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The grueling NFL bye weeks have arrived, and with four teams out of commission this week, your fantasy roster is undoubtedly feeling the pinch.
When top-tier starters take a seat, fantasy success often is dictated by how effectively you navigate waivers to find immediate plug-and-play production.
At the quarterback, fantasy managers are sweating through the sudden losses of proven signal-callers Joe Burrow and Kyler Murray. If you are desperately searching for high-upside replacement options, try to forget about how bad Kirk Cousins looked this past week against the Patriots and focus on this week’s matchup numbers.
The Bills currently rank a dismal 27th in DVOA against the pass, allow the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks and are giving up the seventh-highest passer rating in the entire league this season. With a projected game total sitting at an explosive 52.5 points, all signs point to a high-scoring shootout in which Cousins will be forced to sling the rock heavily out of sheer necessity to keep pace.
The running back landscape takes a massive hit as well, with primary backfield engines Jahmyr Gibbs and Chase Brown both sidelined on a bye.
The first place to search on the waiver wire for volume is Green Bay, where MarShawn Lloyd remains surprisingly available and is rostered in fewer than 50 percent of leagues across Yahoo and ESPN. Lloyd is coming off an impressive multi-score performance against a Bears defense that is traditionally rigid against the run, and he now gets a dream matchup in Week 6 against the Cowboys.
Dallas has bled production on the ground all year, allowing the most rushing yards per game in the NFL while surrendering six rushing touchdowns. If Lloyd has already been snapped up in your competitive league, pivot immediately to Kaleb Johnson, who continues to split valuable touch volume in the Green Bay backfield.
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If you are scrambling to cover for the absences of elite tight end targets such as Sam LaPorta and T.J. Hockenson, take a look at Rams tight end Colby Parkinson. With Terrance Ferguson recently landing on injured reserve, Parkinson has seized control of the primary receiving role in the tight end room, leading all Rams tight ends in both offensive snaps and pass routes-run.
The opposing Cardinals rank 27th in DVOA against tight ends and yield a generous 18.5 PPR points per game to the position. Given the heavy usage of multi-TE personnel packages in coach Sean McVay’s scheme, Parkinson will continue seeing high-value targets in the middle of the field.
Navigating bye weeks is never easy, but there is always reliable help available on the fantasy waiver wire if you know where to look.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy, catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Ch. 87) weekdays from 6-8 p.m. and dominate your leagues with the latest football news and advice from Fantasy Alarm.