finally showing not only a willingness to throw the ball but also the effectiveness while doing so. Add that to the fact that Ryan put up 17.84 points against Tennessee earlier this season and that they are the 28th ranked defense vs QBs, he would be my favorite streaming option at QB this week.
Dak Prescott vs Detroit Lions
It is risky to play a QB his first week back after an extended absence, however, the matchup might make it worth the risk. Sometimes, I question if the Lions play defense at all, so that's not a major concern. Add that to Dak's extensive available weapons, and Dak may be worth your starting roster spot.
Jimmy Garoppolo vs Kansas City Chiefs
Jimmy G might have looked bad when he took over for the injured Trey Lance, but he now has 2 straight top 10 performances under his belt, and he is primed for a shootout type game vs Kansas City.
"SITS" OF THE WEEK: QB
Jared Goff vs Dallas Cowboys
There was one point this season where we thought Goff might be an every week starter. Then, he scored 5 measly points against the Patriots before the Bye. That should tell us that he is likely more of a matchup-based starter, and the matchup vs Dallas is not exactly favorable.
Russell Wilson vs New York Jets
Wilson is probably the most frustrating QB this year so far. Out of his 6 games, only 2 of them have been solid fantasy starts. The Jets are a pretty good matchup for QBs, but I do not trust Wilson to get more than about 13 points on any given week right now. Given this, you should probably let Russ cook on your bench this week.
Trevor Lawrence vs New York Giants
Lawrence jumped on everyone's radar over the past few weeks, but the Giants have (shockingly) only allowed 17+ points to 1 QB so far this season. So, if you need your QB to boom this week, Lawrence is probably not a favorable start.
"STARTS" OF THE WEEK: RB
Kenneth Walker III vs Los Angeles Chargers
Walker got his first start as the lead back for Seattle last week, and he looked solid with 21 carries and 3 targets. Now facing the 29th ranked defense vs RBs, he is a solid RB2 and maybe even a borderline RB1 in this matchup.
Raheem Mostert vs Pittsburgh Steelers
These Steelers aren't the Steelers of old. They are ranked 21st vs RBs this season, and even though Mostert was a disappointment for fantasy owners last week, he is now in a favorable matchup and is still seeing the volume.
Brian Robinson vs Green Bay Packers
The Packers are a mess. That makes me think that the Commanders can keep this game close, which means they will stick with the running game. Robinson was announced as the starter last week and turned in 17 carries. Even though those carries didn't amount to much, 17 carries are still 17 carries.
"SITS" OF THE WEEK: RB
David Montgomery vs New England Patriots
It is hard to bench starting RBs on a Bye week like this; I get it. You may have to start Montgomery, but do so with caution. Montgomery has been very up and down this season. That, along with the superior Pats defense against RBs, and he should be a questionable play at best. After all, the Pats are the only Defense to hold RB2 Nick Chubb to under 10 points this season.
Photo by: DIRK SHADD | Times
James Robinson vs New York Giants
I think the days of starting Robinson in fantasy are coming to an end. At the very least, he should be a definite sit this week given his matchup with a top 10 defense against RBs. Additionally, Robinson's volume has been cut in half in recent weeks as the team is starting to favor Travis Etienne.
Tyler Allgeier vs Cincinnati Bengals
Allgeier gave us hope when he became the temporary starter in Atlanta, but it hasn't been pretty since then. I am not convinced it is all his fault given that he has faced red matchups 2 weeks in a row. However, given his lackluster performance and another red matchup against Cincinnati this week, I'm keeping him on my bench.
"STARTS" OF THE WEEK: WR
Tee Higgins vs Atlanta Falcons
Higgins is still someone who is frustrating fantasy owners. 2 Weeks ago he was active but was unexpectedly very limited, resulting in a 0. Last week, he saw an easy matchup and still only put up 7.7 half-PPR points. However, the 10 targets that went his way as well as his full participation in the game, from start to finish gives us hope for better weeks down the stretch. He is getting healthier and will continue to improve, and it's a bonus to see another positive matchup come his way.
Allen Lazard vs Washington Commanders
I did say the Packers are a mess earlier in this article, but the one bright spot has been Lazard. He now has 4 straight weeks of 10+ points and 4 TDs in his 5 games played. He is in a positive matchup against Washington and has seen plenty of target volume, even if he isn't catching a lot of those targets yet.
Brandon Aiyuk vs Kansas City
Jimmy G is clearly a start this week. I expect a solid offensive output for the 49ers, and believe that, for the the 2nd straight week, Aiyuk will be a big part of that offense. He actually led the 49ers in targets in week 6, which makes him a solid play.
"SITS" OF THE WEEK: WR
Jakobi Meyers vs Chicago Bears
Meyers has been a consistent source of targets for the Patriots this season, even with the carousel of QBs throwing him the ball. However, the Bears have a tough defense, and Meyers is far from explosive enough to put up the points this week.
Brandin Cooks vs Las Vegas
It could be hard to keep Cooks on the bench with the start of Byes, but he has not been putting up the points we were expecting. He has only had 2 solid performances through his first 5 games, and Las Vegas is yet to allow more than 10 points to an outside receiver this season.
Christian Kirk vs New York Giants
From points alone, Kirk performed slightly better in week 6. Hopefully, this is the start of a turnaround for Kirk, but keep in mind that his week 6 points were dependent on a TD. He actually only saw 5 targets, which is significantly lower than previous weeks. He now faces the toughest defense against WRs, and should probably stay on the bench.
"STARTS" OF THE WEEK: TE
Gerald Everett vs Seattle Seahawks
Revenge game! Everett has been down the last few weeks, but the targets are still there. Add that to the matchup vs Seattle and I will take him in my lineup this week.
Taysom Hill vs Arizona Cardinals
Hill scored 34 points in week 5, and everyone and their mom started him in week 6. However, he rewarded those owners with a measly 4.5 points. So, now what? Everyone sits him? I can't say I would love starting Taysom Hill, but the matchup is good, and there is a good chance that the Saints will want to use Hill in his unorthodox role on national TV.
"SITS" OF THE WEEK: TE
Daniel Bellinger vs Jacksonville Jaguars
The landscape of the tight end position leads a lot of owners chasing fantasy points. Bellinger had 9.4 and 12.3 half-PPR points in the last 2 weeks, but he scored TDs in both games. I get it...Most tight ends are touchdown dependent, but the odds of him getting a TD for a 3rd straight week, and against a top 10 defense vs TEs, is very unlikely.
Mike Gesicki vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Gesicki broke out last week with 21 points and 2 TDs, but that's unlikely to continue. There are a lot of mouths to feed on that offense, and the reality is that Miami is probably going to use Gesicki more in the blocking game than the passing game.
"STARTS" OF THE WEEK: DST
New York Jets DST vs Denver Broncos
The Jets just shut down Rodgers and the Packers, and even with how much of a mess Green Bay is, the Broncos are probably worse.
P.S. The Jets are DEF11 so far this year? What is happening in 2022?
Miami Dolphins DST vs Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are unsure of their starting QB given Kenny Pickett's concussion. Mitch Trubisky would start if Pickett cannot go, but honestly I am not impressed with their offense either way.
"SITS" OF THE WEEK: DST
San Francisco 49ers DST vs Kansas City
San Fran has a good fantasy defense, but you don't play defenses vs the Chiefs. Simple as that.
Baltimore Ravens DST vs Cleveland Browns
The Ravens have also been a good fantasy defense, mostly thanks to their loads of turnovers. The Browns have done well with taking care of the ball and being a tough matchup for fantasy defenses. I would avoid this matchup if you can help it.
Good luck this week!! Be sure to follow the Couch GMs on Twitter for the latest news on who is in and who is out this week. Listen to this week's podcast for even more insight on who you should start and who you should sit. Our DMs are always open for any fantasy advice you may need to win your matchup.
Comments