Many fantasy gamers prefer to back up quarterbacks with one who has an advantageous matchup during their starter’s bye week. While this is not advisable in leagues with shallow or even moderately deep roster sizes — the spot is better-occupied by a high-ceiling running back or pass-catcher — it rarely hurts to know which commonly available quarterbacks have soft matchups during bye weeks. In formats where two starting quarterbacks are required, or Superflex leagues, it is valuable information.
Below are fill-in quarterbacks who should be available or easily acquirable in most league formats, and who project to have attractive matchups for each bye week. Depending on how active your league is, it might be smart to roster them a week in advance. If they have an easy matchup the week before you need them, a savvy competitor may swoop in before you can strike. The SoS Grid can help when planning these transactions and can be found on the series landing page.
Week 5 (Byes: Falcons, Broncos, Saints, Redskins)
If Cody Kessler is still starting when October dawns, he’ll face a stripped-down Jets back-seven filled mostly with linebackers and cornerbacks who struggle in coverage, as well as a pair of rookie safeties. The Browns want to run, but New York features what will likely be the juiciest “funnel defense” in football.
On the flip side of the same game, if Josh McCown is somehow still upright after a month, he gets a Browns defense that graded only one spot ahead of the Jets in pass coverage (28th) and will again trot out a secondary marked by talent and/or experience deficiencies.
Brian Hoyer faces an upgraded Colts defense in their dome. However, their run defense received the larger offseason boost, despite an infusion of young talent on the back end. Take advantage of first-round safety Malik Hooker and second-round cornerback Quincy Wilson before they get acclimated to the NFL.
Week 6 (Byes: Bills, Bengals, Cowboys, Seahawks)
Sam Bradford will keep popping up, not only because he’s generally underrated, but due to the Vikings’ soft schedule. The Packers could be the best team they play, but have a far-from-scary secondary and pass rush. This game will be in Minnesota’s dome and has clear shootout potential.
Can Tom Savage hold off Deshaun Watson for six weeks or six practices? Either way, the Texans host the Browns in Week 6. Bill O’Brien could play it conservatively with an inexperienced quarterback. Then again, perhaps he opens it up against a soft defense sandwiched between Houston’s slugfests with the Chiefs and Seahawks.
The 49ers and Brian Hoyer continue their three-game road trip in Washington, where they will likely struggle to keep up on the scoreboard. Aside from Josh Norman – who will reportedly shadow more often this season – the Redskins’ projected secondary has been inconsistent in coverage and their pass rush is thin.
Week 7 (Byes: Lions, Texans)
Speaking of Washington, they were the last defense Carson Wentz threw for over 300 yards against, and his two meetings with them were his highest-graded after Week 2. Prior to Week 7 this season, Wentz will have faced the Chiefs, Giants, Chargers, Cardinals, and Panthers in succession. He should be available before the Redskins come to town.
With only two bye weeks, demand will be light for fill-ins. However, Blake Bortles may get the shackles taken off in Indianapolis, the Kessler-Kizer quandary welcomes an improved but still unproven Titans secondary, and Brian Hoyer faces a Cowboys defense with questions at all three levels.
Week 8 (Byes: Cardinals, Packers, Jaguars, Rams, Giants, Titans)
A visit from the 49ers offers Carson Wentz a second straight potentially soft opponent after facing five buzzsaws. With a reinforced front-seven, San Francisco may not offer a swinging gate to opposing running games like last season. The focus shifts to a still-suspect secondary if the sledding is tougher on the ground.
The Vikings head to Cleveland before their bye, as their run of mostly-soft defenses continues. The Browns secondary lacks depth and their pass rush remains theoretical. Minnesota would like to run the ball more behind a patched-up line, but their best option is Sam Bradford’s arm until further notice.
After a grueling three-game stretch against the Vikings, Ravens, and Panthers, it’s fair to wonder if Mike Glennon will be starting against the Saints in Week 8. If he does, however, it will be at the Coors Field of the NFL. New Orleans appears to have upgraded their defense in several spots, but we’ve also heard that one before.
Week 9 (Byes: Bears, Browns, Chargers, Vikings, Patriots, Steelers)
The second of two consecutive weeks with six teams on bye, this is by far the toughest to mitigate. If you rely solely on Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, or Ben Roethlisberger – an understandable tactic – you’d best plan ahead, or you’ll be competing for table scraps.
If Joe Flacco happens to be available before Week 8, pick him up and stash him. His matchup isn’t exceptional – the Titans on the road – but he’s easily the safest bet among potentially available quarterbacks for Week 9. Ryan Tannehill is less likely to be on free agent lists, but if he is, grab him for what smells like a high-scoring home game with the Raiders.
Closer to the bottom of the barrel, whoever is taking snaps for the Texans has a home game with the Colts, the Broncos’ starter travels to Philadelphia, and Alex Smith goes to Dallas for what could be the biggest tractor-pull of the season (over/under 110 combined snaps). Good luck with this week, folks.
Week 10 (Byes: Ravens, Chiefs, Raiders, Eagles)
We have been targeting the Redskins, perhaps to our detriment if a thin front-seven stays healthy, Brashaud Breeland’s play levels off, and D.J. Swearinger repeats his 2016 breakout. However, there are a lot of “ifs” on the defense, and Washington’s offense should be in their fair share of shootouts. Bradford is up next in Week 10.
Forecasting the Bears quarterback in Week 10 is a fool’s errand at this point. They will be coming off of a bye and Mike Glennon will have up to nine games to play himself out of the job. The first of two home games – this one with the Packers – is a solid spot for Mitchell Trubisky’s unveiling. How attractive that is for fantasy is another question.
A trip to Detroit for the Browns offense is theoretically appealing, assuming whichever quarterback playing by then is fantasy-relevant. However, this also feels like a solid week for Deshaun Watson enthusiasts, coming off of a potential shootout against the Colts in Week 9 and facing a Rams defense with more reputation than actual back-end talent.
Week 11 (Byes: Panthers, Colts, Dolphins, Jets, 49ers, Buccaneers)
The final week of byes claims a whopping six teams, with three quarterbacks sidelined who are currently drafted in the top-eight of MFL10s. Stand-in options are scarce, but if Joe Flacco is available after the Ravens’ Week 10 bye, he’s worth considering at home against the Packers’ potential funnel defense.
Carson Wentz travels to Dallas, which is always a dicey proposition due more to the Cowboys’ preferred pace than their questionable defensive talent. If that is too risky, perhaps you prefer to stay in Chicago where (presumably) Trubisky gets his second straight shot at a division rival with the Lions in town. Of course, they tried to play a Cowboys-esque brand of keep-away last season.
Once again, Sam Bradford may be a worthy pinch hitter, as he will be in the Vikings’ dome to play the Rams. While facing pressure last season, he led in accuracy percentage and was second in passer rating. His deep ball accuracy percentage ranked first and his passer rating on deep balls placed third. He might not be available in as many leagues as we’d currently anticipate by this point of the season, unfortunately.
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